I hate zoo eating crabs.

[Crystal Sea]

How can I avoid adding bad critters to my tank every time i add a coral that is attached to a rock? I got some zoos on rather large rocks. I really hate coming down in the morning and finding my stuff eaten. AGAIN. I did find the crab last night though. Caught him red handed. Now all I have to do is catch him. I tried shrimp in a glass after I saw him carrying off more zoos. He demolished my favorites the night before, great turquoise lucky charm ones. I have been growing them. Enjoying the multiplying. There are only 2 polyps left. I could cry. Yeah I am a girl. Last night it went after some totally orange ones. Maybe I should try putting some ugly zoos in the glass, only he seems to like the good ones :( . I will try again tonight.
I love my zoos. All colors all sizes. Especially the color morphs. If all he is going to eat is zoos, he is going to have a feast in my tank. Hope I can catch this one fast. Any ideas appreciated. Sorry I just had to gripe.

[TS]

Sorry about your luck. Perhaps you should try zoanthids in a glass.

T

[Siddroww]

Please educate the ignorant here . What kind of crabs eats zoo's ?

[Crystal Sea]

I don't know what kind of crab it is, and I am not sure about which ones eat corals, but this one is not a nice one. I actually saw him walk away with a clump of about 5 polyps in his claw, so I know it was him. Stayed just out of reach in a rock. I have never seen this one in my tank before but I removed another larger similar one a few weeks ago. He is white/beige, his body is about as big as a quarter, not counting the legs. Hard to tell more in the dark, but seemed like the legs were hairy too. When I catch him I will give a better description. Hopefully it will be tonight.
Thanks for the sympathy TS.
Karvin

[Siddroww]

The reason I asked is a year ago I bought a beautiful rock covered with zoo's . About half of them had centers a peach color and the other half were blue/green centers . They are almost gone now . I have tried and tried to figure out what was wrong with no luck . I have seen 2 hitch hiking crabs in my tank that look like the Mithrax crab but are not green . I didnt know crabs would eat polyps . I also have tried Yellow polyps twice and lost both clusters in a short time .

Does it look like this only brown ?

[Crystal Sea]

I think that a lot of kinds of crabs can eat soft corals and zoos. Maybe they just like to tear them up, I don't know. The one that I have this time is actually a cream color or very pale beige, but yes it has the same basic shape as an emerald crab. When I catch it I will try to get a picture. I had a crab before that was brown and had very pointy claws that actually ate whole fish overnight, as well as numerous shrimp. That one seemed to just tear up zoos and not really eat them. I don't know if this one is eating them really or what, but I really get frustrated at the hitchhikers sometimes. I know they gotta live too but it just isn't gonna be in my tank if they act like this. I have yet to get a cool one that doesn't hurt stuff in my tank. Wish I would get at least ONE cool one to make up for the ones that have very expensive diets :rolleyes:

[vulkum]

hi crystal, heres the best way i have found to catch unwanted critters. iif(and these are only if's) you know what rock he hides out in and that rock can be removed then take a bucket of room temp fresh water(perferablly ro/di not tap water) and place the rock in it for about a minute. you'll see him hop out in seconds. also if you have a place to keep him out of your main tank do so and post some pics so everyone knows what he looks like~
aaron

[Siddroww]

Crystal , Did you catch the crab yet ?

[Crystal Sea]

I still haven't caught him. I am going to get a mantis trap and try that when I get a chance. He is not the least interested in shrimp. He has become the least of my worries right now though.
My MH lights blew both the icecap ballasts so I am trying to get lights fast enough to not lose everything. I am hoping icecap will be fast at fixing them cause sps won't last too long with the VHO 180watts actinic I have left.
if I lose all the sps to no light, and the zoos to the crab? Don't ever think it can't get worse. It can! lol...:rolleyes: I will post when I catch him though. Perhaps take out my frustration on him Bwahahahahaaaa!

[griss]

I'll trade frags for any Zooanthid or Mushroom eating creatures. However, they must not touch SPS:D Email or PM me if interested.

Also, the offer is good for anything that eats Anthelia.

Griss

[musicsmaker]

Griss. :D SPS freak. LOL

[Crystal Sea]

Thanks for the offer Griss. IF....and it seems to be becoming a big IF, I ever catch him, you are welcome to him. He has shown no interest in any of my sps at all. If he ate anthelia I would keep him though. :D Why did I used to think that was a coral?
I have a question:
WHY would you want him? He might end up eating who know what when he grows....I'm not really torture him, ya know.

[griss]

Originally posted by musicsmaker
Griss. :D SPS freak. LOL
You know it my friend:D

Originally posted by Crystal Sea
WHY would you want him?
For the simple fact that Zoos are starting to overrun my tank. Two of the Zoo species I have are extremely low growing and impossible to remove by hand. They are taking up valuable real estate that could be used for SPS.

