I've got 2 small crabs that have came in on my LR. I can't get you a photo cos one of them you just see it fleetingly and the other is like lightening. They are both about the size of a 5p piece, 1 is creamy coloured with black claws and lives in my star polyp, the other looks like it's all black and hides in the crevices in my rock. Tried searching the net but no luck with ID's anyone got a clue what they can be and if they are friend or foe.

if you can get them out, i would do it, you can just keep them separate to work out what they are, if they are good, you can put them back in, but i would catch them if you get the chance.

I agree, unidentified crabs can be a potentially nasty situation later on

Hmmm this could be easier said than done, any clues as to how to catch them, oh and there's 3 of them just spotted another 1 last night. They're kinda cute but if anyone can come with any ideas on how to catch them I would really appreciate it, I don't want to hurt them though. I've also noticed a few clear eggs under 1 of my rocks with little black things wiggling about in them, so obviously somethings been busy!, i think it might be my cleaner shrimps as the 2 of them are hanging out very close to the eggs and where they are i don't think anything else could have got into the space to lay them.

hmm... when i had a mysterious crabby visitor, i used my scraper/planter tool and basically whacked him around a few times to get him away from the rock and disorient him and then snatched with a net... i mean, it wasnt like hacking at it with an axe but i just went at it fast to move it away from the rocks and confuse it enough to catch before it knew where it was

Yeh that sounds like it could work, will have a go of the smack and snatch routine, I'll wait till the other two aren't watching though otherwise they'll know whats in store for them

Smack and snatch 2, crabs 1 WOOHOO Got two little devils today with the smash and snatch method, took the rocks out bumped the crab with a pepite knocked him off the rock n snatched him up, worked twice but the 3rd crab he's clever and has a grip like a vice. Still I know have 2 little mottled crabs with black claws, will get them to my lfs tomorrow as don't want to hurt them. Need to be a bit more cunning with no 3 though he's sly

its like Mr. Bush's "shock and awe" stragegy... maybe you can get him with mini depth charges or something :)

I have left my 3 unidentified crabs in my nano. They don't do much "yet" but I know where the hide so I am preparing myself to get the rock out and give them a roller coaster ride until they fall off giddy and sick!

I love them rides, best ones at the fair. They're not worth going on unless you come off and feel dizzy and like your gonna throw up