Pom Pom Crab

[JessicaK]

I found a Pom Pom Crab in my tank today!
I really want to keep this little guy alive so does anyone have experience with them? I STILL havent been able to catch the mantis shrimp in my tank...I really hope I can catch him before he makes lunch of the pom pom.

 

[melosu58]

I STILL havent been able to catch the mantis shrimp in my tank...I really hope I can catch him before he makes lunch of the pom pom.

This is true. The mantis will wipe him out.

 

[roka64]

Are you sure it is a mantis and not a pistol shrimp?

 

[Agnate80700]

can you get a photo? pompom crabs are so neat imo... if they drop their pompom or they die, will they ever go to the pompom store and get new ones? How do they get em in the 1st place?

 

[JessicaK]

I had a pic, but you couldn't really see him since he was backed into a corner. With a bowfront it's really hard to take good pics. He is seriously the coolest little creature I've seen...waving the anemones around warding off the hermit crabs. Very cool. They are so reclusive, though, I doubt I'll see him much. I haven't even seen him since. Hopefully, he'll be lucky and avoid the manits shrimp.

Yes, I'm sure it's a mantis. I've seen him smash his way across the rock chasing my emerald, trying to open shells, etc. I've tried to trap him but he's very skiddish - he even runs from the camera flash. The longer he's in there the more interesting he becomes. He's sort of growing on me (I'd like him if he wasn't such a killer). I totally understand why some people keep them as pets, they are amazing animals.