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Hitchhiker Crab - HELP!

What should I do?

  • Keep searching - no way this guy killed a fish 2x its size

    Votes: 4 80.0%

  • Great job! You got the S.O.B.! It's finally ok to turn the lights in the tank off!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • awwwww that's a sweet little crab! Why would you kill it? YOU MONSTER !!

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Total voters
    5
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

So I'm super new to the hobby (my tank was started in February) and I have lost a few fish (2 tiny clowns :( and a larger [about 2"] one) - Just GONE.

At first I blamed my Porcupine Puffer - but he's SUPER docile (doesn't bother the shrimp or snails in the tank) Actually? I also lost a skunk cleaner shrimp and a coral banded but I blamed the huge fireworm I found/removed a few weeks ago for those losses.

Anyway, the other day I was shining a light between the rocks and looking for my missing fish when I saw a claw and it retracted slowly when the light hit it. Since then I've lost my larger clown mentioned above.

I've read about these hitchhikers and how they will enter the tank small, then grow and become predators. So I went on a mission to get this jerk out before he hurt anyone else. I started by soaking my rock in club soda and by the 3rd rock THIS guy comes crawling out. So now I'm conflicted ... do I keep searching or is it possible that a crab this size could catch/kill a fish twice (or more) its size? I don't want to lose any more fish to something that I could have prevented :(

AssholeCrab.jpg
 
Rwc

Rwc

Send the crab and the puffer packing Hah just my opinion messy eater and still wouldn't trust it in a tank with coral without a muzzle on it.
 
Rwc

Rwc

Ok all joking aside with mr.squishy the puffer. I doubt the crab killed the fish he was just caught taking advantage of an easy meal. Fish died crab ate dead fish that's my story stickin to it. What's you parameters what other tank mates might have been beating up on them.
 
jgraz

jgraz

My money is on the puffer for both the shrimps and the clowns. I cannot see a crab that sized taking a healthy fish or the shrimp. I also doubt that the fireworm took the shrimp. I would say the puffer ate the shrimp cause well thats what they do and the it may have done enough damage to the fish to give the crab a good shot.
 
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

Could there possibly be a bigger crab that I should keep looking for?

I know you guys are saying not to trust the puffer, but I believe these fish all have different personalities and while he COULD go rogue at any time, he really doesn't at this point. I have a full clean up crew, pom pom crab, etc and he's indifferent to them. The shrimp were in there for weeks with him.

The only 'weird' thing I noticed was that ALL my fish were swimming/sticking to one side of the tank and I remember mentioning it to my husband how weird that was.

Other tank mates:

- Blue Spot Jawfish
- firefish
- royal gramma
- 5 blue/green chromis
- Blue & Red hermit crabs (all tiny)
- clean up crew of various snails from reefcleaners.com

parameters were checked this weekend at ELOS aquastudio and they were fine except my nitrates were a bit high - but I've done some water changes and they're leveled off.
 
D

Dave

I am with the others. I do not think the crab is the culprit. I would still throw it out...but not the culprit IMHO.

You should add a new entry to the poll...it's the puffer....even though I refuse to believe it because I like him/her too much.
 
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

Dave said:
I am with the others. I do not think the crab is the culprit. I would still throw it out...but not the culprit IMHO.

You should add a new entry to the poll...it's the puffer....even though I refuse to believe it because I like him/her too much.
Click to expand...


lol you're right. I did end up killing the crab by suffocating it with the club soda .. then I put it in a container and have the container in front of the tank .. as a warning to all other crabs.

I did set up 5 tall shot glasses with krill/garlic as traps for tonight and just fed the puffer really well before lights out.

I am not opposed to the puffer being the assassin - but I would like to rule out all other jerks and suspects first :)

And if it isn't perfectly clear by this point, the puffer is my absolute FAVORITE fish in the tank .. he's actually the reason I went saltwater ... so I'm a little (ok a lot) biased.
 
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

Rwc said:
Since the puffer is your fav I would gladly take the blue spot off your hands lol
Click to expand...

LoL he's such a character - he's my husband's favorite. SO much personality in that fish. The way he looks at anyone who swims past his hole .. hilarious!

He was setting up his home the first day, and ended up using a snail as "rubble" - well, when the snail started to slink away the look on the jawfish's face was awesome! He tilted his head and looked at the snail like WTF just happened !? :D
 
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

IF it matters at all, I just shone a flashlight into the tank and saw a pretty large (about the diameter of a pen) and at a minimum 6 inches long - bristle worm slithering out of one of my rocks.

Sweet mother.
 
MrsSmartyPants

MrsSmartyPants

JRWOHLER said:
Make sure it is really a bristle worm...I posted a link in your other thread.
Click to expand...


Well, it was reddish/pinkish/orangish .. I was too busy freaking the hell out to really ID the som'bitch ... and about the diameter of a pencil.. I just took my tank apart and looked through every rock - nothing. So it's either in my sandbed (which is about 1-2 inches deep) or REALLY deep inside of a rock.

I'm going to try the shrimp in the pantyhose trap tonight.
 
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