Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Tank Requirements
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons for a small group (2 to 3 crabs), or roughly one crab per 3–4 gallons to prevent crowding.
- Water Temperature: 72°F – 78°F (22°C – 26°C).
- Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020 to 1.025.
- pH Level: 8.1 to 8.4.
- Water Hardness / Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH; Calcium at 400–450 ppm.
- Substrate: Fine live sand or small-grained gravel (2–3 inches deep) to allow natural sifting and foraging.
- Decorations: Plenty of live rock configured with caves and crevices for grazing and security.
Diet and Feeding
- Natural Grazers: They feed primarily on hair algae, film algae, detritus, and leftover fish food.
- Supplementation: In well-established tanks, they find enough food naturally, but in newer systems you should supplement with dried seaweed (nori) or sinking marine pellets 2–3 times a week.
- Warning: Never use treatments or medications containing copper in an aquarium housing hermit crabs, as it is toxic to them.
Tank Mates and Shells
- Compatibility: Generally peaceful with fish and corals, but they may attack snails to steal their shells if desperate.
- Extra Shells: Always keep 3 to 5 empty, unpainted replacement shells per crab in varying sizes scattered around the tank to prevent aggression.
- Acclimation: Use a slow drip-acclimation method over 30–60 minutes to prevent fatal pH or salinity shock.
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