Blue Spiney Lobster, invert stocking and other invert Qs

[Phyl]

Does anyone have any experience with a blue spiney lobster? Those are the coolest looking lobster. I'm thinking I want to add one of these to my stocking list. When does something like this get added? Before the fish? After? How big does the tank need to be? Can I have 2? Does this count as fish inches? When we spoke last we were talking in terms of inches of fish and didn't really talk about how inverts affect the stocking levels... so I'm back!

How many shrimp, lobster, crabs can you have/do you want? My hubby picked up a cleaning crew and a peppermint shrimp (the former to eat the algae and the latter to eat the aptasia that came on the LR). Part of the crew were blue leg hermit crabs and they seem to be snacking (foraging, decimating, you pick the word) the coraline algae? I'm not sure if they're just cleaning off the algae growing on the rocks of if they are actually eating the coraline. Anyone have a problem with this with blue legs?

Thanks again, gang!
Phyllis

 

[scuba_steve]

id dodge the lobster ! one ya will never see it ! if ya do it will be in the am hours ! also they can be destructive just a fyi !

 

[PiscesLou]

Im starting a reef tank and caught him eating my new polyps !But if you have a FO tank there cool!I gave mine back to the LFS.

 

[Phyl]

Oh bummer. My LFS has one in their reef tank so I figured they were safe. I guess they have enough coral not to notice (nor care) about a few missing polyps here or there but when you're setting one up and have precious few of anything a few here and there can be disasterous! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[PiscesLou]

It almost wiped out the whole colony!But Like you said, ther are cool looking.