From FrugalReef

• Family: Crustaceans
• Common Types Available: Scarlet Reef Hermits, Blue Legged Hermits, and Dwarf Red Tip Hermits.
• Hardiness: Very hardy
• Temperature: 75-84°F.

Disposition: Usually non-aggressive. Will eat dieing animals. Red and blue legged hermits will both sometimes eat snails for shells. The red legged hermit is not as aggressive as the blue-legged hermit. The red tip hermits seem least aggressive of all.

Reef Safe: Scarlet Reef, blue legged, and Dwarf red tip hermits are all reef safe. Blue legged hermits will sometimes kill and eat snails to take their shells. All three varieties will scavenge algae are usually used for algae control. In particular they are all effective against cyanobacteria (Aka. Red slime Algae)

Feeding: Hermits are scavengers that eat primarily algae but will also eat anything dead. They can be supplemented with algae pellets.

The Red Hermit crab, sometimes called the Red Reef Hermit Crab or Red Legged Hermit Crab, is a solid dark red with light yellow markings on the tips of the claws and eye stalks. It grows up to 1.5" long and develops a large pincher claw.

Blue legged hermits have bright blue legs with orange markings around the joints. They grow up to 1" long.

Dwarf Red Tip Hermits, also called Mexican hermits, Mexican red legs, or "Equal-handed Hermit Crabs" are red in coloration with blue spots on their claws and walking legs. The antennae are bright red. They grow up to 1.5" long. Both claws are similar in size.