Adding crab(s) to cichild tank

[Xandernfs]

I was pondering the idea of adding a crab or two to my tank. It is a 55 gallon tank stocked with:
3 Mbuna (yellow labs)
2 Peacocks
3 Clown Loaches (may be adding another one soon)
2 (soon to have) Pseudotropheus socolofi

I love diversity in the tank. So I was wondering if it would be okay to add a crab or two. My only worries would be with the loaches. They like to all sleep together in a tight place. Do you think the crab would make a meal outta one of them? I did some research and read that crabs usually don't go after bottom feeders. I was just wanting your opinion.

Thanks,
Xander

 

[ChileRelleno]

If you do some searching here and at other sites, e.g. Aquarium advice, you'll find more horror stories than love stories.
Most crabs are very opportunistic feeders and a sleeping fish small enough for it to grab a hold of will very likely be attacked. Best case scenario is you have a injured fish (injured = stressed -n- suseptible to disease), worst case is a dead fish and happy crab.
I wouldn't do it myself.

 

[gonefishin]

I think w/ the labs, you will have well fed fish, missing crabs. My jewels devoured 3 red clawed crabs in a matter of minutes. what was left, the puffer gladly got rid of after light out.

 

[bigfishguy]

clown loaches and crabs are a bad mix!
lloaches love invertabrates.....
and when ur clown grows which he will and quickly he`ll easy kill and eat the crabs when they molt

 

[Xandernfs]

bump

 

[cdawson]

Any type of FW crab you'll find is actually BW and requires marine salt in it's water. They also require access to land, as they spend 90% of their time on land and breathe air. Species only tanks will only work for crabs. Most predators will eat them during a molt process as well, others like puffers don't care whether they're molting or not as crabs are a source of natural food for a puffer.