How many Emerald Crabs

[jpc763]

I have a 55g tank with 75lbs of live rock. For cleanup crew, I have:
1 brittle star
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
20 snails (turbo, cerith & nassarius)
1 sally lightfoot crab
2 emerald crabs (new Monday)
When I put the emerald crabs in, they went to work on my hair algae stumps. 4 of my top rocks have hair algae stumps (I pruned them Friday) so the emeralds have a lot of work ahead of them.
question... Should I get more emeralds?
Thanks, J

 

[markanderson]

I would wait a couple months to see how the crabs a managing. In general emerald crabs are peaceful, but if they're hungry they are armored enough to kill snails, hermits, shrimp, and even some small fish. 2-3 emeralds in that tank is the limit.

 

[luca brasi]

I have 4 in my 24g for 4 months, no problems.

 

[oceansidefish]

You could MAYBE get away with one more but I would stick with two.... They are great little workers but I would not push too many of them. They can get fisty if they need to...Mine has gone at it more than one with my "King" hermit

 

[perfectdark]

Emeralds are also known to nip at corals too, zoa's especially. I have 2 as well and I caught one picking at one of my closed zoa's. Further investiagation into this behavior I was told that they can nip at them every now and then.

 

[deltablack22]

Originally Posted by markanderson
I would wait a couple months to see how the crabs a managing. In general emerald crabs are peaceful, but if they're hungry they are armored enough to kill snails, hermits, shrimp, and even some small fish. 2-3 emeralds in that tank is the limit.
I just put two in my 28 gallon and I hope they scrap with my blue legs. Those idiots attack each other constantly even though there is plenty of extra shells and they go after my nassarius snails when they surface too.

 

[jpc763]

Originally Posted by Oceansidefish
You could MAYBE get away with one more but I would stick with two.... They are great little workers but I would not push too many of them. They can get fisty if they need to...Mine has gone at it more than one with my "King" hermit
Yea, when I introduced them, my sixline wrasse (Stimpy) came by for a taste and was given the claw! Stimpy gives them a wide berth now.

 

[lil' tanker]

ya I would wait until you find out if they're worth it.