Orchid Dottyback and Pom Pom Crab Compatibility?

[jfoahs04]

I have a 13.5 EVO with a DaVinci Clown, Tailspot Blenny, and an Orchid Dottyback. My fiancée really wants a Pom Pom Crab. I’ve never kept one before. I’ve seen mixed reviews on Orchid Dottyback behavior with smaller inverts, so I’d like to see if anyone has paired these two before (especially in such a small tank) and how it went? My Dottyback has shown zero interest in the hermits or the Skunk Cleaner (which is bigger than the fish), but I’d hate to buy one just to serve it up to a waiting fish.

 

[muzikalmatt]

I have a 13.5 EVO with a DaVinci Clown, Tailspot Blenny, and an Orchid Dottyback. My fiancée really wants a Pom Pom Crab. I’ve never kept one before. I’ve seen mixed reviews on Orchid Dottyback behavior with smaller inverts, so I’d like to see if anyone has paired these two before (especially in such a small tank) and how it went? My Dottyback has shown zero interest in the hermits or the Skunk Cleaner (which is bigger than the fish), but I’d hate to buy one just to serve it up to a waiting fish.

While I don't know if the Dottyback will go after it, pom poms are notoriously reclusive. Mine will disappear for months at a time to where I assume he's died but then he'll randomly pop up during feeding. The reason I mention this is to warn you/your wife that you might not see it very often, even in a smaller tank. They're very cool animals though and I enjoy mine when I do see him, but sightings are pretty rare. (FYI my tank is a IM Nuvo Fusion 40.)

 

[jfoahs04]

While I don't know if the Dottyback will go after it, pom poms are notoriously reclusive. Mine will disappear for months at a time to where I assume he's died but then he'll randomly pop up during feeding. The reason I mention this is to warn you/your wife that you might not see it very often, even in a smaller tank. They're very cool animals though and I enjoy mine when I do see him, but sightings are pretty rare. (FYI my tank is a IM Nuvo Fusion 40.)

Yeah, I have definitely come to expect that we won't see much of it. That's OK. My tank is small, but I have a lot of rock and intentionally built in many nooks/caves/hiding spaces. I don't mind not seeing the crab all that often, I just don't want to send it into the lion's den.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Yeah, I have definitely come to expect that we won't see much of it. That's OK. My tank is small, but I have a lot of rock and intentionally built in many nooks/caves/hiding spaces. I don't mind not seeing the crab all that often, I just don't want to send it into the lion's den.

I think as long as he has plenty of places to hide then you should be fine. Mine has outlasted most of the other inverts in my tank other than a few snails and a pincushion urchin.

 

[TnFishwater98]

Yeah, I have definitely come to expect that we won't see much of it. That's OK. My tank is small, but I have a lot of rock and intentionally built in many nooks/caves/hiding spaces. I don't mind not seeing the crab all that often, I just don't want to send it into the lion's den.

I have 2 Pom Poms. I love them but yes, you might see one once a month. When I had my first 20 gallon I would see the one I had a lot more. He would hang upside down and wave the poms. I think if you start with a small dotty with lots of LR you should be ok but that is a small tank

 

[jfoahs04]

I have 2 Pom Poms. I love them but yes, you might see one once a month. When I had my first 20 gallon I would see the one I had a lot more. He would hang upside down and wave the poms. I think if you start with a small dotty with lots of LR you should be ok but that is a small tank

The tank size is definitely my biggest concern, even with lots of live rock. The dottyback is well fed (probably overfed), I have a sizeable pod population that I know both the clown and dotty use to supplement my overfeeding. So maybe it'll be OK.