Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab (Clibanarius sp)

The Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab is one of the more uniquely colored members of the Diogenidae family. The bright yellow bands on its green to black legs add a pop of color to this member of your aquarium's reef-safe cleanup crew. Like its Blue Leg and Red Tip cousins, the Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab is a voracious eater of nuisance algae and cyanobacteria. Plus, its small size allows it to forage and scavenge in the tightest of locations amongst live rock.

Native to the coastal waters surrounding Vietnam, the Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab has claws of equal size and lives in abandoned snail shells. As the Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab sifts through substrate in search of food, it helps clean and aerate aquarium substrate. This activity helps reduce substrate compaction and promotes beneficial bacteria growth and function. Ideally, the Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab should be kept in a well-established system with plenty of algae and live rock on which to graze.

To accommodate the growth of this small, reef-safe hermit crab, supply empty snail shells of various sizes and shapes. Also, feed dried seaweed if algae levels within your aquarium are insufficient. The Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab does best in established aquariums with a sand substrate in which it can forage and dig. Like other invertebrates, care needs to be taken with the use of medications, as well as during the acclimation process to prevent pH shock.

Approximate Purchase Size: 1/2" to 1"

Care details

• Temperature: 72 - 78° F
• dKH: 8 - 12
• Specific Gravity: 1.023-1.025
• Color: Yellow
• Family: Diogenidae
• Diet: Herbivore