Say hello to the newest addition to the fish tank, our pom-pom crabs!
I wanted something unique to add to the tank, and after some researching, I thought this crab might be a perfect fit for the nano aquarium! The freshwater pom-pom is fairly new to the aquarium fish industry, so there was only one place that I found online that offered it for sale. I’ve never ordered anything from a fish store online, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I ordered 3 crabs, shipped via UPS next day air. The crabs arrived in individually secured plastic bags, secured inside a well packaged styrofoam-lined box w/heat pack.
The tiny crabs (each about the size of a thumbnail) mostly hide during the day, but every once in a while they venture out and explore the area. They have all been adjusting to the tank fairly well, and enjoy a variety of shrimp food that gets dropped in. I just happened to catch one of the crabs the other day munching on a shrimp at just the right time!
Update: Unfortunately, one of the crabs climbed out of the tank and did not make it. I’ve made a custom lid to try and keep the other crabs from escaping.
Here’s a little more info about this particular species:
The Freshwater Pom Pom Crab reportedly has pockets of population throughout many tropical and sub-tropical regions in Africa, Asia, and Australia, particularly Madagascar, Taiwan, and New Caledonia. Like most crabs, the Freshwater Pom Pom Crab is an omnivorous scavenger and an opportunistic hunter on occasion.
In addition to eating food items that collect on the patches of hair (“pom poms”) that grow on its claws, it feeds on filamentous algae and detritus in the aquarium and will also readily accept high-quality dry foods that are rich in plant matter.
This crab is generally peaceful towards snails and most fish from what we have experienced but it may go after dwarf shrimp, very small snails, and slow moving fish that are very small. As stated above, like almost all crabs, it is an opportunistic omnivore. Unlike most “freshwater” crabs, this crab is truly fully aquatic.
aquaticarts.com