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Official Pom Pom Crab (Lybia Tesselatta) Thread


CGNano

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I have 1 emerald, 1 pom pom, 1 porcelain crab and one blue spotted porcelain crab in a 24 gallon tank and there has been no aggression among them.

 

I wanted 2 pom pom crabs, but when my order arrived there was 1 pom pom crab and one porcelain crab, not 2 pom poms. Must have been some inexperienced person who couldn't tell the difference since their coloration (but not size or appearance) is similar.

 

So now I have to find somewhere local that sells pom poms as I ain't paying all that shipping for just 1.

 

Interestingly (to me anyway) is that after a couple hermits got in a fight with each other and 1 lost a limb or 3 the pom pom crab that I had never seen eat anything before grabbed the hermit parts and took it into an out of view area and presumably got to munching.

 

Lastly, I have seen pom poms referred to as filter feeders at some online retailers. They most assuredly are not. They likes the meat.

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that pic is awesome Diane!

i think that I've just found the next desired addition to my tank...

 

Thank you!! I do hope you join the pom pom club soon! :D

 

 

I have 1 emerald, 1 pom pom, 1 porcelain crab and one blue spotted porcelain crab in a 24 gallon tank and there has been no aggression among them.

 

I wanted 2 pom pom crabs, but when my order arrived there was 1 pom pom crab and one porcelain crab, not 2 pom poms. Must have been some inexperienced person who couldn't tell the difference since their coloration (but not size or appearance) is similar.

 

So now I have to find somewhere local that sells pom poms as I ain't paying all that shipping for just 1.

 

Interestingly (to me anyway) is that after a couple hermits got in a fight with each other and 1 lost a limb or 3 the pom pom crab that I had never seen eat anything before grabbed the hermit parts and took it into an out of view area and presumably got to munching.

 

Lastly, I have seen pom poms referred to as filter feeders at some online retailers. They most assuredly are not. They likes the meat.

 

Nice crab assortment, and I hope you find another pom pom soon. Many lfs's will be happy to put in an order for you, I've found, if they don't have what you want at the moment.

 

Interesting observation about your p-p and the hermit limbs!

 

I concur--these guys are far from filter feeders!

 

--Diane

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I added an unknown coral I got for free with some mushrooms this week (posted on another topic), two days later it was shedding and we didn't know what it was. Then looking for pompom I found him dead ... of course it was a molt but I didn't think of that. I thought I killed him by adding that shedding coral. Man does it ever look like a real crab!!!! It even had the tiny eye parts on the molt and it was colourful. The molt picture on this thread looked so pale.

 

I spent an hour looking in the tank for any sign that it was a molt and finally saw just an arm and anenome waving. I still haven't seen him out yet so I don't know if he has both his anenomes.

 

What the heck do they do with the anenomes while they molt? I would think they would blow away with all the current in the tank! Do they stay attached to the molt and then they pick them off it?

 

Also - I thought since pompom isn't in a tank with fish - just clean up crew consisting of scarlett legs and snails that he would be bold and would come out in full view. He never has. He's fairly large compared to the others at the store so maybe this is a factor in his shyness?????

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My original crab just molted and he's somehow kept both his anemone's completely intact and now he doesn't have that funky green stuff growing on his joints. Anyways, I just added another one to the tank (yesterday) and they've been going at it for the last 4 hours. What are the chances I will end up with PP babies ? I have a red head goby and a blue leg hermit in the tank as well as star polyp coral.

 

C

 

I added an unknown coral I got for free with some mushrooms this week (posted on another topic), two days later it was shedding and we didn't know what it was. Then looking for pompom I found him dead ... of course it was a molt but I didn't think of that. I thought I killed him by adding that shedding coral. Man does it ever look like a real crab!!!! It even had the tiny eye parts on the molt and it was colourful. The molt picture on this thread looked so pale.

 

I spent an hour looking in the tank for any sign that it was a molt and finally saw just an arm and anenome waving. I still haven't seen him out yet so I don't know if he has both his anenomes.

 

What the heck do they do with the anenomes while they molt? I would think they would blow away with all the current in the tank! Do they stay attached to the molt and then they pick them off it?

 

Also - I thought since pompom isn't in a tank with fish - just clean up crew consisting of scarlett legs and snails that he would be bold and would come out in full view. He never has. He's fairly large compared to the others at the store so maybe this is a factor in his shyness?????

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I added an unknown coral I got for free with some mushrooms this week (posted on another topic), two days later it was shedding and we didn't know what it was. Then looking for pompom I found him dead ... of course it was a molt but I didn't think of that. I thought I killed him by adding that shedding coral. Man does it ever look like a real crab!!!! It even had the tiny eye parts on the molt and it was colourful. The molt picture on this thread looked so pale.

 

Sorry to mislead you! The molt in that pic had been in alcohol for at least a year! Yes, the fresh molt looks very much like the crab, doesn't it?

 

I spent an hour looking in the tank for any sign that it was a molt and finally saw just an arm and anenome waving. I still haven't seen him out yet so I don't know if he has both his anenomes.

