All About The Pom Pom Crab
- Jul 21, 2024
- Anshika Mishra
- 73 0 0
This article is about the saltwater aquarium's cheerleader, the Pom-Pom Crab. These crabs are found in pieces of Anemonies that almost resemble a symbiotic relationship. But the crabs use the sting from Anemonies for protection by waving their hands over their heads. They'll also use these Anemonies to search for food they can eat. So, they'll eat together while the Anemone travels with the crab.
Care Facts
Prices: These crabs will cost you less than $30.
Tank Size: Any and every size works. People have them in their nano tank; we usually recommend a 30-gallon because it gives them plenty of room to roam around and search for food. A good tank setup when included with a sandy bottom with a lot of live rock for the Anemone to scavenge on. Have some nice caves and hole setup for the crab to hide in or if they need a cozy spot to sleep.
They can be a shy inverts, so a Tang swimming quickly over their head might cause them to retreat. Give them time, and they'll come out more as they get used to the tank setting.
Care Level: They are straightforward to take care of. You do not have to do much personal feeding to the crab. As long as they catch leftovers and have algae around, they'll be fine. Pellets are also good, and you could do it just in case you think they are not eating enough. You'll drop those in there, and they'll float to the bottom to the crabs.
Temperament: Peaceful. They stay peaceful during their entire lifetime. They'll not get larger and will never be aggressive towards your other inverts, fishes, and corals.
Many people are also curious about whether they will lose their anemones. This is also a common thing that happens and is nothing to worry about because that crab will also find an Anemone in your Tang to frag. They are known to another crab's Anemone if it loses its own. So, if you have multiple crabs, there might be a competition where they borrow each other's Anemones.
Something even wilder is if the crab can find one Anemone to grow, and once it's big enough, it'll frag it so it can hold the Anemone in each claw.
Reef Safe: The Pom-Pom crab is reef safe. It'll not attack the corals. The only issue is that the Anemon it is holding might sting other corals as it travels around.
Water Parameter
Temperature: 72-78
dKH: 8-12
pH: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.020-1.025
Appearance
These crabs won't grow over two inches by adulthood. So, they stay small throughout their life. While their entire body is white and gray, the pink at the center of their body stands out. Also, they'll darken up over the rock so that they can blend in.
Diet
They are omnivores. They'll scavenge for meaty food as well as algae. Mostly, you'll see sweeping motions with your hand, not only to distract from predators but also a way for them to grab food. They can also be seen eating detritus.
Compatibility
They are peaceful and shy. Therefore, you don't want to put them with too aggressive of a fish or aggressive inverts, as that'll cause them to hide constantly instead of being out and about searching for food. Don't place them with predator fishes.
They are hard-shelled crabs, so you'll see them mold every one to three months, sometimes more often.
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