What Do We Need To Do About A Crab Hanging Out In Our Pulsing Xenia In Our Marine Tank? Is It A Danger?

by **starling** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:50 am

We recently set up a new marine tank with live rock, a shrimp, some hermit crabs and snails, and some coral. One of the coral we have is pulsing xenia. Everything has been doing great. Everything is within a month old or so. Today I discovered a carb the same pink colr as the xenia moving about and very well hidden within the xenia. We saw it twice but otherwise you could never find it. We suspect it may actually be nipping at the xenia. What do we need to do? We can't even get at it and don't know how bad a threat it is yet. Any advise would be great.

by **adin55** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:17 am

Humility is very attractive MarshallO:)

by **Coll** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:26 pm

I stand corrected.

by **Emilek** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:49 am

You are observing "marine life" in action. Let it be.

by **Bevis** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:02 pm

Marine life in a closed biological system is quite different than in the ocean. If you let a crab kill a xenia you will have a potential tank crash. When a soft coral like Xenia dies in this manner it emits substances that other corals respond to as a toxin. The other corals will then begin to excreet a slime coating for protection that will smother other smaller organisms which will begin to die. Then your nitrates will shoot through the roof and you have a chemical cascade toward a crash. I say this from experience. Unless you have a 100 gal. tank and the Xenia is only the size of a dime, you don't want to risk it.

by **Keanan** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 11:12 am

Predator said: 3 I stand corrected. 73 months ago

by **elie** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:34 am

Predator said: 1 You are observing "marine life" in action. Let it be. 73 months ago

by **Cody** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:59 pm

Some crabs will pull at the xenia and some won?t. Do you have any good reef aquarium books? Delbeek and sprung have the best info. out there. If you only buy 3 books ever on your tank get "The Reef Aquarium" volumes 1, 2, & 3. It will be information you never want to live without. I had to catch a crab once so I cleaned out a mayonnaise jar, boiled it, put it at the bottom of the tank with a small piece of live rock inside of it, and added some formula 1 or two to the jar.(that?s the cubed frozen food) I placed it beneath his hideout, and the next morning, there he was at the bottom of the jar! The fish could get in & out of the jar at will, but the crabs can?t scale glass. You can also do a Google search to find some kind of invertebrate identification site if you don?t have a book. I say catch the bugger and don?t risk the coral, crabs are cheep. If you have a sump with some live sand and/or rock inside, you can stick the crab in there to keep the algae down.

by **Allan** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:44 am

You have to try to identify that crab. He's probably up to no good Some crabs will pull at the xenia and some won?t. Do you have any good reef aquarium books? Delbeek and sprung have the best info. out there. If you only buy 3 books ever on your tank get "The Reef Aquarium" volumes 1, 2, & 3. It will be information you never want to live without. I had to catch a crab once so I cleaned out a mayonnaise jar, boiled it, put it at the bottom of the tank with a small piece of live rock inside of it, and added some formula 1 or two to the jar.(that?s the cubed frozen food) I placed it beneath his hideout, and the next morning, there he was at the bottom of the jar! The fish could get in & out of the jar at will, but the crabs can?t scale glass. You can also do a Google search to find some kind of invertebrate identification site if you don?t have a book. I say catch the bugger and don?t risk the coral, crabs are cheep. If you have a sump with some live sand and/or rock inside, you can stick the crab in there to keep the algae down. Sources: 10 year reef tank owner cutnhair's Recommendations The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3 Amazon List Price: $89.95 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 20 reviews) The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates(Vol 2) Amazon List Price: $84.95 Used from: $47.50 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5(based on 15 reviews) The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates(Volume 1) Amazon List Price: $84.95 Used from: $32.98 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 16 reviews) cutnhair's Recommendations The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3 Amazon List Price: $89.95 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 20 reviews) Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility Amazon List Price: $42.95 Used from: $34.99 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 21 reviews) The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates(Vol 2) Amazon List Price: $84.95 Used from: $47.50 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5(based on 15 reviews) The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates(Volume 1) Amazon List Price: $84.95 Used from: $32.98 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 16 reviews) cutnhair 73 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

by **Roderick** » Fri Apr 11, 2014 6:07 am

cutnhair said: 4 Humility is very attractive MarshallO:) 73 months ago

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