Emrald Mythrax Crabs - should I be concerned about'm?

[austinsdad]

I've got a fish and 75g reef tank. Tang, gobies, rabbitfish, and clowns. Turbos, and a variety of hermits (maybe 15 or so) and cleaner shrimp. Sand sifting and brittle stars.

My LFS suggested I add a couple of the emerald mythrax crabs to do the clean up work when small fish my disappear/die under rock. Or just good cleaning around the bottom for other stuff. I've also heard from some that they are destructive and can knock small coral over. I don't like to glue.

Any advice on if I should include'm and how many? I'm thinking of small ones that can grow with the tank and not come in too destructive yet.

 

[Sneaker]

I would start with small ones if your going to get them. They are great for picking in holes and other hard to reach places, they eat bubble algae like a fat kid with cake.

They do crawl all over my corals and have moved some of the smaller rocks in my tank but all in all they are ok.

They get pretty big, pretty quick when there is allot of food for them to eat. I like to watch them try to grab food in the tank durning feeding time and fall over, it really is pure entertainment.

 

[austinsdad]

How many would you recommend?

 

[Ayesha97]

... they eat bubble algae like a fat kid with cake.

That was too funny!!!!

 

[SpeckledGrouper]

I got three in my 180g and I am not too happy. They steal the food out of the anenome that the clown brings to it and harrass the other corals aswell. I am considering taking them out if I can catch them.....

 

[Sparky]

I have 2 of them, about the size of a half dollar. They are in a 125 gal tank. I was a little woried about them in the tank, I have read conflicting stories about them. So I just bought 2 and put them in there. They have been in there about 2 weeks now, and I watch them constantly. They have appeared to behave rather nicely and so far I have no complaints. They do a very good job of cleaning up.

Mike

 

[jamal-188]

I have 4 in my 110g for about a year, I"m pretty sure they may be different species or something. Two are green, got them both at the same time, one trippled in size, the other is still tiny. Then I have a brown colored one and a red colored one. They all have the same body shape and flat tipped clams and to my knowledge have not harmed anything. It's those *$#@% stone crabs that do the damage