Pom Pom Crab, Reef Safe?

[karenestauffer]

Hello all! Does anyone have experience with saltwater Pom Pom crabs & whether or not they are reef safe? From what I am finding, they are supposed to be reef safe. I've also read if they are purchased without their "pom poms", which are mini anemones, they may snatch a zoa to use in replacement. They look cool! Curious if I could add one of them instead of an emerald crab as part of my clean up crew in a 24 gallon mix-reef setup. Sounds like they are peaceful tankmates. Image for reference. Thanks!

 

[TX_REEF]

it is generally considered reef safe, though obviously its anemones can cause minor damage to corals if it happens to come in contact. Not a good alternative for emeralds though in my opinion as they won't use their claws to grab and scrape algae and detritus like emeralds can. Final note, I always preach this from personal experience, I don't recommend emeralds either since I caught 2 of mine feasting on a healthy micromussa (acan). They live in my fuge now.

 

[Stomatopods17]

Pom Pom Crabs aren't really clean up crew, they don't do much, they kinda just hide all the time and mop whatever comes to them or floats by. If you like them they shouldn't harm anything and the sting is so minimal to most healthy colonies it bumps. Can't promise you'll ever actually see it again once you put it in, very tiny and elusive.

Pithos are safer than emeralds ime.

A metric &@$# ton of snails will clean anything eventually, except for diatoms and cyano which you have to manually work at.

 

[JulesH]

My Pom Pom comes out into the open occasionally does his/her dance and disappears again for a few months.

 

[JoJosReef]

Pom poms are delightful in a small tank. They aren't likely to be a feature in a bigger tank and could probably get killed by bigger fish. Also harder to keep alive and well than some crabs (like porcelains).
Here's my opom pom-less pom pom (RIP) from my nano hitching a ride on a nerite:

 

[formallydehyde]

Pom-pom crabs are very small carnivores so the most they can do is get a smidge of meaty food, but aren't great scavengers like shrimp/emerald crabs/nassarius snails are. You can house both a pom-pom and an emerald crab together though. Pom-pom crabs can get a *little* aggro if they feel threatened near their home, but they're generally pretty relaxed, so they're pretty good tank mates.

My pom-pom crab actually attacks my emerald crab on occasion when he accidentally "threatens" her by using his big meaty claws to grab food an inch above her near her chosen hiding spot. Once I saw her leap across rocks to try to sting him which freaked him out a lot. Luckily his thick carapace prevents the anemones from doing any damage though. I feel a little bad for him when stuff like this happens but it's also extremely funny to watch him run away from a crab 1/5th his size when he can see her in front of him, then 10 minutes later watch her press both anemones to his carapace when his back is turned without him even noticing he's being "stung."