I am really not interested in the crab. I would prefer to get my hands on some of the snails that eat Zoos.

Griss

[musicsmaker]

I don't blame ya. If I didn't like reef fish so much I'd give SPS a try. I feel safer with my intended stocking levels keeping zoanthids, and other softies. After my tank has it's one year birthday, if water quality permits, I may designate a mound or two for SPS of some type. I fear however that my tank water will never be considered pristine as is needed by certain animals.

[Fishster]

This sounds very familiar, I have what sounds like the very same crab terrorizing my zoanthids. So far I have been unable to catch him, but if you catch yours I would appreciate any tips.

Thanks

[Saliki]

I had a similar crab in my tank, or so it sounds like. It actually came on some local Florida Live Rock, that I bought and dropped in my tank.
Description- Mostly White, some red/black splotches. REALLY hairy! Big claw, looks almost like a stone crab claw.
Anyhow, there is a baby crab, and a BIG monster crab in my tank. I kept an eye one em, and NEVER saw them hurt anything. Then yesterday morning, I see my poor black sea cucumber trying to escape, and the big hairy crab is trying to drag him under a rock! I can't believe how brave this crab is! I pull the cucumber away, and he comes out looking for it. So i grab a PVC fitting I have, and quickly trap him and get him out. Tossed em in my sump until I build my Refugium, and then he can live there.
Two morals to the story:
1. Check your Liverock well. I know the 2 methods to get bad critters out- fresh water dip the rock or massive salt water dip it.
2. Big crabs DO eat something to get that big, just try and get em out before they do too much damage.

[Crystal Sea]

I saw the crab again tonight. Larger body proportions than an Emerald crab. Shorter hairy legs. I chased him with a stick, a screwdriver. I moved rocks, acros, tried a bamboo skure in one side of the rock and a flashlight in the other. Tonight I chased, he escaped. I am loosing a 2"square of zoos about every other night. Maybe he will be to scared to eat tonight. I can't find him now. Maybe I will win tomorrow.

Crab 2
Crystal Sea 0 :sad1:

[SurferStevo]

Can you move a patch of zoanthids into a trap?

[traveller7]

Bait it with a silverside or fish. My "hairy leggers" can't resist to the point you can put a 3" silverside near a hiding spot, the crab will grab it, hold on right out of the tank and into the sump.

Good luck.

btw: sorry griss I think I smashed what I hope is my last box snail (zoo eating) this afternoon. If they show up again, you are on the list.

[Crystal Sea]

Well.......
crab 4
Crystal Sea 0

He escaped my seamripper harpoon last night. I saw him on the back of the reef tonight. He is really smart. He will not come anywhere I can actually have a clear shot at him. I know where he was living until last night, hope I didn't make him move deeper into the reef. He has zero interest in shrimp and won't come near the krill I tried either. I will try the silver sides tomorrow night but I doubt that he will just hang on and get lifted out. I wish. If I even get the flashlight on him for 3 seconds he retreats deeper into the rocks. I am going to get a red lens for it in the hope that he won't be able to see it. It is hard for me to hunt in the dark. He is growing. Bigger by 20% or so in just a month. Sooner or later......

[Crystal Sea]

Tonight, I win. :bounce1: :bounce3: :bounce2:
The crab found a new hole in the rock to live in, and I found him. I am kind of sad that the only way I could get him was with the seamripper harpoon that I made. He was so far in that it took tweezers to remove him. Sorry guys, no pictures. I can give a good description of him though. He ended up being about the size of a 50 cent piece. Cream colored and hairy all over even on his back. He had chocolate colored serrated claws. Funny the only thing he ever ate in the tank was zoos. Last night I lost 1/2 of a mint green chocolate colony to him. I am relieved that I finally got him. From now on.....all rocks get a freshwater dip, or a through inspection, very very through.

Too bad that I can't donate him to Griss ;) as he never bothered any of my sps.

Fishter. only tip I can give is keep trying and watch for what his habits are. Mine ONLY came out when all lights were out. even the room lights. Always stayed close to his hole. I gave up on catching him when he had no interest in shrimp etc. The tool I made was a bamboo skure with a small sharp sewing seamripper attached to the end. A rubberband at the other end so I could pull back and shoot it like an arrow. Good luck with catching yours!

[Silas]

Does anyone have problems with a Zos eating Fox Face? My Fox Face only munch on Orange/brown Zos and leave the other colours alone.

The Fox Face is living in the sump tank now until I could find a home for him. Anyone in the SF bay area want one for free?

[musicsmaker]

Try talking via PM to some of the guys who are looking for zoo eaters.

[KorbinDallas]

I have one of the brown mithrax-type crabs and he never touches my zoos.