They have the strength to knock things over but mine never have in the 3 years that I've had them. They don't force their way through gaps and openings like a large snail might and since they have a low profile they don't accidentally bump into or snag on things either. Avalanches in my tank are caused by the 27" moray.
Another observation I've made about abalone is that they can be territorial. Or at least mine are so I wouldn't recommend any more than one per 50gal. When mine come into contact with each other they try to fight by ramming at each other with their shells. This only ever lasts a few seconds until one of them, the smaller one, retreats to another area of the tank.
One more observation is that I generally just see them on the glass. My rocks are covered in coraline and coral so they mostly stick to the film algae that grows on the glass. Which they do a wonderful job of reducing.
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