How long could a Sally Lightfoot live in a drained tank?

So let's play a game of opinions/stories here.

Say you bought a used Craigslist impossible-to-pass-up-steal. It was sitting drained for 6 months, or so I was told. Rock was completely dried, bleached white, and may well be considered base rock. However, when I started to remove the sand, the sand was still damp about 1" below the surface. There was about 5" of sand in the tank.

Fast forward 4 months to now. I noticed a Sally Lightfoot crab in the tank a couple weeks ago at night. I didn't add any. I have added some corals, but no live rock, and I don't buy corals attached to any rock either. Yes, it's possible he could have came in on a coral, but he's also a couple inches big and I don't see how I would not have found him prior to adding the colony/frag.

Is it possible the crab was still living in the drained tank? All the rock I re-used, but I did risnse/scrub it (saltwater) and risned the sand I re-used as well (saltwater). He hasn't been a problem thus far in the tank, I'm just curious here.

 

wow if he did that pretty cool

 

you should ask the person you bought it from if they ever had a sally light foot!

 

lol. Asking the seller would be a good idea.

 

I may still have his number...

I'll have to check.

 

Eh, cross that off. I don't have any contact info for the guy any longer.

Continue.

 

IMO it was a hitchhiker on a coral or any live rock you put in. There's no way it survived even a month w/o water or food. I took a rock out once and set in on a towel on the floor after I looked it over good. Next thing I know there is an emerald which is bigger than a quarter crawling around on the floor. Crabs are amazing hiders and if they really don't want to be seen they won't be. Not to mention they grow pretty quick from larval to adult.

 

I had a Coral Banded shrimp survive for 3 months + in a 10 gallon tank without care. I know thats not necessarily the same thing, but I basically turned everything off in this tank, no pumps, no lights, no filters. I didnt feed the tank at all and all the levels spiked hard. Basically a full tank sitting there neglected for 3 months... I was impressed. Hes now in my 34gallon 2 years later, he earned his stay in my eyes lol.

 

sally lightfoots dont necessarily require water to live in....

Sally-Lightfoot Crabs and Marine Iguanas pictures underwater photos photos & pics

they come out of the water often in environments they're able to from what i just read quickly.

so its possible it was chillin in one of those rocks, but i doubt it was burrowed under the sand.

if you washed the rock with saltwater as mentioned then he prolly just clung to it. ive pulled rock out of my tank with my emerald on it before and he just grabs ahold for dear life. you cant even get him to budge.

 

^ Right, this is what I've read/thought as well. So it got my thinking... Oh, and pictures like these: