HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi everyone! I am quite new to the world of hermit crabs but I just had my first 2 come up from a molt and am in desperate need of shells. I have been to Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Petsmart, Petco, World of Pets, Jacks Pets, Planet Pets and Walmart. I have bought quite a few shells but they don't seem to like any I got. Is there anywhere online I can order shells?? Price is not a problem. Thanks for your help, Mr. Krabs and Stewie will appreciate it as well as Peanut and Turbo!

Check out the Shopping Resources guide (Navigator box on HCA's Portal page). Some of the preferred shops are Naples (they list the size of the shell opening, a big help) and MyGann (also has an ebay shop). You can also check on Etsy.

Crabinski wrote:Check out the Shopping Resources guide (Navigator box on HCA's Portal page). Some of the preferred shops are Naples (they list the size of the shell opening, a big help) and MyGann (also has an ebay shop). You can also check on Etsy.

Thank you so very much for your help. I saw Stewie change shells last night but then went right back to her old one, hence the Stewie name, it looks like a football (just like Stewie from Family Guy) I am working on sizing the old shells now so I know what size to order. Peanut did the same thing a few nights ago but his shell is a painted one with glued on eyes. I hate it. When he changed shells I wanted to reach in and grab it but I didn't know if that would upset him so I didn't grab it which I'm glad I didn't cuz he went right back into it. do they not like my shells?? I have 2 small crabs & 2 medium crabs with 4 shells each in a 20 gallon tat.

As @KellyCrabbieLove always says, crabs are weird!

If a crab has been in a particular shell for quite some time, it is comfortable in it and can be reluctant to give it up on the chance that another shell might be better. Many of the painted shells the poor crabs are stuffed into are whale eyes with D-shaped openings; even though O-opening shells like turbos are the preferred ones for PPs, they are simply used to what they have. You might try offering a few D-opening shells (whale eyes, babylonias, murex) in addition to turbos to see if a familiar style attracts Stewie and Peanut.

My large crab, Big Enzo, scours both shell shops daily, examining every shell, regardless of size. He'll "try on" a few different shells, always keeping a leg on his favorite shell to ensure that he'll be able to zip back into it in case another crab shows interest in it. Goofy guys !

I got a pretty good haul of turbos at Joann's and Michael's, but they were either right at or just under the sizes I need now. So when I needed a better selection in a hurry I decided to go for "variety size" packs from Naples. I had carts going at both Richard's and Naples, but went with Naples in the end because it looked like I had a better chance of getting a full range of sizes. I got both the "Assorted Turbos Large" and "Assorted Turbos Small" packs (plus a couple of murex my son requested) on this page: http://naplesseashellcompany.com/hermit ... nings.html

On my order I requested no openings smaller than 5/8", since I don't have any crabs that small. When the order arrived, the smallest shell had a 5/8" opening, and the rest went up in 1/16" to 1/8" increments from there. I was very pleased, but out of those sixteen shells my picky hermies have only occupied two, LOL.

Richard's looks like they have a great selection and even better prices, but each shell is listed in a range of sizes (e.g., "1/2 - 3/4"), and you can't request a specific size. So I didn't want to run the risk of ordering five of one kind of shell and having them all show up the same size! However, I live about an hour from their store and I'm going to be in the area this Friday, so I'm excited about being able to go in and hand-pick my sizes. At their prices, I'm going to stock up, LOL.

One of my newest guys, Junior, is in a huge horse conch. Despite trying on a bunch of turbos for an hour at a time, he always returns to that conch, even though it's plainly clunky when he's trying to wedge into his favorite hiding spaces, LOL. So yeah, I guess it can just be what they're used to! Someone once told me that it could also be that their abdomens conform to whatever type of shell they occupied as younglings, but I haven't asked if any of the experts here can verify that.

Crabinski wrote:My large crab, Big Enzo, scours both shell shops daily, examining every shell, regardless of size. He'll "try on" a few different shells, always keeping a leg on his favorite shell to ensure that he'll be able to zip back into it in case another crab shows interest in it. Goofy guys !

LOL! I've got a Hermie that does the same thing, clutching his old shell while trying on a new one, and always switching back into his old one in-between try-outs in the same shopping session. I've seen him occupy two shells at once by sticking his front half into his old shell when his tank mate came after it!

I found that a helpful site with measured openings and lots of shells is seashellcity.com

I am sorry, thats not a link

Jedi_Crab wrote:I am sorry, thats not a link

Yea that one doesn't work.

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Have to laugh as my hermies seem to be extremely "High Maintenance"!! I have had two molt recently and still will not change into new shells. It doesn't seem to matter how many different types of shells (shapes/sizes) I put into their tank nothing seems to be good enough...lol! My fourth hermie needs to change into a new shell so bad but refuses to do so. When I do introduce a few new shells they all seem to get so excited, scope them out and then crawl away. I have only had them all for 3 months now but I have been waiting to see them change shells, even my kids get so excited when my hermies show interest, but still nothing. I have even tried taking some of the shells out of the tank for awhile and then reintroducing them back in but still no luck.
Should I buy more shells or not....hmmmmm????

@Dr.Claw, same thing is happening over here. Two of mine changed shells just before going down, so I'm not too concerned that they haven't chosen new ones since coming up. Out of five molts, only one has changed shells since coming up. The rest keep poking around in the shop, and I don't know if the reason they aren't changing is because they don't like anything I've got OR they're really comfortable with what they have and are just looking.

I hand picked a ton of new shells when I visited Richard's in March. At least, it SEEMED like a ton at the time. Now it feels like a pitifully small selection, LOL. Hard to believe they'd be this particular in the wild!

@hprmom....well....then you worry about them shell fighting but start thinking...HOW, they have more then enough shells to choose from!! And here I thought my kids were picky when it comes down to style and fashion...lol!! :roll:

Someone once told me that it could also be that their abdomens conform to whatever type of shell they occupied as younglings, but I haven't asked if any of the experts here can verify that.

Im by no means an expert but my very first crab who was originally in a murex switched right to a green turbo and never looked back. I only had a selection of murex at first until i found this sight, thank God i found this fairly soon after i got him
I agree crabs are weird!!!

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I have heard that as well, about the first shell shaping the abdomen.

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