HCA: Hermit Crab Association

So I apologize if this has already been addressed in a thread, I'm having trouble finding the answer. I'm noticing a lot of guarding behaviors already and I got eggs twice last year. Although I don't think I'm at all ready right now, I'd like to start collecting what I can.

I have Coenobita clypeatus crabs, and was wondering where might be the best place to find shells small enough? I've read about them being in shell grit for chickens but any shell grit I find does not have tiny shells. Also any shells I can find elsewhere are a bit too big. Thanks in advance!

Hello!

You might find them at your local craft store.
Also, these might be small enough? https://www.amazon.com/Weoxpr-Shells-Se ... B07SQZ49M2

I hope that helps!

I've also found tiny ones in craft stores. If that doesn't work some bags of aragonite might have some.

Last week I found a cute little jar of tiny turbos at my local Dollar Tree!

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Yes me too the dollar store has a few different jars of shells that I think would be a great option


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Thanks everyone! I'm trying to get out to a craft store, it's all the way across town but I have a dollar store I'm going to check today!

CrabHappens wrote:Thanks everyone! I'm trying to get out to a craft store, it's all the way across town but I have a dollar store I'm going to check today!

Good luck!!

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Yeah, those craft store shells are teeny, but they're nothing close to as teeny as the first shells need to be. They need to fit under your fingernail to work. Purple pinchers like the teeny tiny spiral shells, larval whelk shells (hand-picked picked out of a whelk egg casing), and very small "melissa" shells. I'll post a couple of links to places that might have what you need. (And bear in mind that most of the ones in the pack will still be a bit too large. You'll need to pick through them to find the very smallest ones in there.) You can find some of these at Etsy if you do a search for Sailor's Valentines.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/681127210/ ... -valentine

https://www.etsy.com/listing/571193387/ ... s-zip-lock

I also ordered live sand and found a number of tiny shells in that.

Thank you!! Yes I have found some shells for when they're a couple months onto land, but I hadn't been able to find those really ridiculously tiny shells. The whelk shells look perfect!

I'll keep everyone updated if we have any luck this year.

And oh my dear, picking through these is going to be fun but I have a friend that loves this kind of thing and has hawk's eyes so hopefully that will help.

Definitely task that friend! I also recommend a bright light and a pair of tweezers.

Done, done, and I bought a magnifying glass for the visually impaired (myself). Also, I have been gathering the materials for a diy kreisal. This seems like the most difficult part of preparation.

I got my first shells out of bird shell grit. But Aussies are way smaller when they take shells about day 10 of their water cycle.