HCA: Hermit Crab Association

As I was walking my dog near the canal by my house, I somehow managed to find this massive land snail shell!




I know they aren't exactly a preferred shell (I've only had one crab prefer land snail shells) but I can't help but gawk at it and bring it home with me. I'm not quite sure what to do with it. None of my crabs are jumbos, and I've seen how expensive larger shells can be! I have two tinys and a medium crab, and currently two seem to be molting. I'm concerned about my crabs getting sick from it, and I don't want to sanitize it and put it in the tank until I'm absolutely sure I want to keep it. Thoughts?

Are you sure there isn't a mermaid's voice locked up in that thing?

ROSIEonFIRE wrote:Are you sure there isn't a mermaid's voice locked up in that thing?

Haha! Love the reference! I wish! Maybe it'd help me sleep with all of the late night crab parties that go on in the middle of the night in my room!


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You can boil it to sanitize it. You could use it as a decoration in your tank for hermies to climb around on. Some members have used larger shells as chia garden planters. Hermies really love chia sprouts and it looks neat in the tank too.

Happyhermiehome wrote:You can boil it to sanitize it. You could use it as a decoration in your tank for hermies to climb around on. Some members have used larger shells as chia garden planters. Hermies really love chia sprouts and it looks neat in the tank too.

I love that idea! I'm currently growing chia sprouts in the tank, and having a planter would be totally neat. Thank you for the suggestion!


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leah610 wrote:

Happyhermiehome wrote:You can boil it to sanitize it. You could use it as a decoration in your tank for hermies to climb around on. Some members have used larger shells as chia garden planters. Hermies really love chia sprouts and it looks neat in the tank too.

I love that idea! I'm currently growing chia sprouts in the tank, and having a planter would be totally neat. Thank you for the suggestion!


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YW!
I plan on doing this too but haven't got around to it yet.

I plant with all my shells or use them in the water bowls for the crabs to climb on. I've successfully planted prickly pear cacti, bird seed and cat grass mixes with no problem. I'm having issues with tapatalk but I posted some on my Instagram odd_girl_jae. [Sorry if not aloud]

Are you sure that's not an apple snail shell?

Regardless, nice find; a lot of other members have thought of cool ideas to do with it!

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It is an apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata.

I'm assuming Florida? They have become invasive in the far Southern US.

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Yes, I'm in Florida! Thanks for the helpful ID, I now know what snails roam my neighborhood canals


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