Porcelain crabs - A good addition to a reef tank?

chrisbenavides · #1 07/20/2006, 09:30 AM

Is the Porcelain crabs a good addition to a reef tank with inverts such as a Cleaner Shrimp, Gold Coral Banded Shrimp, soft corals, snails, and fish?

Post your experience please with this little cool looking crab?

newreefbishop · #2 07/20/2006, 09:49 AM

As with all crabs beware.....

Not sure on Porcelain....but I did have a "reef safe" crab eat coral in my tank and have vowed to keep nothing more than various species of hermits...

chrisbenavides · #3 07/20/2006, 09:58 AM

I have been reading around that this Porcelain crab does not eat meaty things, but is a filter feeder, which makes it safe. Is this true?

I thought hermit crabs posed a threat as well. I am going to add 25 more hermit crabd to my 55g tank. How many blue leg hermit should there be ina 55g tank?

gregr · #4 07/20/2006, 10:06 AM

Porcelain crabs won't eat your corals. They are filter feeders like you said- I've kept several over the years. They can be shy though- especially the purple ones. If you have an anemone it should go right for it- but sometimes overly protective clownfish will chase them away.

LittlePuff · #5 07/20/2006, 06:36 PM

They will eat "meaty" things, but they can't kill anything. Mine will eat bloodworms, mysis, brine shrimp, flake, and Cyclop-eeze.

thowell64 · #6 07/20/2006, 08:45 PM

I would be careful of the blue legged hermits -- they tend to eat snails -- spend the little extra money and get the red ones

aquapod · #7 07/20/2006, 10:23 PM

Hermits were not the questoin tghowell64. Please stick on topic. I have two porcelain crabs that I got as hitchhikers on my live rock. They appeared about 3 days after I put it in. They have been shy so far but a month into them going into my tank they are emerbing to the very front of the tank. They are as reef safe as reef safe gets. They have filter feeders and Have no way of going after anything to eat. You wont see them much of the time as they hide in rocks and stick out hteir filters or run if they see you coming but when you do see them they are marvelous looking animals. Here is a picture of mine.

bllfish · #8 07/20/2006, 10:25 PM

I have had a porcelain for about four years. He is very shy and I do not see him very much. He has not bothered any fish or corals. Pretty much stays out of sight and hides in the rock caves.

aquapod · #9 07/20/2006, 11:53 PM

wow thats a really beautiful specimen. I want a decorator crab. Ever had any problems with those? I am mainly scared of a crab eating my clam. I'm still trying to get rid of my gorilla crab problem. Flushed 8 so far and i still see like 4 in my tank.

bjonesjr1 · #10 07/21/2006, 01:40 AM

I had a porcelain crab show up as a hitchhiker on my LR, he was always very shy in my tank, and would hide in the dark, always using his feather hands to filter feed... One day he got brave and went alittle low on a rock, and a snail was crusing bye, and decided to try and get him, well he ended up droping his claws, and tried that way, but the snail got him cause he was defense less, and he ended up dieing... I really haven't thought about getting another one, although they are very cool looking, I used to have a little clip, on youtube.com of my crab filter feeding, let me see if I can pull it up...

Bobby

bjonesjr1 · #11 07/21/2006, 01:42 AM

yea I deleted since it was awhile ago... sorry

nam2212 · #12 07/21/2006, 05:48 AM

I have 2 in my 29G and 1 in my 10G. I have never had a problem with any of them, but they will eat meaty foods if they can catch them. I rarely see the ones in the 29G , but the crab in the 10G is constantly out in the open. After the lights go out, he climbs to the top of the tank and waves his little fans in front of the skimmer return.

bllfish · #13 07/21/2006, 05:54 AM

sharkeysreef.com has a few in the members only section selling for $15, also hase a white anemone crab.

https://www.sharkysreef.com/catalog/...vip.php?page=2

techreef · #14 07/21/2006, 08:04 AM

a snail killed your porcelain crab? weird.

chrisbenavides · #15 07/21/2006, 10:30 AM

Of the three, which crab would you choose for your tank?

Factor in that you want it to not be so shy, you want it not to destroy the good stuff, nor do you want it to kill you shrimp or other inverts. which is it?

Porcelain Crab
Emerald Mithrax Crab
Red Mithrax Crab

Gosh, I am having such a hard time deciding if one it is worth it or not. (As I usually do).

nam2212 · #16 07/21/2006, 10:31 AM

Definitely the porcelian.

Krazy · #17 07/21/2006, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisbenavides
Of the three, which crab would you choose for your tank?

Factor in that you want it to not be so shy, you want it not to destroy the good stuff, nor do you want it to kill you shrimp or other inverts. which is it?

Porcelain Crab
Emerald Mithrax Crab
Red Mithrax Crab

Gosh, I am having such a hard time deciding if one it is worth it or not. (As I usually do).

I've got 1 of each

No problems to date (knocks on wood)

chrisbenavides · #18 07/21/2006, 12:34 PM

You guys make me want all of them too!

So it comes down to which one is out in the open so much more. I would like to see the things I buy. lol

Also I don't want it eating my prlifera macro algae. Do they?

Kabong · #19 07/21/2006, 01:21 PM

porcelian's are considered a reef safe crab,
But there not really a crab. There a member of the squat lobster family.

bllfish · #20 07/21/2006, 01:23 PM

And they do not come out much.

chrisbenavides · #21 07/21/2006, 01:35 PM

I see. Well I guess I'll just get something else for that money like another Ricrodea. I am currently in the process of learning what they need. So if you all know go to that thread.

I was also considering getting a featherduster, but not I am debating that. Should I? Or should I get another Ricordea to replace the featherduster as well?

bjonesjr1 · #22 07/21/2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by techreef
a snail killed your porcelain crab? weird.

It wasn't exactly the Nassirus snail that killed a small procelain crab in my tank, the crab ended up being stressed out and dropped his arms, like they do when they are stressed out... and I think thats what got him... but the snails did get on top of him and do something...

kenbennedy · #23 07/21/2006, 09:50 PM

I have 2 porcelain crabs and 1 emerald crab in my 30 gal reef tank. My emerald crab does a fantastic jop with any algae he can get to . The porcelain crabs came with my LR and they have become more adventurous, but do startle easily. I have seen them sift sand in their little nets as well as wave them through the water grasping for tiny bits of food. Ive never seen them munching on my zoos or LPS. To me, they behave quite differently as a member of the tank, so if you were to choose between the porcelain and emerald, choose by the behavior and which would better serve the goals of your tank.

chrisbenavides · #24 07/21/2006, 10:26 PM

I want something that well help reduce the algae that grows on the sand, as well as something that is more visible. I don't know the main difference between the Emerald Crab and the Red Mithrax Crab (other than color). Which is better for what I am looking for (cleaning algae from sand and being visible to see). Like I said, since I have never owned one, I don't know their behavior in a tank. Thanks!

LittlePuff · #25 07/21/2006, 11:23 PM

My porcelain sifts sand and is always where I can see him. He's not very jumpy either.