Valonia and Emerald Crabs

Beverly · #1 05-24-2003, 02:17 PM

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 · #2 05-24-2003, 02:29 PM

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 · #3 05-24-2003, 03:04 PM

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 · #4 05-24-2003, 06:43 PM

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 · #5 05-24-2003, 07:34 PM

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 · #6 05-24-2003, 07:36 PM

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 · #7 05-24-2003, 08:19 PM

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

AJ_77 · #8 05-24-2003, 08:28 PM

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.

Beverly · #9 05-24-2003, 09:25 PM

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

Samw · #10 05-24-2003, 09:41 PM

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.