Thai Micro Crab Care Guide, Species Profile, Tank Setup and Tank Mates

If you are a fishkeeping enthusiast or you just like reading or keeping aquatic creatures, then you may know or have heard about the Thai Micro Crab. This crustacean species is an intriguing creature to anyone, from its color, physical appearance to the way it survives in the freshwater.

This aquatic species is a fascinating and fantastic crustacean species to rare in a freshwater aquarium in your home or in a community tank. Additionally, this Crab is a very tiny creature, and you will be lucky to have it in the aquarium you have in your home.

Since this crustacean species is a rare species and only found in one place, you should get professional advice on managing it and keeping it in your home if you have an aquarium.

We have decided to make the work easy for you by providing you the necessary details and information. You might need to pay attention to this care guide if you plan to keep this unique and fantastic creature in your tank.

In this Thai Micro Crab Care guide, you will get information and answers to all the important questions that you may have about this crab species.

Species Overview

Thai Micro Crabs are also known as False Spider Crab, Thai Micro Spider Crab, Freshwater Spider Crab, and Laos Micro Spider Crab.

Generally, they are tiny and fully aquatic, and they are only found in one specific river in Thailand. The one and only place where this crab species can be found is called the Tha Chin River in Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province in Thailand.

These freshwater crustacean species were discovered in 1991. At the river, this crab mainly inhabits the roots of water plants known as hyacinths. The scientific name for Thai Micro Crab is Limnopilos Naiyanetr. Limnopilos is a genus that forms the Hymenosomatidae family.

The species name Naiyanetr was in honor of a professor in the biology department of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, known as Professor Phaibul Naiyanetr.

Due to the tiny nature of this crab, they frequently prey on aggressive and large animals in their natural habitats. However, these freshwater creatures will rarely prey on other creatures within the ecosystem. You can rare them with plants at the same time in the aquarium since they are safe with them.

However, since Thai Micro Crabs are tiny freshwater creatures, they may easily get injured when caught in the aquarium filter, where they can easily be sucked in and lose their legs when you use a net. Therefore, it is advisable to use a pre-filter sponge to protect them and keep them safe in the aquarium.

Due to their unusually long legs in relation to their body size, they resemble spiders by appearance. They have tiny hair that helps them in grabbing food particles to eat.

Further, Thai Micro Crabs’ color form ranges from pale transparent to brownish grey. Since they are tiny by nature, they will easily fit well in nano tanks and small tanks, which will not occupy much space in your room.

Typical Behavior & Temperament

Thai Micro Crabs are generally shy and introverted when first introduced into an aquarium, and they like places to hide where they feel comfortable.

Therefore, if you want Thai Micro Spider Crabs to be happy in your aquarium, you should put them with aquarium plants and caves in the same ecosystem for them to be able to conceal themselves.

Additionally, these freshwater creatures are generally very docile and easygoing. Due to their shy nature, they like spending most of the day hiding among the plants in the aquarium or natural décor.

Because of this, these crab species are nocturnal creatures by nature, and therefore, you will not easily see them during the day.

Further, these crustaceans can sit motionless for long durations, i.e., several hours. If you want to have a glimpse of these creatures at night easily, you should invest in a glow light bulb.

Once they have adapted to their new home, i.e., the aquarium, you can easily see them relaxing or hanging on the aquarium plants in the tank.

Around molting time, Limnopilos naiyanetri crabs hide a lot since they are increasingly vulnerable to attacks by other more extensive and aggressive animals, and it takes a long duration for new shells in them to harden.

Thai Micro Crabs are generally peaceful creatures. They do not have any aggression towards other animals; hence they can easily share the same aquarium or environment with the same species.

Because of these creatures’ peaceful nature, they can easily cohabitate with snails, freshwater shrimp, and plants such as Anubias or Java fern, which they can easily hang out on their roots.

Thai Micro Crabs are not territorial, and the males do not fight. These creatures are entirely defenseless, and when they are threatened or startled, they take cover and hide or escape. They prefer being in groups and hang out peacefully in shared hiding places most of the time.

Origin and Distribution

These freshwater creatures are tiny and rare species of crabs. These crab species are native to Thailand. They are only found in one specific river called the Tha Chin River in Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province in Thailand.

These crab species are extremely difficult and challenging to find Thai Micro Crab for sale in local pet stores. It is also hard to find Thai Micro Crab for sale even on online platforms.

They are one of the rare types of crabs that live their lives fully immersed at all times; hence you will only need a freshwater aquarium to rare Thai Micro Crabs in your home.

Appearance, Colors, And Special Markings

Thai Micro Crabs are shy creatures, and viewing them is never easy, especially during the day. They spend most of the day hiding or staying motionless while hanging on the aquarium plants.

If you are lucky to view them, their body has a circular carapace. Some are silvery-gray in color, translucent grey, or brown. The legs of these unique and amazing freshwater creatures are always beige-like, or they may have a warmer brown tone.

