Inverts that will never be put in my tank again

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

Ok, you need to have an explanation, as I will never have a tank with out a couple emeralds

Steve

Explain what? Emerald crabs are in the mithrax family.....the vast majority of the hairy legged hitchhiker crabs we find and try to remove are also from the mithrax family.....a crab is a crab is a crab....they are opportunistic and will kill, given the opportunity.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by fishytime

Explain what? Emerald crabs are in the mithrax family.....the vast majority of the hairy legged hitchhiker crabs we find and try to remove are also from the mithrax family.....a crab is a crab is a crab....they are opportunistic and will kill, given the opportunity.

except for the fact that the claws on the emerald crab are specilized for removing algae not for catching prey, they are flat ended to give them grip so they can pull chunks of algae off rocks, and they are not hairy.

Steve

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

except for the fact that the claws on the emerald crab are specilized for removing algae not for catching prey, they are flat ended to give them grip so they can pull chunks of algae off rocks, and they are not hairy.

Steve

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...a%3DN%26um%3D1

Looks pretty dang hairy to me.....perhaps yours has a "Mach 5" or something.....those claws are indeed designed for algae....but that doesnt mean they dont also work for pulling out sps polyps or pulling off zoanthids.....most small emeralds will concentrate on algae, but as they get bigger they start to change their diet to scavenging for whatever they can find.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by fishytime

Looks pretty dang hairy to me.....perhaps yours has a "Mach 5" or something.....those claws are indeed designed for algae....but that doesnt mean they dont also work for pulling out sps polyps or pulling off zoanthids.....most small emeralds will concentrate on algae, but as they get bigger they start to change their diet to scavenging for whatever they can find.

I thought you were talking about the same hairyness as the ugly guys that have a harry shell also, ya they have hair ont he legs. I had 3 in my tank for about 5 years, never seen them attack coral at all, so I don't know, hit and miss maybe? like anything else.

Steve

[daniella3d]

I recently found a little hichicker crab on a frag and decided to keep it. Glad I did because he does not toutch anything in my tank and he's so cute. come to take the food from my hand.

Hope I will not regret that eventualy! I just could not kill it.

[Madreefer]

My biggest regret was a red reef lobster. He would attack any fish that swam by the cave he lived in. Gave it to a freind and it started eating his fish. He disposed of it and I never asked how.

[cathyg_99]

Originally Posted by Borderjumper

emerald crabs!

why? I have one in my tank and hes just fine

[Wayne]

I have also seen my emerald crab picking at SPS polyps... I gave him "the look" and he cut it out

[CandyCane]

I have 3 very small blue leg hermits living in my 2gallon frag tank. They have never once touched a coral besides by accedent tipping one over. One of them LOVES riding around on my banded trochus snail because that way he can clean the algae off the snails shell and get to the top of the tank. I also have many very small snails in the tank that the hermits just ignore since I have many already empty shells for them to move into.

Hermits are great for cleaning the sand in new tanks

[ElGuappo]

interesting to see this thread getting more play again, so i will add another never again to the list..

bumblebee shrimp.... yes very small and cute but they eat the tubular feet of any and all starfish urchins etc...