Need opinions to catch a hitch hiker

[Sunny]

Hi All

For a while now, I have been wondering why my snails keep dying on me. I always found large turbo shells now and again.

So last week I was watching the corals and I see a conch snail drop from a rock. I also saw something pushed it off the rock. Hmm, I do not have a fish in there, WTF?

I went closer and saw that it was an empty shell. Then I looked what pushed the shell and OMG. OMG I have a killer crab. I could only see his claw which was about 1.5 inches.

Since last 6 days I have been trying to lure him to the Mayo Jar. I even sacrificed a few hermits that became easy meal for him since they went for the jar in front of his cave.

This guy is big. I would say bigger than a golf ball.

He does not go near the bottle at all. This afternoon he threw two more empty shells down

I am hating this guy.

Any other bright ideas on how to catch him?

Thanks
Sunny

 

[adesimone1]

Is taking the rock out an option?

 

[ZoaNut]

dynamite! LOL I'm more of a stabber of hitchikers. If you can't get him out, and you're gonna kill it anyway.... a sharp screwdriver to the temple fixes everything!

 

[Sunny]

It is the last option. It has a lot of corals and there is no way to take it out without destroying a few colonies.
I thought of closing the entrance and exit. So he just starves in the cave. However, I have read they can dig through a rock which would be even worse.

 

[Sunny]

dynamite! LOL I'm more of a stabber of hitchikers. If you can't get him out, and you're gonna kill it anyway.... a sharp screwdriver to the temple fixes everything!

I would stab him in a heartbeat. He is too smart though. He never comes out. I only see his claws from time to time now.

 

[jgraz]

Can you get some forceps in there. Maybe you rip him out. Or at least get a claw.

 

[Sunny]

Can you get some forceps in there. Maybe you rip him out. Or at least get a claw.

He is too strong for forcep. I stabbed his claw with a kitchen knife and he just did not care

 

[Zippy69]

Get him used to a routine. Give him some food daily at the same time...then as time goes by ...a trusty spiderco knife to the head should work. On a side note is the bottle trap clear. You may want to use something opaque that mimics another cave with some food.

 

[Olivier]

Can u use the majano zapper ? Electricute him? Under water torch? Use ur finger to get his claw. Only hurt a bit for that small size crab

 

[mnat]

Shop vac and suck him right out?

 

[Hawkeye]

try baiting the bottle with some raw chicken. It's not the best thing to stick in your tank, but crabs seem to love chicken...

 

[magic]

Sunny

How about some cyanoacrylate gel on some bait. Maybe glue his mouth shut or his claws together, just a little out of the box!

Bob

 

[jgraz]

Sunny

How about some cyanoacrylate gel on some bait. Maybe glue his mouth shut or his claws together, just a little out of the box!

Bob

Interesting idea.
You said you at times see his claw. If you stick something in to cave and he grabs it could just do the trick. Slow but could be effective nonetheless.

 

[Sunny]

I tried the gel. He had it on momentarily but then he let go. Gel takes time to settle.

Chicken, hmmm .. Let me see if he falls for that.

 

[Olivier]

animal cruety. j/k

 

[MatteZ]

Mouse trap

 

[Sunny]

Mouse trap

Tried that also. It is just too risky to use it in my tank. When it snaps, it takes a jump and that can be very destructive in my tank.

Sunny

 

[reefsandrotts]

Bamboo scewer for cooking long thin and pointed at the end just keep jabbing it in tbe hole till pieces of the crab fall out..

 

[TanksNStuff]

Sunny, we used to have a strange way to catch crabs when we went camping down in Virginia...

Wait till all lights are out and get the room really dark. Then shine a flashlight down from the top. Some crabs are attracted to the light and may try to swim up to it. If he does, just scoop up with a net.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Sunny, have you caught the kraken yet? If so, I’ll bring over the Old Bay and will cook that bad boy up and eat him.

I like what George said….attrack him to the light.