 

What the heck do they do with the anenomes while they molt? I would think they would blow away with all the current in the tank! Do they stay attached to the molt and then they pick them off it?

 

Seems to me I've read that they "set them" on the rock, then pick them up again post-molt...

 

Also - I thought since pompom isn't in a tank with fish - just clean up crew consisting of scarlett legs and snails that he would be bold and would come out in full view. He never has. He's fairly large compared to the others at the store so maybe this is a factor in his shyness?????

 

I think they are just by nature reclusive and rather nocturnal. I can almost always find mine out on the LR after lights out. If you feed more or less regularly you can condition it to come out and eat. Although they're reclusive, I don't think they're esp. timid. Mine holds her own with the emerald, hermits, and gobies. Maybe they just know they look like the birthday presents of the reef...

 

 

My original crab just molted and he's somehow kept both his anemone's completely intact and now he doesn't have that funky green stuff growing on his joints. Anyways, I just added another one to the tank (yesterday) and they've been going at it for the last 4 hours. What are the chances I will end up with PP babies ? I have a red head goby and a blue leg hermit in the tank as well as star polyp coral.

 

C

 

First of all, check their sex. Try to get a look at the ventral shell surface.

 

"Pregnant" crabs are fairly common in our tanks. My female was carrying eggs when I got her. Most crabs have a planktonic larval stage, though, that won't survive in our tanks. The rest of your tank will find them great food, however.

 

--Diane

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys just found this thread. I've had 1 pom-pom crab for about 9 months now and recently got anthor one about 3 weeks ago. The first is a female and that has produced 2 clutches of eggs. I dont know the sex of the second just yet. Has anyone ever bred these little guys? They seem to eat everything. I give them squid and mysis shrimp and various other foods that they grab right off my tongs. I also feed their nems a little plankton. Its great to watch since they run over to the cloud of plankton and way their pom poms around and around. It seemed to brighten the nems up a lot faster, since when I got them they were a little brown in color. It also brings the crabs out a bit more during the day. Anyway if anyone has got any ideas about breeding them. Do tell.

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My wife would like a pom-pom crab, but I am concerned with its compatability with the tanks other critters -

 

We have a 29g Biocube, and it has 2 skunk cleaners, 1 fire shrimp, 3 pep shrimps, and 1 emerald crab. Will I have compatability issues?

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I don't know about the shrimp, but I believe it has been addressed somewhere earlier in this thread. (Good luck finding it!)

 

IME, emeralds and pom poms are fine together.

 

--Diane

 

(Go Spartans!)

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Thanks Diane - pistol shrimp/pom pom interactions seem hit or miss. I think my wife is shrimp/crab crazy. You would think that 2 skunks, 1 fire, 1 emerald, and 3 pep's in a tank would be enough...but no! She wants a pom pom and a pistol shrimp too. Maybe we should throw our mantis in there too just for kicks!

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Hi everyone, I am pretty new to this site and love my pom-pom... in fact it is my avatar pic as you can plainly see. My tank is fairly young and I have done much research and preparation for developing my bio system. I do have a thread on my 8g BioCube so if anyone is interested in checking it out I will be keeping up on that development!

 

I would post the link, but I'm lazy, so just search by user and I'm sure it will come right up ;)

 

Anyway, my pom-pom has been in the tank for almost 3 weeks now and she is AWESOME!!

 

Right now she has a huge orange sac underneath her abdomen and I am expecting a lot of food for my Mandarin Dragonete to pop out soon...

 

Sad I know... but I'm being practical. I haven't heard many success stories with propagation of pom-poms in an active nano reef.

 

Anyway, pleasure to make all of your acquaintances and look forward to much discussion!

 

Alan

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Thanks Diane - pistol shrimp/pom pom interactions seem hit or miss. I think my wife is shrimp/crab crazy. You would think that 2 skunks, 1 fire, 1 emerald, and 3 pep's in a tank would be enough...but no! She wants a pom pom and a pistol shrimp too. Maybe we should throw our mantis in there too just for kicks!

 

LOL! What's the matter, can't you find a lobster? :P

 

Just thought I would show off my pom pom

pompom.jpg

 

Aw, that's cute--perfectly captures that faux smile!

 

 

Hi everyone, I am pretty new to this site and love my pom-pom... in fact it is my avatar pic as you can plainly see. My tank is fairly young and I have done much research and preparation for developing my bio system. I do have a thread on my 8g BioCube so if anyone is interested in checking it out I will be keeping up on that development!

 

I would post the link, but I'm lazy, so just search by user and I'm sure it will come right up ;)

 

Anyway, my pom-pom has been in the tank for almost 3 weeks now and she is AWESOME!!

 

Right now she has a huge orange sac underneath her abdomen and I am expecting a lot of food for my Mandarin Dragonete to pop out soon...

 

Sad I know... but I'm being practical. I haven't heard many success stories with propagation of pom-poms in an active nano reef.

 

Anyway, pleasure to make all of your acquaintances and look forward to much discussion!

