Valonia and Emerald Crabs

[Beverly]

I've noticed a couple of patches of valonia getting bigger over the last week or so in our 42 gal hex. I have heard that emerald crabs will keep this stuff under control, and the lfs has some for sale at the moment.

Anybody with experience adding emerald crabs to control valonia? Will they eat the food I offer the fish if/when the valonia is under control?

All comments regarding emerald crabs in a reef will be much appreciated.

TIA.

[StirCrazy]

I had two of them and they never touched it. So I think it is like anything else, they might or they might not.

Steve

[Old Guy]

Mine doesn't seem to touch it either. I siphon mine out when I do a water change. At the moment my tank is clear of those pesky bubbles.

[ganowicki]

Some of the hermits in my tank that take care of it. I do not know for sure which crab eats it, but I have seen my large left handed hermit near it the most. In my tank I have blue legged, left handed and red scarlet hermits.

[Delphinus]

For sure the two emerald crabs I have do not touch the large-marble-sized valonia I get in my tank, which I have to remove manually every week or two.

BUT, I don't seem to ever see any "small" valonia patches which I get in my other tanks ... so ... whether this is just coincidence, or the crabs actually doing their job, I can't say, but it seems plausible enough to me that they might have an effect.

[Son Of Skyline]

I've had 5 emerald crabs and I've never seen one eat a valonia bubble. They do however do a great job with most of my other algae.

[Aquattro]

I'm lucky, my tangs eat it. My brain coral also eats it, but it has to float into it's mouth!!

[AJ_77]

I've had 2 Emerald crabs - neither appeared to touch any size of bubble algae. They certainly didn't make a dent in it...

I really wish they would have, perhaps they would have lasted longer. :frown:

[Beverly]

Thanks for all the comments. Guess I won't waste my money buying any emerald crabs.

[Samw]

The only reason I have no bubble algae left is because of my emerald crabs. They were the only animals that I saw eat bubble algae in my tank. Mine actually plucked the bubbles off the rock to eat them.

[Beverly]

The only reason I have no bubble algae left is because of my emerald crabs. They were the only animals that I saw eat bubble algae in my tank. Mine actually plucked the bubbles off the rock to eat them.

Okay, Sam, now you've got me interested again :confused:

How big is your tank, how many emerald crabs do you have, and how bad was your valonia?

TIA.

[Quinn]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167782&highlight=emerald+eating

a debate on what emeralds eat...

[Beverly]

a debate on what emeralds eat...

Thanks, teevee. I wouldn't like to buy him then have to tear down the tank just to give him to you for your sump :smile:

[Andy]

Beverly

I've had several episodes of bubble algae in my tanks over the years and have always purchased Mithrax (Emerald) crabs to get rid of them. They seem to go after the smaller bubbles, however. I've actually watched them attack a patch of bubble algae and have it completely consumed in hours. Once the bubble algae is completely gone from the tank, you don't see the crabs any more. I am assuming they either hide in the rock work or die of starvation. I give the Emeralds a two thumbs up.

Good Luck!

[christyf5]

I have 6 emerald crabs and lots of valonia. I hand pick the valonia when it starts to annoy me.

Christy :)

[Samw]

Okay, Sam, now you've got me interested again :confused:

How big is your tank, how many emerald crabs do you have, and how bad was your valonia?

TIA.


I have 1 emerald crab in my 38 gallon tank now. I originally bought an emerald crab specifically to eat the patches of bubble algae that was growing in my new tank a year and a half ago and it did the job and ate my brown wafer algae as a bonus.

I bought a few more to help with hair algae problems and I've not had any algae problems now in over a year. They were mating in my tank often and I had captured lots of video of them releasing larvae. The tank is pretty barren of nuisance algae now and I only have 1 crab left. I assume the others died of starvation.

The only times I see brown wafer algae and bubble algae now are when I buy corals that already have them on the rock. Once I put the coral in my tank, the crab cleans out the algae within days or weeks. I haven't seen any of my emerald crabs eat coral yet.

[Beverly]

I've had several episodes of bubble algae in my tanks over the years and have always purchased Mithrax (Emerald) crabs to get rid of them. They seem to go after the smaller bubbles, however. I've actually watched them attack a patch of bubble algae and have it completely consumed in hours. Once the bubble algae is completely gone from the tank, you don't see the crabs any more. I am assuming they either hide in the rock work or die of starvation. I give the Emeralds a two thumbs up.

Hi Andy,

I have what I believe is a brown bodied, red eyed mithrax in the tank already. He doesn't look at all, in colour anyway, like an emerald crab. This mithrax hasn't touched the valonia, either.

Here are photos of a similar mithrax that I pulled from our 42 hex with the valonia problem:

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/42gal-mithraxcrab.htm

[Seriak]

I have two emeralds that ate all my valonia right quick. I have not seen a single one since I added them. The crabs now only come out at night and eat pretty much anything I put in the tank. I see them picking at the rock everywhere. They have been with me for almost 8 months now. I actually saw a tug of war for a silverside between a foot long bristle worm, a emerald crab, and a cleaner shrimp once.

Chris