Acro crab vs. Reef Dip????

[Ed]

Can you dip an acro in Seachem Reef Dip w/o killing the acro crab?

If not, is there some other 'crab safe' dip?

If not, how do you get the crab out of the acro long enough to dip it (the acro)??

Thanks,

Ed

[DaneDodger]

I would THINK that if it won't hurt the acro it won't hurt the crab? I've got no experience with this product though so keep asking around!
Jenn

[falcondob]

Ed, I think it would depend on the strength of the dip. I know I have had acro crabs survive it and don't remember any dead crabs in the bowl. It does take out those little brittle stars.

[Richard]

I don't really know the answer but I have had some survive a dip at the recommended strength. The problem is, according to Borneman, the recommended strength is too weak to do much.

I do know that acro crabs (the real ones, I call them bandits) can be real touchy little critters. One time we had lost an acro and I wanted to move the acro crab that was still in it to another acro. So I took the dead acro out and carefully coaxed the acro crab into a cup of tank water. By the time I walked over to the tank with the cup, the acro crab had just up and died. It was weird, I never even touched the little guy and it wasn't out of water for more than a minute.

[falcondob]

I have noticed two types of acro crabs, one that has very white, porcelan features, the other is a little furry, but still small and acting like an acro. I took the fuzzy one off because I remembered someone posting here that "Furry is bad!".

Did I banish him to the fuge for no good reason?

[Ed]

Thanks for the responses. Keep them coming. Someone has to have solved this riddle.

Richard,

The two acro crabs I have are Bandits. h34r

[Richard]

I have noticed two types of acro crabs, one that has very white, porcelan features, the other is a little furry, but still small and acting like an acro. I took the fuzzy one off because I remembered someone posting here that "Furry is bad!".

Did I banish him to the fuge for no good reason?

Probably not. I had some fuzzy ones that gave me some real problems. I do still have one fuzzy one that has been in my tank for almost two years. It hasn't grown at all and lives in my sarmentosa and doesn't cause any problems. Looks pretty much the same as the bad ones that were eating my acros though. As long as he continues to behave I will let him be.

[TheOtherGuy]

OT:
But I recently put in a new acro. As I was putting it in a bandit crab fell off into the water and swam under the rocks.
The next day, there he was on the new acro. Of course, I cannot be certain that it is the same crab - but lets just say it was.
Do these little dudes know what acro is theirs?

[NaCl_H2O]

I have dipped acros in seachem that had bandits. The bandits will probably jump off in the dip, esp. if you shake the acro a little. I fished them out and put them in a small cup of water from the tank. Let the acro finish in the dip, put the acro in the tank, and carefully let the little guy climb back into the acro. Careful, a little current is a heck of a ride for an acro crab :P

[JimD]

I dont suggest dipping in Reef Dip if you have an acro crab, I know for fact that it will quickly kill pods at even the mildest solution, pods/crustations/acro crab + iodine = doa. If youre dipping for flatworms, dip in fresh water then pressure them off with a turkey baster, it wont kill them immidiatlely but it causes them to lose their grip and the pressure from the TB will get them off. If youre dipping for red bugs, either get the crab out, or it will most likely perish with interceptor.