Porcelain Anemone Crab

[Ashurbarnipal]

I have a newly cycled tank and I was considering getting a porcelain anemone crab, and I was wondering if it could be fed by supplementing the tank with phytoplankton, since it's too new for a colony to exist? If so, how much would I need to add per day? Currently it has: 1 clownfish, snails, emerald crab, hermit crab, and a cleaner shrimp and 2 chromis in QT

[hockeyhead019]

I really don't know on the feeding question, however looking at your stocking list I'd be careful with any other crab since the emerald might fight it, at least my emerald (yes there is only one who has killed all the others) will fight anything else I put in the tank, both a sally light foot and a red emerald crab and has killed both of them (only because of a size advantage though)

[Ashurbarnipal]

Well, my emerald is very tiny and quite cowardly. Hermit crab walks right by it no problem. The porcelain crab I'm looking at is bigger than it is right now

[kaybee]

I've never tried feeding a porcelain anemone crab phytoplankton, so I'm not sure how much of that it would need.

Mine caught whatever particulates it captured in the water. The food items added to the tank that it did eat were actually mostly intended for my corals. I didn't feed my corals every day and don't feed my a fish daily so I would suspect that daily feeding isn't required.

It loved cyclopeeze (the frozen kind; cyclopeeze are very tiny crustaceans), and powered 'coral food' such as powdered cyclopeeze, reef roids, etc).

Despite it's filter feeding capabilities the porcelain anemone crab is actually capable of eating larger food items as well that it could seize with its larger pincher claws (fish food and even inch long mysis shrimp).

Here's a link to a video of the one I had screening cyclopeeze and other particulates from the water:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=51943

Emerald and porcelain crabs can co-exist in the same tank. But with that said, crabs are highly opportunistic.

[Ashurbarnipal]

Thank you! That's very helpful.