Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 1"
• Diet: Herbivore   • Aquarium Level: Substrate & Rocks   • Minimum Tank Size: 12 gallons
 • Reef Compatible: Yes   • Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
• Supplements: Calcium, Iodine, Trace elements   • Coloration: Red, Brown, Black
• Origin: Mexico, Caribbean • Family: Diogenidae   • Species: Crabs

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The Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab originates from the coastal waters surrounding Mexico, and has a red face and legs. Both claws are of equal size, and members of this genus are sometimes called "Equal-handed Hermit Crabs". This tiny hermit crab lives in abandoned snail shells, which will vary in size and shape.

The Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab is prized for its voracious appetite for various nuisance algae, including green hair and cynobacteria. Its appetite for nuisance bacteria and the fact that this species is extremely reef safe, have made it a common member of any good aquarium cleaning crew.

The ideal environment for the Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab is an established marine aquarium with plenty of algae and live rock to graze upon. It is also important to be sure to provide empty shells of various sizes to accommodate their growth. If they cannot find a suitable shell to move into as they grow, they might attack a snail for its shell.

The Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab is a valuable addition to either a saltwater reef or fish-only aquarium due to their voracious appetite for green hair algae and cyanobacteria. In addition, they provide a valuable service of aerating the substrate by sifting through the sand and are one species of Hermit Crabs that is considered reef-safe.

Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crabs are herbivores and their diet consists algae, which they will scavenge off of the substrate and live rock. Ideally this species should be kept in an established aquarium with plenty of live rock to provide them with plenty of algae to eat. If insufficient algae is present, the Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab will need to be fed dried seaweed.