Has anyone seen one of their Emerald Crab molts?

I got a CUC... I saw a dark claw molt, but it did not match anything I have. Well today there is a big dark crab molt. The only thing that big I have is a Emerald Crab... 2 of them. I can't imagine I have a big crab I have never seen.

So have you seen a Emerald Crab molt? Does it stay emerald green or does it turn brown/black?

The problem is I have two blastos that are not good and I'm wondering if they are getting ate.

 

Usually the molts are somewhat clear on most of my crusties. Except for hermits, that is, who seem to end up with a front half that's perfectly colored as if it's alive.

 

I don't know about emerald crabs, but when my cleaners molt, the old shell appears slightingly translucent but still has it's color.

 

nope because thats the way they want it;D

 

I may be incorrect but I don't believe Emeralds molt. If they do I have never seen a molt in my tank from one. I rarely see them. Sometimes for a few minutes a couple times in a month. I once had a 10 ten gal. running for over 5 years and one night I saw something big moving and saw an Orange Sponge Crab! It was the size of a silver dollar, have no clue how it was in there, or should I say, how I didn't see it all that time.

 

You'd be surprised. My tank's been running a year without any live rock added, and I only recently found a large-ish black crab. After spotting mine, I noticed the tips of some of my acros were starting to go missing, and one night when looking into the tank with a torch I caught it red handed (clawed?) and managed to grab it.

 

Welll I have a white Acro crab that came with a colony that is the good Acro crab. Recently bought another colony and it had a black crab in it. It was not a "known" bad acro crab.... but nonetheless I put it in my fuge and it hitch hiked with some live rock I sold. But that one was pretty small like my other Acro crab.

So this molt is about the size of my large Emeralds. come to think of it, I have never seen a molt from my Emeralds.

Anyway I do look at my tank at night a lot after lights out. I'll have to do a better job and be on the look out.

So.... what are bad about crabs... other than the itching and burning!.... I don't know if they eat LPS or SPS or what ever.

 

They do. I have seen my old emerald molt and the molt was about the same color as the crab, maybe a little less vibrant but it was definitely green. The molt didn't last long because the emerald consumed most of it afterwards.

 

O.k. I learned something. I wasn't sure if they consumed their own molt.

 

And that was why I was asking because all my other inverts that molt, the molt is colored what they are. So this is definitely a black crab. Pretty big too.

No I just need to find out what it is and if it is good or bad.