Blue Leg Hermit Crab - Small

Clibanarius tricolor

The Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor) or Blue Leg Hermit Crab, as its name suggests, has blue legs with orange-red banding. Both claws of the Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab are of equal size and therefore, members of this genus are sometimes called "Equal-handed Hermit Crabs."

The Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab is a valuable addition to your aquarium cleanup crew because it will enthusiastically feed on uneaten meaty foods and many types of nuisance algae including green hair algae and cyanobacteria. It is an active omnivore that spends most of its time in search for food. As an added bonus, this sand-sifting foraging activity helps groom and aerate your substrate and alleviate substrate compaction.

The Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab is best kept in an established reef aquarium system with ample algae supplies. However, they will eat almost anything, including fish food and invertebrate diets. The Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab is typically reef-safe but if algae levels (and other food sources) are insufficient, this opportunistic feeder may resort to stealing food away from sea anemones and other tankmates. If insufficient algae is present, be sure to supplement the diet of the Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab with dried seaweed or any quality pellet fish food.

Like other hermit crabs, an ample supply of different-sized empty shells should be available for the Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab to move into as they molt and grow. As with all invertebrates, the Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit does not tolerate copper-based medications and extreme fluctuations in water parameters. Also, take special care to ensure an invertebrate-friendly environment free of predators.