Emerald Crab eating GHA!

[bekindtoyurbuds]

I recently noticed a few patches of green hair algae in my tank, started to do the normal stuff to rid the tank of it (stepped up water changes, added phosphate media, pulling, scrubbing etc...) I even used AFX algaeFix, to no avail.

The other day I was at the fish store and decided to buy a couple Emerald crabs just because they were cool, got home put them in the tank and a few hours later to my surprise noticed them chomping away on the patch of green hair algae, this morning it was all gone. Hooray!

I've heard of them eating bubble algae but never Hair algae.

So if you have some Hair algae, these guys may help.


Good luck with your GHA

[cody6766]

mine munches on hair algae as well. I have a series of pics of him riding my hydor-flo in my biocube as he ate the algae on it.

[cherubfish pair]

bekind, thanks for the info :)

Wondering if two in the tank would fight. Let us know.

[Sardaukar]

I think emerald crabs have an undeserved reputation. The common theme among people who report them eating their corals/fish is too many big emeralds in too small of a tank to support them. It seems that as long as there is enough nuisance algae for them to eat, they will be ok. A common story on these boards seems to be aquarists buying more crabs than their tank can support to clean out bubble algae and then wondering why a year later the now much larger and starving emerald crabs are desperately picking at corals or killing snails.

I think if used sparingly, they can be a great (and underrated in terms of entertainment value) addition to a reef tank. Overstocked and they will do what any other reef creature would do: eat whatever they can get their claws on to survive.

[bekindtoyurbuds]

So far having two my tank has not been a problem, though its only been two days (well see how they do), the fish store that I bought them from had at least 8 in a single tank with no problems, (one of those small ones, 2 gallons at most, thats interlinked with other small tanks, sort of hard to explain, but they have them in most fish stores, they usually keep small fish or hermit crabs in them)

I added mine on feeding day and I basically handed the emeralds a piece of silverside each and they both went to town eating away. So as far as food goes I don't think having too little algae will be a prob. , I have also heard that they will eat dried seaweed too. So if all else fails I will have that to fall back on.

I have been getting grey hairs over the green hair for the last month (not wanting it to take over the tank, like it has with other peoples tanks) and am so relieved to see them eating it I don't care if they get along or not......J/K LOL

[cherubfish pair]

How are your ECs now?

[ScottBev]

I agree with EC's getting a bad rep. I received a large ec as part of a group buy and other than him rearranging frags when he is after algae he leaves them alone.

His tank is kept fairly clean and he munches on mysis or brine shrimp whenever he gets a chance. I've seen him go after some cyclopeeze (sp?) on occasion, I'm not quite sure how that worked out for him.

[bekindtoyurbuds]

Emeralds are still doing great, they seem to be getting along fine, with all of the rock work in my tank they never seem to be in the same area at the same time.

By the way, all of my hair algae is gone, even the stuff in between the rocks that is hard to get to. So far these emeralds have been the best creature I have ever added to my tank.

[Mopar Reefer]

I had a GHA problem in my 100 gal and I bought 5 and they knocked it out in no time. 5 months later and I have never target fed them and they are now the size of a 50 cent piece, body that is.

[small alien]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14994644#post14994644 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cherubfish pair
bekind, thanks for the info :)

Wondering if two in the tank would fight. Let us know.

From what I've read, two males will sometimes fight and it's best to have a male and a female.

This could be wrong so please correct me, but I've also heard the males are the ones with the really big claws and the female's are much smaller.

Mine (I think it's a female) eats bubble algae (albeit very slowly) and is a cool critter to watch.

[romsoccer12]

i have 2 emerald crabs in my 29. In 1 day they ate all the hair algae. I now suppliment there feeding with some algae wafers and they love it!

[romsoccer12]

i cant remember which is a male of female but you can determine it by their claws. One is sharp and the other is blunt

[robot2222]

you can sex crabs , when you look at the bottom of them if it has a triangle it is a male if it is a circle it is a female.

[DL Lawrence]

Reviving this old thread, how many EC's do you think is an appropriate number for a 20 gallon Nano? I have 26 lbs of live rock. Starting to get some GHA, the tank is two months old. Thanks!

[moe458]

funny i put 2 of those puppies in my tank..i think my serpent ate them..lol haven't seen them in 4 weeks now..lol

[terrypercula]

Yea I had one before. Good cleaners but I don't trust crabs.