how to catch a crab....

[prosnow]

i was just thinking is there any easy way other then tearing my tank down to catch a crab? maybe like a mini crab trap :neutral: i dunno thats just my idea, anyone have any advice for me?

thanks

[rickjames]

huh? catch crap!? :eek:

Oh Crab.... I swear my mind is playing tricks on me!
Maybe go in with a flashlight and a sowing needle on the end of a pencil, and harpoon the sucker!

[outtafocus]

I have read that you can use a pop bottle, cut off the neck portion then invert it back into the bottle. Make sure the opening in the top is big enough for your target to slip through. Submerge this bottle trap in the tank with a piece of shrimp or something inside. The crab will go in to get the shrimp and find that he cant climb back out of the inverted top.
Sorry I cant figure how to describe it any better. Pm me if it doesnt make sense.
It may take a few nights or weeks but you should eventually catch the bugger. If you catch him, check to see what kind of crab it is. No point flushing a reef safe crab.

[outtafocus]

I found this link that may help.
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/LettersMantisShrimp.html

[prosnow]

thanks for the help guys, but i ended up spotting him in a rock tonight so i quickly removed the rock, and ended up getting him out. :mrgreen: now i just have to figure out if hes good or bad....hes living in my sump right now,
http://www.canreef.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18141

[Willow]

if you didnt add him hes probably bad. little red eyed bastages die!

[Aquattro]

if you didnt add him hes probably bad.

I've had a few crabs in my tank for years that came in on rock and they never caused any trouble at all.

Can you post a pic of the crab?

[Xtasia]

I had a little brown crab that came with the rock.. He was the apple of my eye until he was murdered :D

Good little guy.

[fishface]

I have read that you can use a pop bottle, cut off the neck portion then invert it back into the bottle. Make sure the opening in the top is big enough for your target to slip through. Submerge this bottle trap in the tank with a piece of shrimp or something inside. The crab will go in to get the shrimp and find that he cant climb back out of the inverted top. .ok, i'm tryin this but i just cannot catch the offending subject :evil:...anyone else have any other ideas short of ripping the whole tank apart???

[Snappy]

See where it hides and take that rock out. Throw it in the sump for a few days and keep an eye on it. When it leaves the rock, put the rock back in the display tank and the crab is in an area where it is rendered harmless and the rock is now crab free. (Although they do like to hide in the hard to get to rocks).

[fishface]

well, i actually just needed to exercise a little more patience and the ol' cut off, inverted-top of the pop bottle worked after all! :biggrin: poor crab...

[Beverly]

I have at least two crabs in my 67g that I want to catch. However, they seem to be algae eaters, so I don't know how successful I will be with my trap.

Glass with plastic wrap covering top, with a small opening for crab (and hopefully not the cleaner shrimp :eek: ):

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/67g-crabcatch-2.jpg

Trap in place, baited with mysis, in the 67g. Hopefully the opening is small enough to keep the shrimp out :eek: :

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/67g-crabcatch-1.jpg