Emerald Crabs Dying

Grant

Premium Member
I seem to have a problem keeping emerald crabs alive, but other inverts, corals, and fish are all fine (this is before and after the tank crash mentioned in another thread). I have some bubble algae in the tank, and the first emerald I got lasted a few months. The second less than a week. The next lasted probably 3-4 months? All but one ate the bubble algae like crazy (the one that didn't really didn't last long enough for me to tell). Now the latest one I bought lived about 4 days.

Does anyone have any idea why other inverts (hermits, pistol shrimp, and snails mainly) seem to do fine, but emerald crabs just don't seem to do well? I know they're not expensive, but the price isn't really the issue. I just don't want to keep killing them. I don't want to buy anything for my tank that I know isn't going to live. Regardless of what it is. I'd say it's possible that while I really like my fish, the inverts are what interests me most about the hobby.

I think (and I could be remembering this wrong) that the two that didn't live long at all both came from the same LFS. The two that lasted several months came from a different LFS. But even discounting that, I'd still like them to live more than 2-4 months. From what I've read, their lifespan should be around a year or two, right?

So I really want to get another emerald crab, but I just can't figure out why they have a problem but nothing else does. Also, I know the first response to this is going to be either "what are your water parameters", or someone saying how their emerald crab ate some corals. I'll post the tank readings as soon as I get home, and I've never had one bother a coral. Maybe I've been lucky. Or maybe they just didn't live long enough to eat any soft corals. [smilie=sadsmile.gif] I do know that my ph has been lower than I'd like it. It fluctuates between 7.5 at night to a little over 8.1 during the day. Would that be a possible factor?
 
ph can effect invertebrates also check your nitrites those will kill a crab really fast i lost 3 that way once i lowered that my crabs are doing great
 
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