Swinging Crabs

[jegel]

I have about 20 or so crabs in my 80 gallon reef, most of them all blue legs... I've recently seen them all huddled together...Not sure if they're fighting or mating... they all seem to be going for one crab, its the the smallest and not the largest so I don't think this would be from a lack of food or a need for larger shells... I still have hair algae they could be happy to feed on and still have larger shells in the tank...I've seen this happen twice in the past 3 weeks or so... they seem to go at it for a few hours and then break up and go about there buisness as usual... I'm not sure if it has been the same crab in the middle both times...Are my crabs gettin jiggy wit it?

Anyone ever seen or heard anything like this?

[Doug1]

I dont think that crab is gonna like the attention, they are really opportunistic feeders and having watched crab behavior I dont think the need to breed is at the top of the list

[FishDaddy]

Wookaka,
The Blue-Legged Huns are some of the most pugnacious critters you can put in your tank.:frustrated: They are little omnivores and will often gang up on other Blues and fight for shells or kill and eat snails. I had 15-20 in my 55 when I first set it up and am glad they are gone. I do have a couple of Scarlet Reef Hermits that are relatively benign and interesting to watch but no more Blue Legs for me!
A better choice for cleanup/detrivores/algae maintenance would be a variety of snails: Trochus; Nassarius; Astrae; Cerith; Margarita; etc.
Please read this article by Dr. Ron Shimek: http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/li...=&RecordNo=166
Dick

[jegel]

Thanks for the feedback, I keep finding more and more good reasons to not believe my LFS. The other day my friend was talking to the LFS out here about community fish and the owner of the store told my friend that all salt water fish are community fish... tell that to my Lionfish (God rest his belly).