Additionally, the legs of some may be slightly transparent. Moreover, these beautiful creatures have filaments growing from the legs and claws. They have hairs to grab food particles in the water by sticking them out onto the water current.

Most people may mistake a Thai micro crab with a spider. At times these freshwater creatures may have a pattern on their hardshell/ carapace.

Thai Micro Crab Size

Thai Micro Spider Crabs are the smallest species known among the freshwater crabs. The freshwater creature is tiny by nature. These micro crab species have ten very long legs, and on most occasions, the legs are usually tucked underneath themselves.

When fully grown, Thai Micro Crab size is 0.4 inches. The carapace can go up to 1 inch across its leg span when it is fully grown. Thai Micro Crab size depends on the tank condition and cares that you have given to them.

How Long Do Thai Micro Crabs Live?

These Micro Crabs are little creatures, and generally, they do not live very long. When healthy and kept in a well-maintained ecosystem, the lifespan is approximately one and half years (1 and 1/2 years).

These freshwater creatures are very sensitive to changes in water conditions. In order to keep them healthy and maximize the lifespan of Thai micro crab, you should be very vigilant in maintaining the water conditions and water in the aquarium.

Thai Micro Crab Care

Unlike other crabs, they can live and thrive in normal and low-maintenance water conditions. Although They are very susceptible to changes in water quality, they can be very adaptive, and they are not picky about parameters.

All you have to do when you keep Thai Micro Crabs in your home aquarium is to provide them with a high-quality food source constantly and to keep the aquarium conditions stable at all times.

Here are the fundamental guidelines that you will need to follow when keeping Thai Micro Spider Crabs in a tank in your home.

– Thai Micro Crab Tank Size

As mentioned above they are very tiny creatures, and they do not need large tank space. Mostly they are good with small nano tanks. Since they hang out peacefully in their hiding places, and they can stay together with other plants and animals, you will need a small tank.

A group of around 5 or 6 crabs requires at least 5 gallons tank. The most important thing is the adequate filtration of the freshwater since they are very sensitive to poor water conditions.

They are entirely aquatic, and they spend their entire lives underneath the water; hence you will not need to worry about creating a large piece of land.

– Water Parameters

Thai Micro Crabs are aquatic creatures, and if you want to keep or rare them in your aquarium and keep them healthy, you should replicate their natural environment.

They are freshwater creatures and since they are only found in a single specific freshwater River in Thailand, replicating their tropical environment is quite easy. Additionally, you will need warmer waters with a neutral pH balance in your aquarium to rare these freshwater creatures.

These freshwater creatures are highly sensitive to ammonia and nitrate levels in water; therefore, it is advisable that after establishing a tank, you give it some time to cycle through before adding False Spider Crabs.

The chemicals in the water can significantly affect these crabs. Here are the water parameters in your aquarium that will ensure Thai Micro Crabs stay healthy for long.

Water temperature: 72 °F – 82 °F (22°C – 28 °C)
The acidity level of water: 6.5 – 8.0 pH
Water hardness: 6 – 15 dKH

– Tank Setup

Thai Micro Crabs spend most of their time hidden in the nooks and crevices; since they are shy and introverts, they are not very particular about substrate in the aquarium.

If you want to easily spot these freshwater creatures during the day or at any time, you should choose any shrimp-compatible substrate that you will enjoy or like, and they must have a contrasting color to their body colors.

Additionally, since False Spider Crabs like hiding or clinging, your aquarium should have lots of vegetation for them to enjoy the stay.

They spend their lives hiding in the roots of freshwater plants in the river, and your aquarium should have a lot of plants that they can hide in and relax.

Thai Micro Crabs do not like bright lights, and therefore your aquarium should have a dark corner for them to hang out and feel secure. You can also add natural decorative items like rocks, driftwood, and Indian Almond leaves.

– Suitable Plants

Thai Micro Crabs require real organic matter to stay healthy and live longer. At the river in Thailand where they were discovered, there is dense vegetation.

You will need floating plants in the aquarium where these creatures can hang out, hide and live in the roots. The suitable plants that in the aquarium should act as their shelter and source of food.

It would be best if you placed floating plants such as Java Moss, Water Lettuce, Anubias, and Water Wisteria in your aquarium, among other plants. Aquarium algae offer great places for these freshwater creatures to stay and food.

Common Possible Diseases

Currently, there is very little information about the infections and diseases that Thai Micro Crabs can experience. However, just like other freshwater crabs, False Spider Crab can also suffer from bacterial and fungal infections.

These freshwater creatures can have broad body pressure, which is brought by stress. The stress can be brought about by the quality of the water in your aquarium.

If the quality of water and the water conditions in your aquarium remain safe, the Thai Micro Crabs will remain healthy for long.

Diet: What Do Thai Micro Crabs Eat?

These freshwater crustaceans are mainly omnivores, and they generally scavenge for food during the entire day. Thai Micro Crabs feature hair in their legs and claws to grab and capture microorganisms and food particles in water.

Additionally, they may eat plant debris and algae. Despite these freshwater creatures scavenging for food the entire day, you will need to provide them with meals daily in the aquarium.

