HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My little man is still cruising spring in his crappy painted shell that is now peeling.....and I feel bad for him. I know the paint is not good for them

I have given him plenty of natural shells. Is there a way I could possibly entice him to change shells?


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Also, is he due for a molt? He hasn't dug down yet...but he is happy as can be crawling all around and even hanging out with us, he's a super chill crab


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Yep, certainly looks as though he's due for a molt soon: very little hair on the walking legs, no sharp black "nails" and very blunt leg tips. As far as inducing him to switch shells, we've all been in your spot and just have to wait it out. All you can do is make sure you have plenty of "O" opening turbos as well as the "D" opening shell he's been wearing, same size and a tad bigger. When he does molt, he'll probably be a little larger and will need to find new "clothes" then.

Also if you don't rinse your shells in salt water try doing that and if you already do you can try re-rinsing them. I have had crabs pass up shells and then 2 days later I re-rinsed them and the same crabs decided to move on in.

KDK241 wrote:Also if you don't rinse your shells in salt water try doing that and if you already do you can try re-rinsing them. I have had crabs pass up shells and then 2 days later I re-rinsed them and the same crabs decided to move on in.

Always boil in fresh dechlorinated water and rise as well no salt water for shells.

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If your crab changes shells, or if you have other painted shells, the way I have found to REMOVE the paint from them is to boil them in dechlorinated salt water. Then I take a dremmel to them to remove to rest of the paint. Then I rinse them in dechlorinated water before presented to my hc. Good luck!


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Honestly, I think natural shells has more beauty than painted shells.
I mean, look at this

https://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server3900 ... 80.jpg?c=2

vs. this!

https://www.google.com/search?q=banded+ ... vgkLL1M%3A

I just bought a crab two weeks ago with same type of shell and peeling up a storm. My little girl changed in about one day, but I didn't get the shell out quickly enough and Speedo another new crab jumped into it. Took 2days for him to move out and pick a nice brown turbo. I wish we could ban those darn painted shells. Here is a pix of the ugly thing.


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Two of my four most recent rescues are clinging to their old peeling painted Babylonia shells. I've had them since this past spring. Both have molted and need to change but are sporting their too tight shells like a fat man in a Speedo.

I have about 50 options in their size range. Sigh.

mool wrote: but are sporting their too tight shells like a fat man in a Speedo.

What an apt image...and one that's going to stick in my mind for days now!

mool wrote:Two of my four most recent rescues are clinging to their old peeling painted Babylonia shells. I've had them since this past spring. Both have molted and need to change but are sporting their too tight shells like a fat man in a Speedo.

I have about 50 options in their size range. Sigh.

I laughed harder than I should have

I just wanted to clarify that it is okay to boil the shells in salt water, it just can dull the polish. The crabs prefer "salty" shells as that is what they would have access to in the wild, as shells wash up on shore from the ocean.

Rawrgeous wrote:I just wanted to clarify that it is okay to boil the shells in salt water, it just can dull the polish. The crabs prefer "salty" shells as that is what they would have access to in the wild, as shells wash up on shore from the ocean.

Thank you, people have tried to correct me for doing this but the crabs seem to prefer them after I boil with saltwater. They check out every single one. I don't really mind the shells being dull.