How bad are crabs?

[kokhui]

Hi bros,

I have seen many bros sharing that crabs are bad. Can someone list down their goos points and bad points? Please istinguish the type too. Thanks!

[williammuk]

My pet peeve -- I feel that generally most crabs are rather sadistic as they go about toppling corals that I had painstakingly position.

The other worry is that they might get big enough to prey on your little fishies.

[diabolus]

bad crabby, bad crabby!

nothing good about them other than they make wonderful scavengers.

[Dispar_Anthias]

Anything other than acro crab is a bad crab

[kokhui]

Bro Dia & DA,

Can you share what the crabs had done bad for you guys?

[diabolus]

Bro Dia & DA,

Can you share what the crabs had done bad for you guys?

No concrete evidence thou, but i think that particular hairy crab that i caught killed my brazilliansis.

[shoelevy]

i caught a very hairy one eating my starfish legs

[kokhui]

I have seen a picture here somewhere in SRC of a sally light foot crab eating a fire goby. Can't remember at which thread.

Besides crabs toppling the corals, will they hurt them in any other way?

[scarab]

Anything other than acro crab is a bad crab

My sentiments exactly.

[ervine]

not all crabs are bad what.. i have a crew of dwarf hermits and a sally lightfoot no problems so far... its the stray furry brown crabs that i banished to the sump

[hotlemond]

the best crab is those serve with chilli sauce and cold beer at seafood restuarants... and the company is paying for it...

I removed them as hitch hikers from LR and had never tot of getting one... oh.., those sharp snippers looks dangerous enough for my prized anemone.

[kareen]

I love pepper crab......

For me, never really bother about them. I have spot some crabs in my tank, did not do much harm.....no casualities, no topple of corals, free scavengers..... since we pay so much for a piece of 'LIVE' ROCK.

[williammuk]

I have seen a picture here somewhere in SRC of a sally light foot crab eating  a fire goby. Can't remember at which thread.

Besides crabs toppling the corals, will they hurt them in any other way? 

kokhui, I think you mean this one ...

Read about it here.

By that same evening, Sally has eaten more than half the fish already. You can still see the pinkish colour of the firefish's head. The photo insert shows the cross section of the fish from another angle.

[kokhui]

Thats's right William. That's the thread. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

I wanted to ask this question because with all talk about crabs being bad for the reef, I took out some of LRs (Those that I saw carabs hiiden inside) and do the FW dip and managed to get rid of 3 of them. One of them the hairy type.

There are some more I think, not sure if I should do more dips, some of them are hiding in the base rocks!