Please help if you can - a crabby moral for other newbs like me!

[Jaz]

Hi folks! First-time reefkeeper and first-time forum poster all in one!

I'm hoping that someone may be able to offer some advice on a crabby problem that I'm currently having?

My original 24G nano is appx. 1 year old, my second 24G is about 6 months old - we've been taking it real slow with both tanks, checking paramaters, not over stocking / overcrowding, etc.. letting them mature in their own time and trying not to rush stocking no matter how tempted we are by the LFS!

My first BIG error as a new nano keeper was when I watched the LR when first put in the tank and said....' awwwww a cute lil' crabbie or 4 - they won't do any harm, surely.. they'll clean up with the hermits...etc...etc...' How wrong could I be?!?!

I now have *HUGE* mutant crabs that are demolishing everything in their path - I've cut back on feed... they've munched their way through EVERY Zoa / softie in my tank! They're even getting so brave as to have murdered my female Talbots' Damsel in a four hour period when the lights were on! I now fear for the life of my little male Talbots'!

Crab / critter traps have been in for a week, re-baited every night with something different each time (even down to bacon rind!) - the only thing we've managed to catch are 2 hermits and a snail....

It's getting to the point that I'm going to be FW dipping each piece of LR if I can't catch them soon - so I was wondering if anyone had any advice of other things to try before demolishing the tank and almost having to start again?

The crabs in question are a mixed bunch - some have pointy clwas, some bulky caws, theres at least one thats about the size of a 50p piece (imagine a tad smaller than a flat golfball size) with creamy carapace, 'furry' legs and huge jet black pincers - I wrestled it with a prawn and a pair of surgical forceps and *IT* won... evil.... pure evil.....

Anyhoo - I'll stop rabbiting on and say thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer - and thanks for such a great community!

Cheers!
Jaz

[dobejazz]

Welcome to TRT !

I'm late fpr work but wanted to bump your post back to the top so you can get some answers

[chrischris]

if traps havent worked i really dont know of any other solution than a full tank tear down

[Wiskey]

I'm kinda thinking the same, if the traps haven't worked you may be in for taking the rock out, but I would try and get them out of the rock without fresh water dipping it.

There is one other option actually that I just thought of,.. There is a treatment for Red Bugs (A pest on SPS) that kills inverts (crabs, shrimp, pods, etc) but doesn't harm corals, fish, or rock. If your desprate I would do this before freshwater dipping your rock.

Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Oh, BTW,.. Welcome to TRT!

Whiskey

[chrischris]

ya interceptor i think thats what hes talking about and it will kill any invert in the tank i think its used for dog parasites or something like that

[Loverotties]

Welcome to TRT!

[Jaz]

Thanks for the advice, everyone - it's really appreciated.

I've managed this afternoon to catch one of the 'smaller' crabbies - it was just sat there staring at me, so I whipped out the rock and prodded it off - it's now sat in a holding tank awaiting it's trial and sentence!

Dipping the LR is really my last resort - I'm just so gutted at losing so many zoas and now a fish too - I've been using my red light and watching the tanks for a couple of nights while the traps have been in, and the crabs are just mooching past them as though they weren't even there!

I'll have a chat with my LFSs' to see if we can get the stuff you've all recommended over here in the UK - you wouldn't believe the ammount of 'chemical-based' products we can't get here..... but I'll do my best to grab some and will let you all know how I get on, and what action is finally taken!

Thanks once again for the advice, and thank you for making me feel so welcome - hopefully I'll be able to return the kindness at some point!

Cheers!

Jaz

[aquawolf]

Welcome to TRT!

How much rock do you have in your evil crab infested system?

Since it is only a 24 gallon system, I am thinking you could try the following. Get a container that will be able to hold all of your rock, it would do less harm to let it sit in the air for a few minuutes then to freshwater dip it. You can have a bucket with fresh ASW ready that is just deep enough to shake the rocks off in. Pull each rock out, one at a time, and shake it in the bucket in an attempt to make the crabs fall off. You may need to inspect each rock with a flashlight to make sure none of the evil beasties are hiding out. You can use any tools you want to try to get them out of the rock such as a flat tipped screwdriver, since at this point you are not concerned with keeping them alive. Once the rock is clean of crabs, put it in the dry container and grab the next one.

This is what I would do if I was in your shoes. It will be time consuming, but hopefully it will allow you to rid your system of the nasty crabs that you do not want, without killing all of the inverts in your tank.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide to try next and how it works for you.

[aquawolf]

You would actually have to ask a veterinarian for the Interceptor medication as its true purpose is for killing fleas and ticks on dogs and cats. One of the side effects is that it kills marine invertebrates as well.

[jwm32068]

If you can swing it get a container or three or four and mix saltwater like you would for your tanks.Take a few pieces of live rock per container and place them in with a dead fish shrimp or something smelly.When the crabs go for the bait be ready to remove their hiding place(the rock). This is a technique for ridding mantis shrimp and is pretty effective. Good luck Wade

[ocean lady]

~ Get you a little "nano" Trigger fish and stick in there for a few weeks... (of course then you'll have to get HIM out too...) LOL!

It's a major pain! having pests like that. I was lucky, I knew what rock mine was hiding in, so I just took out that rock, put it in a bucket of salt water with a powerhead, and starved him out. I stuck a piece of shrimp in there after a few days, and turned out the lights. when he was out of the rock, I removed the rock, minus the crab. (Left him in the bucket.)

[Jaz]

Hi folks!

Sorry about the long delay in getting back in touch - the internet connection here has been having a bit of a crisis

I finally ended up stripping both tanks, one at a time. SCORE! Got approximately 6 various crabs from the newer tank, and about 8 or 9 evil things from my original tank... my lil' fish can rest safely now!

With the first tank still being a reletavely 'new' set up, I decided to dunk each piece of rock in RO that was up to temperature and PH. The original nano was treated the same but with fresh salty water, again up to temperature and PH - then followed lots of wiggling rocks in water, poking at nooks and crannies with pointy objects, and terrorizing the crabs into submission. It was a time consuming job, but one very much worth while - especially seeing as one crab was fully layden with eggs

I've got some piccies of some of the crabbies awaiting their trip to the LFS if anyone would like me to resize them and post them in this thread - I don't know if images would be of any help to anybody else that is looking for comparrisons of what type of crab may be eating their zoas / softies / fish / etc...

Anyhoo - once again, my thanks to everyone that has offered help, advice and support with this crabby problem - it's really appreciated! I hope that I can at some point return your kindness...

Cheers!

Jaz

[Witfull]

i have to say this,,,as many know my mantra

~Crabs Are Evil~

[aquawolf]

Great job, glad to hear you are finally rid of them.