I love my crabs. So far so good. All were alive and well. I'll be getting more!! They are fun to watch.
ShrimpUpAquatics
Freshwater Pom Pom Crab (Ptychognathus barbatus)
Freshwater Pom Pom Crab (Ptychognathus barbatus)
Regular price
$19.95 USD
Regular price
Sale price
$19.95 USD
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🦀 Pom Pom Crab (Ptychognathus barbatus) – Tiny Dancers of the Freshwater World
SIZE: ½ – 1 Inch (Adult Size)
Bring a burst of personality to your aquarium with the Pom Pom Crab, one of the most unique and entertaining freshwater invertebrates in the hobby. Named for the fuzzy tufts on their claws, Pom Pom Crabs use these adorable “poms” to filter-feed—waving them rhythmically through the water like tiny underwater cheerleaders.
The Pom Pom Crab (Ptychognathus barbatus) has a small, rounded body in warm golden-tan hues that naturally blend with sand and driftwood. But their filter-feeding tufts steal the spotlight—each graceful movement catches microscopic food and biofilm from the water column. Peaceful, shy, and surprisingly social, these tiny crabs bring both curiosity and charm to any community tank or shrimp setup.
Our Pom Pom Crabs are tank-bred and fully acclimated to freshwater aquariums. Despite their exotic look, they are easy to keep when provided stable conditions, clean water, and plenty of hiding spots. Their gentle, scavenging behavior makes them ideal for shrimp tanks or planted aquascapes where movement and life are always on display.
🦀 Why Choose Pom Pom Crabs?
Captivating Natural Behavior:
Watch them wave their fuzzy claws in a rhythmic feeding motion that’s both mesmerizing and relaxing to observe.
Shrimp- and Community-Safe:
Peaceful and non-aggressive, Pom Pom Crabs coexist wonderfully with Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp, as well as small, calm fish species.
Tank Cleaners:
As scavengers, they help control leftover food, biofilm, and algae, supporting a balanced and healthy aquarium ecosystem.
Hardy & Adaptable:
With proper care and stable parameters, these crabs thrive and often become a highlight of any nano or planted tank.
Hand-Selected Quality:
At Shrimp Up Aquatics, we individually select each Pom Pom Crab for health, size, and activity level—ensuring your new additions are vibrant and lively from day one.
Though fully aquatic, Pom Pom Crabs appreciate a secure lid—they are small but capable climbers! Provide caves, driftwood, or dense plants for shelter and safe molting spaces. With stable conditions and gentle tankmates, they will display their charming behavior for years to come.
Add a touch of energy and whimsy to your aquascape—order your Pom Pom Crabs today and enjoy the delightful spectacle of nature’s tiniest performers!
🌿 Recommended Tank Water Parameters:
pH: 6.5–7.8
GH: 4–10
KH: 2–6
TDS: 100–200
Temperature: 72–78°F
Minimum Tank Size: 5+ gallons
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 128 reviews.
Cute little guy. Pretty shy so I don't see him as much as I'd like. Wish I knew if it was male or female. I'd get him/her a mate. I haven't been able to see his belly and I don't want to scare him to find out the sex. I want him to feel safe.
Crab arrived alive and very active. He loves our tank and his shrimp tank mates!
My pompom crabs are adorable… they so fun to watch I have decided I will be buying more soon…. Thank you so very much 🙏
so cute
I loved my 2 crabs but unfortunately died the next day, one escaped! It's been crazy hot in Texas but they were so very cute ate right away. I may try again. It may have been a rough trip or water conditions.
All crabs arrived alive and well. Wife and I have spent the day playing spot the crabs. They are tiny!
There are two in here but they are cute.
I got my second order and 1 was dead. They pick on each other during shipping.
Loving my pom pom crab 🦀 arrived in 3 days came missing a leg but they made it right by sending another one fully healthy
Very shy but is very fun to see
Neat little creature
All of my creatures arrived alive and thriving and already see eggs on a female. I had a missing item that was resolved instantly and have already placed another order. Don’t waste your time buying anywhere else! Thank you guys I’ve had terrible experiences before from other live animals shipping. This is my go to place now and can’t wait for my order next order to arrive!
The pom pom crab is a fun addition to the tank! Climbs all over
I bought two of these guys and one of them arrived with a missing leg looks like it got stuck in the plastic bag they came in. So I made the mistake of getting crabs that are the same color as my rocks so I don't see them very often but I caught the guy walking around stealing food from the shrimp.
Came fast and well packaged
packaged very well & shipped promptly. my crabs are still thriving after about a month of having them so far (:
perfect little guy!!!!!
previous buyer of shrimps, first time buyer of crabs! thrilled with the experience to receive both of my crabs & play hide & seek on a daily basis.
First Crab arrived DOA.(poor handling during shipment) Filling out the DOA form and contacting customer service was a breeze! They replaced my crab pretty quickly. He arrived healthy and active.
get it faster. took 3 weeks to get here. and the box was smashed to hell. i order from you all time and never had a problem. looks like they didn’t care about it. so he had no water left and passed away. i’m disappointed he didn’t make it.
Love trying to find the little guy in the tank
2nd time ordering, I’m in love with these littles guys!
Loved our shrimp and Pom Pom crab! They sent about 14 shrimp (though we ordered 12) and 2 were DOA unfortunately. We also received 2 orange shrimp instead of 2 green rili, but the customer service responded fast and sent us not only 2 alive green rili, but one that was berried! They are beautiful and I will definitely order again in the future.
All alive and well
So much character!! They are amazing to look at when they eat
I like it
i would like to star by saying that unfortunate 3 out of the 4 they send me arrive death the 4 one i assume they put just in case, after learning of the doa form and filling it i receive an email and the help me out right away and no problem they offer a full refund or exchange i ask for neon yellow shrimp now i am waiting on them hope they arrive well like the last time i order from them the shrimp arrive today and i was meet by over 15 little fellows more than what i expected thank you for making this experience great
I will definitely purchase more of these little guys in the future, I absolutely adore them!! They came healthy and active! Shipping was quick, excellent service as always! :D
Crab is doing great and getting more active every day.
These crabs are so fun to watch! Happened to catch this one just hanging around on a plant. Very healthy!
Love the little pom pom crab love watching him popping in and out of his little tunnel
They come really good but I just get 4 🫠
I just love it
The package was well insulated in my crab was alive and healthy
All 5 crabs came in great condition. All are thriving . The only issue I had is they did not ship out right away and when I spoke to customer service they told me what day to expect them. I work so this was important as I had to take the day off to be home for the delivery. Well they ended up coming a day early . Luckily they got delivered around 4 and I got off at 5:30 so they didn’t sit long. I appreciate the speedy delivery but this could have ended poorly if they had to sit outside for a long time since they gave me the wrong day. Other than that I am Very happy with my new pets.
I got two Pom Pom crabs they are awesome very healthy and active. I’m very pleased with my purchase. I highly recommend Shrimp Up Aquatic's .
As per my order confirmation, it was supposed to be shipped UPS 2nd Day Air (1-2 Day Transit). It was actually shipped USPS and USPS was a disappointment. It was shipped on the 2nd of the month and I received it on the 6th of the month. One Pom Pom crab didn't make the journey and perished. The shrimp did great and are thriving. The Blue Red Rili Shrimp look great.
This is my second try the crabs came looking very healthy, I placed them in an isolation container overnight to let them get used to the tank in the morning. I let them crawl out on their own, which I didn’t experience took a while. It’s like the first time they went straight for the gravel and put five in. I’ve seen one a day or two later and it’s been weeks now I have not seen another not sure if they’re dead or very dormant in the rock a little disappointed.