 

Alan

 

:welcome: to Nano-Reef, Alan! I'll have to look up your thread. Congrats on the crab's egg mass--even though we can't raise up the larvae, it's still wonderful to experience the phenomenon. And as you say, the rest of your tank will love the live food.

 

My pom pom came with an egg mass but has never had another one...guess it must require the presence of a male (duh! :D).

 

--Diane

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We cut back on feeding our pom pom because we were overfeeding and have some algae outbreaks. He gets nouri and mysis shrimp and when we feet dtphyto gets a puff of this as well (once a week or a bit less). Right now he's getting fed twice a week.

 

I noticed our pompoms anenomies look a little droopy. Should we be feeding them something specific or something more often? He lost an anenome a couple weeks ago and cut the one he had in half.

 

Tank is three months old and first fish inhabitants (2 small occelaris) were added last week.

 

Thanks!

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We cut back on feeding our pom pom because we were overfeeding and have some algae outbreaks. He gets nouri and mysis shrimp and when we feet dtphyto gets a puff of this as well (once a week or a bit less). Right now he's getting fed twice a week.

 

I noticed our pompoms anenomies look a little droopy. Should we be feeding them something specific or something more often? He lost an anenome a couple weeks ago and cut the one he had in half.

 

Tank is three months old and first fish inhabitants (2 small occelaris) were added last week.

 

Thanks!

 

My pom pom went through a spell some time ago when she was down to one, rather spindly looking 'nem. At that time, the conventional wisdom was that "they eventually lose their 'nems in captivity." But I'm not sure I buy that. When my crab lost its 'nems, I too was feeding quite sparsely due to algae problems. When I started feeding more often, my crab returned to having 2 nems, and they have looked nice and lush ever since. I do think both the crab and the 'nems do better with more frequent feeding.

 

(My advice--learn to love your algae...:lol:)

 

--Diane

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  • 2 weeks later...
My pom pom went through a spell some time ago when she was down to one, rather spindly looking 'nem. At that time, the conventional wisdom was that "they eventually lose their 'nems in captivity." But I'm not sure I buy that. When my crab lost its 'nems, I too was feeding quite sparsely due to algae problems. When I started feeding more often, my crab returned to having 2 nems, and they have looked nice and lush ever since. I do think both the crab and the 'nems do better with more frequent feeding.

 

(My advice--learn to love your algae... :lol: )

 

--Diane

 

I'm just giving this a bump because I really want to get a pom-pom and I love to read about them for now.

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So...I think i have an very aggressive pom pom in my 3G tank. It started off by eating my red head goby (which may have had ich but looked perfectly healthy that day). Then one day it took one of the pom poms from the other boxer crab (i can tell b/c one had red pom poms, the other had white pom poms) and day after, I find him munching on his buddy...so now I am down to 1 boxer, 1 hermit, and a couple of snails. He's always been ultra aggressive (esp during feeding time) but now I scared of adding anything to the tank...I don't plan on giving him sushi for dinner...

Edited by liudachris
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post-30971-1204256032_thumb.jpg

 

Here is my crab. Have only had it for about 3 weeks now. Will only come out of the rocks when the actinic lights are on and I am feeding the tank. I have gotten to the point where I can hand feed it mysis with tweezers. lol It is super cute and I really like watching it. I have some video as well, but will have to find someplace to host it.

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I recently bought one for my BC14 and it really hasn't even come out to eat yet. Its been about 4 days and he hasn't eat (or at least i dont think he has). Is there anything I should worry about? I can see him from his hiding spot but he doesnt come out for food. Any ideas?

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So I can finally and officially post here because I lucked out and got 2 of 'em at an LFS. One is definitely a female because she got an egg sack a couple of days after I introduced them both into the tank.

 

I'm not great at telling the sex other than that, so I'm wondering if someone can tell me what this one is:

 

boyorgirl.jpg

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Awesome little critters. I have one, but would like to add a couple more.

 

Mine hides out most of the time, but sure likes to come out when I drop some phyto plankton into the water column.

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Awesome little critters. I have one, but would like to add a couple more.

 

Mine hides out most of the time, but sure likes to come out when I drop some phyto plankton into the water column.

 

+1

 

I've lucked out because mine are roamers and I see them pretty often despite the fact that my scape is mostly caverns and caves.

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2314517833_84bd65b84a.jpg

 

Here is my new Pom Pom, had him a week now after the LFS didn't know what he was or where he came from, I was looking at a coral in the sales tank and caught a glimpse of him out of my eye, anyway I persuaded them to sell him to me

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2314517833_84bd65b84a.jpg

 

Here is my new Pom Pom, had him a week now after the LFS didn't know what he was or where he came from, I was looking at a coral in the sales tank and caught a glimpse of him out of my eye, anyway I persuaded them to sell him to me

 

I think it's a her.....

 

The one I posted earlier for ID is probably "him".

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So I can finally and officially post here because I lucked out and got 2 of 'em at an LFS. One is definitely a female because she got an egg sack a couple of days after I introduced them both into the tank.

 

I'm not great at telling the sex other than that, so I'm wondering if someone can tell me what this one is:

 

boyorgirl.jpg

 

 

Looks like he's cheering someone on.

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