Biology lesson please!

[Sambo]

Do emerald crabs breed in tanks? I can't be sure, since I have now lost track of how many I started off with in the tank and have lost at least 2, but today I found a small, paler version of all the other emeralds.... do they reproduce if the conditions are right?

For that matter, another question - the LR that I inherited came with some great little tubeworms (small with a red fan out the end). They got bigger and happier as time went on, and I am now seeing millions of tiny white 'c' shaped structures all over the tank glass and rocks. Babies? Is this common??? If so, just about everything in this tank is way too fecund!

sam

[Geoff]

most crustaceans have a planktonic larval stage, so it is difficult to get them to survive to maturity with the powerfull skimmers we like to imploy now. it is not impossible, but unlikely. there has been some progress in breeding and raising peppermint shrimp though.

as for the fan worms, yes, they will reproduce like crazy in the aquarium. they are excellent filter feeders.

G~

[Sambo]

Geoff thanks for the thoughts. I guess that means the new skimmer is even more desperately needed, if the old one is pissy enough to leave the larvae around! Either that or one of my original emeralds was a midget...

sam