Did I kill my pom pom crab ?

[Idech]

I bought a pom pom cran online and had it shipping express (24 hrs). I acclimated it for about an hour and dropped it in the tank. I know they are sensitive creatures so I was careful.

BUT… I made a mistake and adjusted my salinity right after. I forgot about the crab and added 3 x 1/2 cup of salt mixed in 1 gallon of rodi, slowly poured into the sump.

My tank is about 140 gallons so that’s about a 2.1% increase in salt (the goal was to raise salinity from 1.025 to about 1.026)

The pom pom crab immediately retreated into a rock and was never seen again (3 weeks ago).

Did I kill it ?

 

[Naekuh]

i highly doubt a .001 variance in salinity will effect anything, especially in that much vol. of water, Unless it was sitting under the return getting fed super concentrated salt water.

 

[Neocold]

Those buggers like to hide. I got 3 last month and put them in my quarantine tank which has a single rock in the middle that has lots of places to hide. I occasionally see one or two but most of the time they hide inside the rock. Chances are the little jerk is hiding.

 

[QuickrdenU]

Aren’t they super tiny? They intrigue me but I just assume that I would never see it in my tank.

 

[Idech]

Aren’t they super tiny? They intrigue me but I just assume that I would never see it in my tank.

Yes, they are. I had no idea they were that small or I probably wouldn’t have bought one. Sometimes I don’t mind not seeing my critters, but this one I wanted to observe.

 

[ReeferHD]

the crab should be fine, but in a 140 I doubt you'll see that little fella more than a couple times a year

 

[Sharkbait19]

Put one into a 13.5 a few months ago. It completely disappeared for a while before showing up. I maybe see it once a week. Best chances are to go looking at night.

 

[Naekuh]

Whats sad is i heard once that pom pom is gone, they dont get another, and then they look like a ugly normal crab.

 

[1112-425XL]

I have one in my 20g tank. Sometimes I go weeks without seeing it. If it was in my larger system I'm sure I would never see it, Once in a while it decides to just hang out in front.

 

[TurboTang]

I bought 4 of these a long while back, and when they arrived I putt all 4 bags in sump to temp acclimate. After 30 minutes I dropped them into my 150g tank. After a couple minutes of them sitting still they all jumped together and started fighting - it was like a mini hornets nest. Then they disappeared. Could of been 3,4, maybe even 5 months later and then one morning when lights just started to ramp on I saw all 4 together at the top of a rock. I was shocked - thought they were long long dead. Made my day to see em. And that was the only time I witnessed their presence. Been another 2 or 3 months since then. Maybe one morning we'll meet again....

 

[Sharkbait19]

Whats sad is i heard once that pom pom is gone, they dont get another, and then they look like an ugly normal crab.

If I’m not mistaken, they can split one if they lose a single.
Also (don’t quote me on this) I think I saw something on here with one using zoas or aiptasia after losing the Pom Pom.

 

[Idech]

I have one in my 20g tank. Sometimes I go weeks without seeing it. If it was in my larger system I'm sure I would never see it, Once in a while it decides to just hang out in front.

Too bad I can’t see your video !

If I’m not mistaken, they can split one if they lose a single.
Also (don’t quote me on this) I think I saw something on here with one using zoas or aiptasia after losing the Pom Pom.

We must have seen the same documentary, lol !

 

[TurboTang]

Wow - after just posting how I've only seen my pom poms once - I just walked by and hello. There's one hiding in the corner where all the broken/detached coral blows. I don't see any anenomes on his claws. It's legs blended in with the invasive Kenya tree sprouting up next to it.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Wow - after just posting how I've only seen my pom poms once - I just walked by and hello. There's one hiding in the corner where all the broken/detached coral blows. I don't see any anenomes on his claws. It's legs blended in with the invasive Kenya tree sprouting up next to it.

Love it when that happens!
I had one in a 4.8g Deskmate and only saw it very occasionally. Even in a tiny tank like that, they just find a way to hide!

 

[Idech]

I saw my pom pom crab today while looking at the tank with a flashlight, at night !

 

[maxberter]

I saw my pom pom crab today while looking at the tank with a flashlight, at night !

Awesome, thanks for the update! I have 2 in a 37 gallon and see one about once a week lol

 

[BristleWormHater]

Whats sad is i heard once that pom pom is gone, they dont get another, and then they look like an ugly normal crab.

I don’t own one but I’ve heard they will mug each other for bigger anemones. They will also frag duncans and zoanthids to use as new Pom poms if they are in the tank

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I rarely see mine maybe once a month. When he lost his nems I bought another pom pom. He did end up with one. Eventually both fragged their single nem, then lost their nems again and switched to those little calimorphs. One has died after about 3 years. The other is still chugging at almost 4. One of my favorite critters.

 

[Stevorino]

I’ve had my current Pom for 3+ years

I have seen him 4 times:

1. When I dropped him in

2. When I upgraded tank and he fell out of a rock mid-move

3. Chilling out in moonlight one random night

4. When I moved my tank and he fell out of a rock mid-move

 

[Idech]

I’ve had my current Pom for 3+ years

I have seen him 4 times:

1. When I dropped him in

2. When I upgraded tank and he fell out of a rock mid-move

3. Chilling out in moonlight one random night

4. When I moved my tank and he fell out of a rock mid-move

It looks like mine will be the same. I’ve only seen it once in 5 months.