Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible:Â Yes
General Description: The Scarlet Hermit Crab owns up to its name, sporting bright red coloration and yellow eye stalks that make it stand out on the reef compared to the duller Reg Leg Cortez Hermit Crab (Clibanarius digueti). Originating from the western Atlantic Ocean, the Scarlet hermit crab is a beautiful addition to your marine clean up crew. With a peaceful disposition, the Scarlet hermit crab helps to maintain a healthy environment by aerating the substrate as it scavenges extra food that may settle to the bottom. Additionally, this crab is one of few that will eat hair algae and cyanobacteria. As one of the larger reef safe hermit crab species (1-1/2″ full grown), it may accidentally disrupt live rock or knock over loose corals.
Diet Requirements: Scarlet hermit crabs are omnivores. They will scavenge on various food leftover in the aquarium, in addition to consuming detritus, hair algae and cyanobacteria. If insufficient algae is present, we recommend supplementing sheet algae occasionally.
Tank Requirements: An established, minimum aquarium size of 10 to 15 gallons is recommended to house a Scarlet hermit crab. Maintaining stable water parameters is a component to the success of keeping this invertebrate; Scarlet hermit crabs are intolerable of high nitrates or overly fluctuating water parameters. Creating crevices or caves with live rock will mimic the Scarlet hermit crab’s natural environment. Multiple individuals of Scarlet hermit crabs can coexist, but be sure there is ample aquarium space to reduce competition. Like all hermit crabs, Scarlet hermit crabs live in the vacant shells of snails. To avoid a hermit crab taking a shell from a living snail, provide numerous empty shells of assorted sizes and shapes on the substrate. Recommended water conditions: 76-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.024-1.026.
Purchase Size: ≤ 1“
Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase size is approximate.
