Mithrax or tail spot?

[Bombschell]

Want to get something for algae control in a 13.5 Evo. We have several corals, a 6 line wrasse, purple fire fish, and a fire shrimp. I don't want to over stock the fish, but I don't want the crab to nip corals. Can I get some direction from the community?

 

[Sharkbait19]

I have the same size tank.
I’ve never kept a tailspot, but have had the crab. My emerald was amazing at it, despite the coral nipping.
My other suggestion is an army of astrea snails, they keep the tank nearly spotless. Them and hermit crabs do a wonderful job with algae.
I’d honestly be more worried about how the wrasse will react to a newcomer than overstocking.
The type of algae also plays a big role though.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

If you go the emerald crab route, get a female. They're a lot nicer. A tailspot (blenny if Im guessing right) is a fun little fish and one of the few SPS friendly comb-tooth blennies. Just hope that your six-line plays nice, they're typically one of the last fish added to tanks because of their territorial behavior. Adding any fish after a six-line is a gamble

 

[Bombschell]

Good to know. The wrasse has been pretty chill, but I have to say i was a bit worried when we put the firefish in there however, firefish but the wrasse in his place as soon as he hit scene. It was pretty entertaining and they leave each other alone now.

 

[Bombschell]

Well I think I will go with the $9 crab instead of the more expensive blenny. If I have to sacrifice something to the salty gods or banish them from the tank I think the crab will be easier.

 

[malacoda]

FYI — a tails spot blenny will make no noticable dent in nuisance algae. Yes, the pick at it a bit. But they're small ... and spend more time picking at algae film on rock than tougher-to-eat things like hair algae.

So, yeah, if you're going to try to use some type of herbivore to aid with nuisance algae in a nano, the mixthrax is probably a slightly better bet.

 

[Tamberav]

+1 female crab...I just had my lfs hold their bottoms to the glass and told him which one I wanted. You can find pic's of how to sex them online. It isn't too hard. I never found the small blennies to be that effective for algae. Also sixlines are pretty chill for awhile.. sometimes they snap when they get older and go murdering. I would say more fish in that size tank with a sixline is risky.

 

[Bombschell]

+1 female crab...I just had my lfs hold their bottoms to the glass and told him which one I wanted. You can find pic's of how to sex them online. It isn't too hard. I never found the small blennies to be that effective for algae. Also sixlines are pretty chill for awhile.. sometimes they snap when they get older and go murdering. I would say more fish in that size tank with a sixline is risky.

Yeah I have the same feeling with the wrasse. If the crabs are like every other that I know of the female have a "rounded" under body segment, and the males a very narrow and pointed one.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Yeah I have the same feeling with the wrasse. If the crabs are like every other that I know of the female have a "rounded" under body segment, and the males a very narrow and pointed one.

Nailed it

 

[Bombschell]

Nailed it

Mmmmm blue carb is delicious!

 

[Spare time]

Want to get something for algae control in a 13.5 Evo. We have several corals, a 6 line wrasse, purple fire fish, and a fire shrimp. I don't want to over stock the fish, but I don't want the crab to nip corals. Can I get some direction from the community?

If it is for hair or bubble algae, the emerald would be my choice. I am cautious when people say their whatever crab ate their coral, fish, etc. as people are unreliable in terms of their causation vs correlation skills.

 

[Sharkbait19]

If it is for hair or bubble algae, the emerald would be my choice. I am cautious when people say their whatever crab ate their coral, fish, etc. as people are unreliable in terms of their causation vs correlation skills.

Mine flat out killed and ate a healthy serpent star…pretty sure I had a female too!
It would nip at coral too, but mostly dying ones.

 

[Bombschell]

So I bought a female mithrax a couple days ago after checking comments here, but this has me worried! I have also seen her on my acropora.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

So I bought a female mithrax a couple days ago after checking comments here, but this has me worried! I have also seen her on my acropora.

Just perching, kinda what they do

 

[Bombschell]

Already seeing a difference in the algae. Worrying about it eating or irritating my coral aside, this little crab really puts in some work!

 

[Seymo44]

I have a male emerald in a 5 gal Marineland portrait tank. It has a few sexy shrimp, a small serpent star, soft corals, and a clown goby. The emerald is a model citizen.

I also have a fluval evo that had a bryopsis and hair algae problem. Now I have an army of assorted snails and no issues with algae since.

In my experience, Mexican turbos are really good for eating hair algae, but they tend to be bull dozers.