What tank size does a Thai Micro Crab need?

A Thai Micro Crab needs an aquarium of at least 20 litres (5.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 30 cm (11.8 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Thai Micro Crab need?

Thai Micro Crab does best at 21–28 °C (69.8–82.4 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 4–15 °dGH.

What group size does a Thai Micro Crab need?

Thai Micro Crab is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Thai Micro Crab suitable for beginners?

Thai Micro Crab sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Thai Micro Crab

Limnopilos naiyanetri

Hymenosomatidae

InvertsDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: verified

📷 Sean Murray · CC BY-SA 2.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Thai Micro Crab — Limnopilos naiyanetri — 📷 Sean Murray · CC BY-SA 2.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The Thai micro crab is a minuscule, fully aquatic crab endemic to the Tha Chin river system in Thailand, where it lives among the trailing roots of floating plants. Unlike almost every other freshwater crab it never needs to leave the water, so it settles happily into a planted nano aquarium. With a carapace barely a centimetre wide and thread-thin legs, it is utterly peaceful and harmless, drifting biofilm and micro-particles from its claws as it clings to moss and hardscape. Its fragility, not any aggression, is the real challenge: it demands mature, stable water and gentle, shrimp-safe tankmates.

Care

Keep only in a mature, fully cycled planted nano tank with gentle flow, dense moss and stable soft-to-neutral water. Fully aquatic and very peaceful, but tiny and delicate, so pair only with equally small, calm tankmates. Copper-sensitive.

Diet

Micro-omnivore and gentle filter-feeder that sifts biofilm and drifting particles from moss and roots. Feed powdered or finely crushed foods and occasional frozen micro-foods; depends heavily on the living microfauna of an established tank.

Tankmate compatibility

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Thai Micro Crab need?: A Thai Micro Crab needs an aquarium of at least 20 litres (5.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 30 cm (11.8 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Thai Micro Crab need?: Thai Micro Crab does best at 21–28 °C (69.8–82.4 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 4–15 °dGH.
What group size does a Thai Micro Crab need?: Thai Micro Crab is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Thai Micro Crab suitable for beginners?: Thai Micro Crab sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature21–28°C

Optimal temp.23–26°C

pH6.5–7.5

Hardness (GH)4–15°d

Carbonate (KH)1–8°d

Adult size2.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 20 L

Min. tank length≥ 30 cm

Group size≥ 5

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~1.5 yrs

Try in the calculator