How to go about catching a crab?

[kwirky]

There's this crab that came in on my liverock long long ago, and now it's getting pretty big. Anyone have any suggestions on how to catch him? I know which end of the tank he usually keeps to. He's about 1" across at the body, and about 3" from leg tip to leg tip.

[sawman]

i know how it feels to have unwanted crabs ...mmmmmm in my tank that is ...lol....anyway the best way i found was to use a juice bottle,with fishing line wraped around it,i put some sinkable srimp pellets in it .then droped it to the bottom,leaning up agaisnt the rocks .on a slight angle so they couldn't get out .in tottal ive caught 8 of the little buggers ..hope this works as weel for oyu as it has for me ....

[trilinearmipmap]

I agree with the juice bottle advice, just leave it out each night, I found I could catch a crab about one out of every four tries.

[MikeP]

Hey Sean, I've never had to catch one yet but here is what I have read about catching a crab. Cut the top of a pop bottle out like you were going to use it as a funnel, invert it into the remaining portion of the bottle put some bait in there and set it up so he can get in. The other one I heard about is using a glass jar, prop it up on a rock (about 45 degrees) put some bait in and that should do it. He won't be able to climb up the glass. Hope that helps, let us know how you make out.

[surgeonfish]

I am not good with DIY and so bought an acrylic trap. It cost a few bucks but was well worth it. However, the pop bottle idea should work for catching crabs

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[untamed]

I caught 2 within 1 hour by simply leaning a regular glass up against the rock with some bait in the bottom. Glass works really well as it is too slippery for the crabs to escape, even if the glass is only on a very slight angle.

[sawman]

i was just wondering ifin you caught any crabs lately.maybe you tryed something different that we all haven't tryed ..

[kwirky]

The crab's are too large to fit in the head of a pop bottle. I tried using a glass, but it's the right size for the crab, but the cinamon clown get in there and eat the raw shrimp instead. I'm going to try the juice bottle, but I don't know if it'll be large enough of an opening for it.

[GrimReefer]

I had the same problem with fish stealing the bait. I used a glass propped against a rock, but I waited until a few hours after lights out. I caught two nasty crabs, and about half of my hermits. It's hard to beat this method with it's simplicity and effectiveness.

[G1GY]

I use a flashlight to find them after lights out and then I SMASH them.:redface:

[kwirky]

problem solved. I finally got off my butt and built the PVC/egg crate rock support I was planning to build when I first got my tank. I rearranged all my rock to put it all on it, and I made sure I got the crab while I was at it. Here's are some pictures of him; I put a quarter next to him for scale. He's 'bout twice the size of my emerald crabs.

http://www.kwirky88.com/images/aquarium/07-02-23/crabquarter.jpg
http://www.kwirky88.com/images/aquarium/07-02-23/crabreach.jpg

The whole endeavor was funny though. After I took my cinamon clowns' toadstool away from them, they've been extremely defensive and attack my hand on sight. They even go after my hand if it's just hovering above the water. Jump right out to bite it! My mom was chasing them off with my algae scrubber while I was rearranging the rock and looking for the crab (at the same time). They bit me a few times... "Ow! mom! you're supposed to be protecting me!" lol