Pom Pom Crab
Ptychognathus barbatus
What you need to keep a Pom Pom Crab
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pH
7–8
Temperature
22–27 °C
Max size
2.5 cm
Min tank
30 L
Where to buy
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Overview
What to know before you buy.
A small fully-freshwater crab whose bristled claws look like pom-poms. Unusually, it does not need brackish water or a land area, though it appreciates flow and hiding places.
Care guide
Keeping Pom Pom Crab healthy in a South African setup.
Tank setup
A minimum 30L aquarium suits Pom Pom Crab. Add it only to a fully cycled, mature tank: invertebrates tolerate ammonia and nitrite far worse than fish. Use a tight lid and give plenty of caves: crabs and crayfish escape and need a safe spot to moult.
Water parameters
Keep pH 7–8 and 22–27°C. Never use copper: most fish medications and some plant fertilisers contain it and it kills invertebrates. Drip-acclimate over at least an hour.
Feeding
Omnivore — sinking foods, biofilm. Remove uneaten food within a few hours so it doesn't foul the water.
Behaviour
Peaceful, shy scavenger. It hides after moulting while the new shell hardens: leave the old shell in the tank, it eats it back for minerals.
Tankmates
Pom Pom Crab can catch slow or sleeping fish and will eat smaller invertebrates. Keep it with fast, robust fish.
Breeding
Whether Pom Pom Crab breeds at home depends on the species' larval stage; many need brackish or marine conditions to raise young.
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