HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I consider shells like I consider tank space...the more the better. I believe the 3-5 shells is a per crab guideline (at least that's how I read it) and if you can afford to buy more, and have the space to accommodate them, the more the merrier. :) ETA: I have as many shells as I can in each crabita...

ApePlanet wrote:One of my guys came up last night then buried himself in the morning LOL.

https://youtu.be/5kQN07SRrs8


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I NEED a couple of those cameras!! I love watching your time lapse videos.

I know, right? And you can't even redecorate when everyone is molting...

On the plus side, when they started to surface several came up at the same time. SUPER EXCITING!

I also forgot to mention that you will probably want to find out what species of crab you have before ordering shells. Different species have a little different shell preferences.

Hi! Welcome to HCA and the wonderful and challenging world of hermit crab addiction! You can post pics in the New Crabs and Crab Owners section of the forum if you'd like help with ID. And the Classifieds section can be found on the main forum page. You may find that ordering shells from Naples Sea ...

I finally got to see six of the nine teeny-small crabbies in my 65g the other night! I stood there forever just watching and softly talking to them. One of the last two teeny crabs in a painted shell FINALLY picked a new shell...only one lil guy in a blue shell remains unable to choose a new condo.....

I don't have any input on the breeding portion, but I did want to say that I also keep my E with my PPs. They get along well, I hope in the future I can upgrade and get my E a species buddy. Thank you for your input! I have some time to decide what to do, and I truly appreciate everyone's experience.

I had my Es breed once while I had them, as opposed to the PPs where a few females are gravid every summer. It took adding a large (jumbo) male who ended up being extremely aggressive and who killed several of the other Es in the tank. My preference is to keep species separate from that experience,...

I baked mine for 20 minutes at 200F. Watch closely so nothing starts burning. Haven't had any bugs or mold after baking like this. Nor has anything started to burn.

Thank you for your opinions! This is where I found out that Es have the abbreviated stages. http://coenobitaspecies.com/coenobita-compressus/ I have that species available locally, so that's why I was leaning that way. I'm sure I'll eventually have the chance with my PPs, too, at least in the smalle...

I recently adopted a poor crabbie named Macinaw Phil. He came from an older couple who "rescued" him from a retail shop in the UP. He came to me in one of those awful crab condos that are wire mesh. Needless to say, poor Phil passed away two days later. Turns out Phil was really Phyllis. My husband ...

OMG!! I'm so excited for you!! I've been following your progress with great anticipation! You ROCK!!

Neither of my jumbo guys wants a proper sized shell. They have lots of options, and Agent K swaps shells on the regular. But neither one can ever fully get inside their chosen shells like the littles like to do. Everyone else from Large down to teeny all like to have shells they can completely retra...

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92552 is where you can find the shell guide. It was super helpful to me as I was trying to find as many shells as I could to encourage my crabbies in painted shells to swap for naturals.

I think it's the size and shape of the turbo type opening that appeals to PPs. I only have that species, but I understand that Es like the D shape openings. I still put some Ds in the smaller crab tank, but no one has ever picked one.