Rouge emerald crab

[JasonandSarah]

Wow don't I feel dumb! I've had some colonies getting picked on for the past couple weeks and I could figure out what was doing it! Watching the tank very closely for the past few days and last night I finally caught the little bastard!! It was an emerald crab and it was munching on my Rainbow montipora! I wanted to be sure it was him so I snuck up on the tank and watched it for a few and it just kept scraping away leaving white gouges.
I slowly snuck my hand in the tank and snatched his A$$ up! It's been banished to the sump awaiting a transfer to a fowlr..... I always trusted emerald crabs and considered them "reef safe". Not saying they're all coral killers but you better keep an eye on them!

 

[QUIG]

Good to know. I have a birdsnest that died I think due to nestera starfish... they are all over it. Also irritating some zoos I have.

 

[clutchgeargasgo]

I have a 90 gallon with prob 6 emeralds and none of them touch anything. Guess I lucked out

 

[JasonandSarah]

I have a 90 gallon with prob 6 emeralds and none of them touch anything. Guess I lucked out

That's what I thought for along time. I've had emerald crabs in my tank since day one and always considered them very safe. I have a couple that live on the undersides of sps and I've never really worried. I still have all my other emerald crabs and I'm keeping them.
I'm basically just saying if your having trouble or see colonies that have marks don't completely rule these guys out. I did and would have probably stopped the problem sooner if I had given the crabs a second thought.

 

[Bobbofin]

Got two in my tank, both model citizens

 

[JasonandSarah]

Got two in my tank, both model citizens

I still have 2 in my tank that are the same way. Like I already said I'm not accusing emerald crabs of being Sps cereal killers I just don't want others to think that emerald crabs are 100% reef safe all the time. They can get a taste of something and turn.