Tom's assorted crabs?

[Lmecher]

I wish I could take him, I would love a mobile xenia platform! It will be interesting to see if the octo ignores him (puddles is ignoring the hair algae crab, so far ..) I guess but he would be on my rescued crab list.

So do I, actually you can take them all, when can you be here?

I don't think Ollie is going to eat him. I will keep a close eye on him and keep you all informed. Like I said before, this is one clever adaptation.

 

[DWhatley]

It does favor that mutant squid tintenfisch came up with awhile back. Unfortunately I can't find the photo I was looking for but you can get the idea from this one

 

[Lmecher]

The curly stuff in the center of the squid-like thing? I can see how he'd make the assumption especially he was reading a little too fast.
I can't see my little xenia crab now he must be in the back. I feel bad for my husband, there is a story behind the xenia. This was a peace offering because I got rid of it all a couple years ago, it was his favorite.

 

[DWhatley]

Maybe it is a guy thing. Neal has wanted a Xenia tank and we have had some on and off. It flourishes awhile and then dies. Years ago we saw a beautiful large nano at an aquarium store that was nothing but healthy white pulsing Xenia (mybe PomPom I am not sure). I would love to do something like that in a 2 gallon but it would not survive. I volunteered to have him put his 25 gallon nano in his TV room and try something like that but told him he would have to do all the maintenance (you can guess where that idea went). With unlimited budget, unlimited hardware and unlimited space, it would be a nice tank to try but there are just too many other critters for the room etc that we have available.

Wandering Xenia, however, would be cool if it would survive.

 

[Lmecher]

Wandering Xenia, however, would be cool if it would survive.


Yes, although if it spreads from the crab it will be very uncool.
My brother suggested I do a species tank for him however I am not willing to give one up
I am going to remove the xenia rock and stick it in my reef tank, maybe it will regrow.
I have heard xenia likes a less then pristine tank. I have to say it never looked terrific, it was growing alright but it could have opened and pulsed more. By the way, it (the decorator) didn't remove any zoas, I love my goochsters but I have many frags and it would be easy to replace them. We'll see what happens with the rest of them. I have one in Zuzu's tank, it hasn't gone for many of my coral, well not yet anyway. [/B]

 

[DWhatley]

Like the mithrax, the decorators will remove algae and debris so it is most likely it was cleaning in and around the zoes. I have seen people claim that the mithrax eat corals but I have never observed this. I have seen them eating algae inbetween corals though and it could easily be assumed that they were eating the corals if the outcome was not observed. I did have one very odd mithrax that ate a brissle worm but it was the strangest of crabs. When I got it, one claw was missing over time he lost all legs and the other claw but we never knew why. Even clawless and legless he survived several more weeks.

 

[Lmecher]

Update on the xenia crab. This morning the crab only has one clump left on it's back, another decorator has one polyp that is pulsing. I can see several clumps of xenia on the substrate. I fished them out and transferred them to my reef.

 

[Lmecher]

This crab is trouble. Now it's has my fire and ice zoas on it's back

 

[Lmecher]

This is one busy little crab. Today he has gone after my spagetti leather. Still has the fire and ice zoas too.

 

[Lmecher]

I finally reached my breaking point. The little ba$tard took chunks out of 2 of my toadstools. My poor spagetti leather is looking terrible. I gave them to my husbands boss, he has a fowlr. Good by little crabs....won't miss you. NEVER AGAIN, sticking with my fiddlers.

 

[DWhatley]

I think I have had more fun (at your expense) with your crab experience than you octos. The one remaining in with Puddles has been content to wear hair algae and left the polyps, mushrooms and gorgonians completely alone. The ones in the anmeone/clown tank just go barebacked. I will definitely mark this saga next time someone asks

 

[Lmecher]

At least one of us is enjoying this experience
I am slowly returning the corals I removed and I have to say it's looking much better. Most of my leathers have quite a bit of damage. Time will heal my broken heart