For example, you should provide them with powdered plant-based shrimp food. Further, you can provide the crabs with sinking algae wafers or powdered foods, which should be small enough for shrimp to eat.

Proteins such as hearty live and frozen food like mosquito larvae are also important to Thai Micro Crabs.

Thai Micro Crab Tank Mates

Thai Micro Crabs are generally peaceful creatures. They are not aggressive and can live peacefully with other creatures. However, medium-sized and large fish larger than them can easily prey on them.

Because of this, you will need special considerations when choosing False Spider Crab tank mates. These freshwater creatures are generally defenseless, and therefore you should rare them with other small peaceful species in the same aquarium.

Additionally, they are shy creatures; hence you should keep them in a group of five or six since they become more active and confident when they are many.

Some of the excellent Thai Micro Crab tank mates you should consider putting together include;

Cherry Shrimp
Kuhli Loach
Bloodfin Tetra
Cherry Barb
Pygmy Corydoras
Ember Tetra
Most snails
Harlequin Rasbora
Neon Tetra
Silver Tip Tetra
Least Killifish

You should avoid the following creatures as much as possible when planning to rare a Thai Micro Crab in your aquarium since they are their poor tank mates. They include;

Gender Differences

Differentiating between male and female Thai Micro Crabs is not an easy task due to their tiny size. Additionally, these freshwater creatures are very fragile, and they may not handle any physical examination involved.

Both male and female False Spider Crabs are similar in color and appearance. However, if you have a magnifying glass, you can easily notice the difference in their flaps at the bottom.

Here are the differences; the male Thai Micro Crabs have narrow and pointy carapaces while females have rounded bodies.

Thai Micro Crab Breeding

Thai Micro Crab breeding is very difficult within the aquarium or confined tanks. Most of these freshwater creatures will breed at their own will. You can see the female Thai Micro Crab carry and release eggs or even when the eggs hatch.

The main problem is keeping the hatched babies alive since they mostly die before getting any bigger. In the modern-day, there have been experiments to improve the mortality rates of these freshwater creatures.

Till the best method to prevent the babies of these freshwater creatures from dying, it is advisable to avoid breed them.

Are Thai Micro Crab Aggressive?

Thai Micro Crabs are not aggressive at all. They are generally shy and introverted. Additionally, they are docile and easygoing freshwater creatures that spend most of the hiding.

They are peaceful and do not have any aggression towards other creatures. When Thai Micro Crabs are threatened or startled, they take cover and hide or escape

Are Thai Micro Crabs Fully Aquatic?

Thai Micro Crabs are fully aquatic. They spend their entire lives submerged in water.

Most of the time, False Spider Crabs cling and hide in the roots of floating plants. In their natural habitats, False Spider Crabs hung out and hide in the roots of floating plants such as Hyacinths.

If you want a rare Thai Micro Crab in your aquarium, you should consider putting aquarium plants such as Java Moss, Water Lettuce, and Anubias which will provide roots where they can hide and hang out in groups.

Can Thai Micro Crabs Be Kept With Shrimp?

False Spider Crabs are generally peaceful creatures. Shrimps are also peaceful, and therefore they can share an aquarium peacefully. False Spider Crabs can share the same environment with other peaceful creatures.

Thai Micro Crabs can be kept with shrimp at the same aquarium since they are both peaceful hence good tank mates.

How Big Do Thai Micro Crabs Get?

Generally, Thai Micro Crabs are tiny freshwater creatures. Once fully grown, a False Spider Crab can be around 0.4 inches long, i.e., its crab’s shell.

They have long thin legs, and when it is grown, the legs can span up to around 1 inch which is approximately 2.5 centimeters.

Do Thai Micro Crabs Breed?

Yes, they are. In their natural habitats, i.e., in the river in Thailand, these freshwater creatures breed successfully. However, when confined in an aquarium or tank, breeding has never been successful.

There have been problems in conception and gestation, leading to their babies no surviving after hatch. Therefore, Thai Micro Crabs successfully breed in their natural habitat but breeding in the confines of a tank has never been successful.

Do Thai Micro Crabs Need Land?

They are fully aquatic creatures. They will not need land to survive. Additionally, they are tiny in size, and they require a small tank or aquarium. Therefore, Thai Micro Crabs do not need land.

Final Thoughts

These crab species are generally unique and beautiful aquatic creatures. They are tiny are fully submerged. They are peaceful and can be kept with other peaceful creatures in the same aquarium.

Despite Thai Micro Crabs available in only one specific river in Thailand, they can be reared in an aquarium as long as the water is fresh and has other similar features to its original inhabitant.

These freshwater creatures are one of the easiest to keep in an aquarium in your home. With the information provided above, keeping a False Spider Crab in an aquarium is an easy task.

These freshwater creatures have beautiful aesthetics that will help improve the décor of your house if you have them in an aquarium.

Whether you are an aquarist or want to enhance the décor of your home, Thai Micro Crabs are one of the freshwater creatures you should have in an aquarium in your home.