Red Leg Hermit Crab

Red Leg Hermit Crabs (Paguristes cadenati) are a foundational element of the reef cleaning crew, moving constantly across every surface of the aquarium – sand, rock, and glass – consuming film algae, cyanobacteria, detritus, and uneaten food with impressive thoroughness. Their small size allows them to access crevices and spaces that larger cleaning crew members cannot navigate, making them complementary partners to larger snails and sea stars. A critical husbandry note: hermit crabs require a supply of progressively larger empty shells to grow into – without appropriate shells they will evict and kill snails for their homes. Provide a selection of shells slightly larger than those currently occupied. Keep in proportional numbers; a crew of 1-2 crabs per 5 gallons is a common reef-keeping guideline.