HCA: Hermit Crab Association

The other day I bought a new pacific crab. I was really excited, and he looked active and healthy. I thought I could get him to change out of his ugly painted shell, but no luck. Any ideas?
I have a selection of about 4 shells suited for Es and they are his size.


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Es can be very stubborn about switching shells. All you can do is provide him with a variety of clean shells to check out. Take a look at the Preferred Shell Guide. Good luck!

I still have three E's in painted shells too, but I would also say that for me it has pretty much been a straight 50/50, half the crabs I have gotten were most concerned with molting first, and the other half are concerned with a new shell first.... As long as they stay eating and drinking I don't worry about it...

Nothing you can do about it, but it sure is irritating. I have a PP in a painted shell that every day I check to see if he got out of it and everyday I am disappointed by him again. It makes you just want to run out and buy more shells.

Maybe throw a few shells that you think might be too big or small for him, sometimes crabs have their own weird preference... Good luck!

They can make you crazy with their reluctance to change shells -- I think it's a crabby plot to make us all keep buying more and more shells for them !

One of the two small PPs I adopted on craigslist last year refused to leave his hideous painted shell (it even had little goo-goo eyes glued on it); he'd check out green turbos and even jump into one for a few minutes before retreating to the old reliable paint job. He finally changed after he molted and was simply too large for the painted shell. You wouldn't believe how fast I snatched that old shell out of the tank! He's molted a few times since then and is still a smallish crab but at least he shops and switches among the turbos his size. I guess once he left that "security blanket" shell and realized that no harm befell him, he began to enjoy shopping and swapping!

My pp changes shells whenever I put a new one in. My largest one Mho seems to enjoy shells that look too big on him. He really likes his new shell, fit for a jumbo. Mho is a large though.

It's kind of sad, my little e thinks it a perfect little shell, he can't see himself. And we think of painted shells as horrible things. In reality he doesn't know it's a horrible man-made item. So I have to out-shell his shell!

PixelPlex22:
When my son brought home our "E" it had a painted shell. I successfully peeled off the paint, though. This crab has never changed shells in the nine months I've been caring for him. I haven't seen him in over a month, though; I hope things are going ok where ever he burrowed.

PixelPlex22 wrote:My pp changes shells whenever I put a new one in. My largest one Mho seems to enjoy shells that look too big on him. He really likes his new shell, fit for a jumbo. Mho is a large though.

I have one PP that wears shells much too big for him. I have a colony that ranges from small to almost jumbo, so there are a full range of shell sizes to choose from in the tat, but it always seems he picks way too big. I have to check really closely when I remove shells because you almost cant see him way in there. I like baggie cloths, too.

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I woke up to my new baby E up from his first molt with us, and he promptly dumped his painted shell for a new Babylon, and boy did the little guy come up a vivid orange hazelnut color, I'll go get a picture!

Still have not come up with a name yet, but I'm thinking of

"Sir Cheeto Poquito"



I don't think the name will stick tho because the wifey doesn't like it lol...

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Fabulous vibrant coloring! From what I've heard (never having owned an E) is that their coloring changes quite drastically, i.e., pretty blue or green Es turning tan after a few molts. Although he's "Cheeto"-ish now, he may not stay anywhere near that color.

pixellator wrote:PixelPlex22:
When my son brought home our "E" it had a painted shell. I successfully peeled off the paint, though. This crab has never changed shells in the nine months I've been caring for him. I haven't seen him in over a month, though; I hope things are going ok where ever he burrowed.

I have a PP with his original shell that I brought him home in. And of course its painted (complete with googly eyes) how did you get the paint off without irritating your e?

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Lol I don't think it can be done without irritating them. I have angered many a crab on the way home from the store/adoption/rescue. I'm not allowed to drive because of my seizures so they get my full attention on the way home.

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