POMPOM CRAB BABIES?!?!?!?!?

[Beano1169]

Hey everyone I have recently found out that the pompom crab I have in my pico tank is carrying what likes to be over 100 eggs. If anyone has any suggestions on how to help keep them alive and healthy please let me know ASAP. I wanna give these guys a chance!
thanks

[RESONANCE]

Hi Beano,

First off, congrats on finding your pompom crab with eggs! Do you have 2 crabs or just the one? Its always exciting to observe the natural world up close.

Unfortunately, and I hate to tell you this, many types of marine crabs go through a free floating "zooplankton" like phase right after they hatch. And generally speaking, the smaller the crab species, the smaller the hatchlings. So basically your pom pom crab babies, if they hatch, will be as small as the plankton they need to feed on. So there is no way to properly feed newly hatched crabs in aquaria, let alone a pico sized tank. Even in large 100+ gallon aquaria, there just isn't enough naturally occurring food for them to feed on in the water column and any attempts to add artificial or natural microscopic food like phyto will only result in polluting your tank since its so small.

The best thing that happens is if the eggs hatch (depending on weather they were fertilized by a male) is that there will be natural food for the mature critters and corals in your tank. Hope that helps.

[Beano1169]

Thats good to hear and Yah I have read that they most likely will become food haha thats ok though it is just neat to observe, I only have the one crab in there so possibly she is just holding non-fert eggs
Still neat though haha thanks for the advice and stuff its really neat to watch though hah

[pinkreef]

i was lucky enough to watch mine release her eggs. keep a look out
just after lights out and moon lights on
her under carriage was full of pinky-red eggs at the time
she repeatedly swayed her body up and down till all were flushed out
it was really neat!