How to catch a rock crab?

[Sherri]

:-o I have a large rock crab (big pincher!) that apparently came with some rock! And another castaway crab that is a good size and very fuzzy with small pinchers which doesn't seem to be a threat. I'm ready to start with fish/snails/hermit crabs, etc. and was told I need to get the rock crab out before I do cause he'll make dinner of the fish, snails. etc. Any suggestions just HOW I can manage to trap a crab?! :roll: He disappears pretty quick & I really don't relish tearing apart the reef I just built - especially since most is established. And if I do manage to get him...what can I do with him?!? :-o Thanks!

[MikeP]

traps maybe. Take an olive jar and lean it against a rock at an angle and put some smelly food at the bottom. Make it a relatively deep jar. When mr crab goes in to food he should slide to bottom and they have issues climbing up that surface if its at a good incline. Also try dropping food at lights out a ways from his den, leave a net in the tank prior to lights off and he should go for it. Try and get it out on the sand a ways from his den then scoop him up with net. If you know the rock and can get it out easily you can try soda water, high saline or fresh water to chase him out. I would get all of them out and not chance it. Crabs are the ultimate oppostunists and even 'safe' crabs like emeralds, sally lightfoots can be real terrors on other fish and inverst when they get bigger. Any hairy crabs are generally bad news. I keep all my hitchhiker crabs and unwanted ones the LFS gives me from LR in my curing tank an 18 gallon tall I use for curing live rock. Currently housing my extra large and troublesome emerald, a brown gorilla crab, one large hermit I caught pulling up my zoos and another giant hermit / decorator covered in anemones. I refer to this tank as the 'penalty box' where nasty critters get to have a time out. If you manage to catch them and no one else will take them let me know rather than flushing them I find em pretty entertaining.

One of these days' I'm tempted to let my 6" Peacock mantis loose in there and see how long the little troublemakers last :)

[TexasState]

I don't trap or catch my crab. I take the rock out of the tank. Take a Fondue sharp metal stick. I used the Fondue Stick to spear into the holes where the crabs live. If you're ever visiting my place, I have a mantis shrimp that have been chopped into half by a flathead screw driver.

[Sherri]

I'll try either/both the olive and the plastic soda btl - if that doesn't work - guess I'll have to get out my spear gun! :-D Technoshaman....If I get them I'll let you know...They at least kept me somewhat entertained while I've been building up my rocks - felt like I had "something" in the tank. Thanks for the ideas.