HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello I am have a problem with my 2 largest crabs (just across the Jumbo line). They both are curtrently residing in Japanese Land snail shells, I know these are not traditionally popular. they have been in them about a year. I am having trouble getting at acurate measurment because the crab leggs are hanging so far out the opening, but the openings seem to be just under 2" (widest part of the oval). I have bought a variety of turbo shells, whale eye shells even a large Fox shell with openings sized from 1.5 inches round (which look right) up to over 2.5 inches round (which look positivly huge). They look at shells every night and can often be found just hanging out in the shell shop, but they never change. I can not find Japanese land snail shells bigger than the ones they are wearing. I feel so bad, like they don't have the right options. Am I doing something wrong? if they are in a 2" oval opening what might they go into in a round opening? All advice welcome!

You're doing just fine. They will change when they want to. If they have plenty of options and aren't changing, they just like their shell.
Land fairy shells are lighter than some of the other large shells so they may just prefer them.

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Tapestry and Striped turbos are magic if you can find them big enough. They'd be downsizing, but they might be interested in something around 1 & 1/4, maybe even less. I had two crabs who fit nice in Jade Turbos that had 1 & 5/8 openings and even they downsized into smaller Striped turbos! Oval openings are weird to compare to a turbo since they are so long but don't actually offer much internal space for the crab so they would definitely be smaller and not bigger than what they have on now.

Also, yours are not the only ones to do this. thedressagequeen has a PP who also is obsessed with Japanese Land and was having trouble finding large enough shells. She got my biggest two. The ones I have left - while huge - probably wouldn't be big enough from what you're describing.

I agree with wodesorel, turbos are very good. All the crabs I've had in land snail shells seem to never want to change. They like the shell, but the thin wall of those shells are not, in my opinion, good for crabs. If they fall they tend to crack. If you can find a moon snail shell they might change, they get obsessed with those too. For reference:

Thank you for the advice and encouragment. It sounds like I have good turbo options in there for them to choose from. Tapestry for sure around 1.5" so short of finding some HUGE Japanese Land Snail shells, they will have to choose from what is availible.

Thank you!