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  #1  
Old 12/06/2007, 11:16 PM
scuttlebutt21 scuttlebutt21 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Trachyphyllia eating my crabs???

Ok, so I feel like I have the freakiest tank around now... not once, but now twice, I have found my crabs, dead, inside the fleshy part of my trachyphyllia. I was able to extracate a small hermit crab the first time, but the latest instance was a quite large emerald crab. I have no idea how they got in there. So im wondering...

a) Did the crabs crawl in or did the trachyphyllia somehow kill them and attempt to eat them?

b) Is there a better way to get them out then the way I have been doing (pliers and x-acto)

c) HOW IN GODS NAME DO I PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN!?!?!?
  #2  
Old 12/07/2007, 12:18 AM
fierceseaman fierceseaman is offline
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I would think that the crabs died and then the brains caught them after they were dead. I wouldn't worry about removing them either, you are probably doing more harm then good, they will spit them out if they can't digest them or don't like it.

Are you worried about the livestock being eaten or the damage to the brain? If it damage to the brain I wouldn't worry about it. If its the livestock then I would get to why its dying in the first place because I don't think the brain will attack these crabs when they are alive.
  #3  
Old 12/07/2007, 12:51 AM
rhythmicfire rhythmicfire is offline
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I agree. An emerald crab is agile enough to escape from something like a trachyphyllia.
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  #4  
Old 12/07/2007, 02:51 PM
scuttlebutt21 scuttlebutt21 is offline
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I really dont think the crabs are dying and then ending up inside the brain. Both crabs have been perfectly healthy prior to ending up inside the coral. Im thinking somehow they are trying to "clean" the brain coral and somehow are ending up inside. Let me clarify though, they are not inside the edge of the brain (like where the tentacles are) they are ending up inside the mouth!
  #5  
Old 12/07/2007, 02:55 PM
blackheart blackheart is offline
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its eating thier shed
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  #6  
Old 12/07/2007, 03:03 PM
Atarax Atarax is offline
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I came home from work the other day to see my welso eating my cleaner shrimp. upon close examination it was just that the shrimp had molted and the welso was eating that. i would take a closer look and make sure it is in fact the crabs themselves and not the leftovers from a molt.
  #7  
Old 12/07/2007, 03:32 PM
scuttlebutt21 scuttlebutt21 is offline
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I pulled out the crabs myself. It was the actual crab, both times. Believe me, i was sure.
  #8  
Old 12/07/2007, 03:39 PM
Dave12678 Dave12678 is offline
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I have seen my cleaner shrimp stealing food from my brain before when the lights were out. The brain was trying to eat the shrimp sucking in 1 foot at a time but the shrimp got away with the food, maybe your crab didn't.
  #9  
Old 12/07/2007, 06:07 PM
anathema anathema is offline
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That coral is not reef safe!
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  #10  
Old 12/07/2007, 07:50 PM
fierceseaman fierceseaman is offline
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I'm sure it was the crab, I've had candy cane corals eat hermit crabs that were killed by other crabs. But I really don't think you need to worry about the coral being hurt and are actually doing more harm by handling the coral and removing the crab. The coral will spit it out if it doesn't like the crab or can't digest it.
  #11  
Old 12/07/2007, 08:36 PM
ILoveReefer ILoveReefer is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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I've seen my orange plate eat blue legs on more than one occasion. But their shells were never near the plate. I think the hermit crabs where shell jacked. haha but seriously I think another hermit crab stole their shells. I believe they where already dead or had the misfortune to walk across the plate without there shells becoming an easy meal. I wouldn't try removing the dead hermit from the mouth of the coral. Just let your coral do what it wants to with it.
 

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