A pea-sized, fully aquatic crab you watch grazing on biofilm rather than handle.
The Thai Micro Crab (Limnopilos naiyanetri) is a fully aquatic crab under 1 inch long kept in planted freshwater aquariums, living about 1-2 years. It is peaceful and spends its time grazing on biofilm and tiny foods rather than being a hands-on pet.
Because it is so small it is easily sucked into filters or lost through tiny gaps, and it must be housed only with gentle tankmates that will not eat it. It is a display invertebrate, not one to handle.
In a stable, mature planted aquarium they live about 1-2 years; losses are usually from filtration or poor water quality rather than age.
What do Thai Micro Crabs eat?
They graze on biofilm and algae and take powdered fry food, crushed flakes, and tiny sinking pellets 3-4 times weekly. In a well-planted tank they mostly self-feed on surface film.
Enclosure setup
Keep them in a 5-10 gallon planted aquarium with gentle filtration, 72-80°F, and sponge-covered intakes. They need stable, clean fresh water and lots of fine plants to cling to.
Common mistakes with Thai Micro Crabs
Typical errors are strong filter intake that sucks them in, gaps in the lid or equipment they slip through, aggressive tankmates that eat them, and unstable water parameters in a small tank.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
A strong filter intake that sucks the tiny crabs in.
Gaps around equipment or lid they escape through.
Housing with fish that treat them as food.
Unstable water in a small tank stressing them out.
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