HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Cheetah appears picky perhaps? I've offered a bunch of natural shells I think are in her size and she just wants to stay in the painted one. If I measure her big pincher could you guys list species of shell she might go for? What does it look like she's currently in? I might just try to get an unpainted version of it. She's in my profile pic.

At least going from the picture her pincher is just about crossing my ring finger, which is just under .5" (perhaps 12mm) wide.

She's a PP looks like. They usually like Turbos and *think* that's what she's in. It's a little hard to tell however. Can you take some more pics perhaps? Of the opening too if you can.

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I will tonight. I don't think it's a turbo, it doesn't look like any of those I've seen. We'll see though. Thanks!

Looks like a painted whale eye

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I would measure it but she looks stressed for some reason and I didn't want to make it worse on her. Diglett's still underground. Perhaps she misses him?

Yea I agree, whale eye shell.

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92552

I also attached the shell list, just in case, and PP's are at the top.

She can sense him, but she might miss him, or maybe wants to molt herself.

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It's been said that they can still communicate when they are under molting.

Have you boiled shells in dechlorinated freshwater and then dipped in dechlorinated marine saltwater? That usually entices them to check shells out


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I have not tried to boil the shells. Any suggestions on things to do with that? Generally I keep everything to do with treated water (fresh or salt) very separate by type and from anything that goes to human use. I hesitate to put treated water in my very few pots and pans. Also, would it be preferable to use a stainless pot or a non-stick, since the one would have metal boil in and the other would have.... whatever nonstick stuff is. Teflon I think in this case?

I think I also sadly have the wrong kinds of shells still *sigh* But, time to see what I can figure out about shell buying for the tiny crabs. What's a 1/2" claw length considered in size? Tiny or small at that point?

She definitely has plenty of room to molt if she'd like. He's all the way on one end, and it's a 20G tank. Even where it's the high version of 20G, that's still quite a bit of space for the tiny fellas, and she generally hangs out on the opposite side from where he dug down. I feed blood worms and the like every day and they have calcium wherever they want, I'll see what I can do about some honey or something like that here soon. The local Kroger also has an organic grind-your-own peanut butter thing in the bulk section we could probably try. I know the salmon was heavily eaten on right before Diglett went down.

I tend to cook salmon fillets for Mark and I very simply, with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Would the crabs be able to eat any of that? I figure they wouldn't be able to eat the plain white rice because the water used with it is untreated, but the fish is just baked in aluminum foil.

Boiling with or without SW, boil and a rolling boil for about 5 to 10 mins. Let them cool, and then add to the tank.

Chlorine will dissipate/evaporate under extreme heat, since its not a very stable molecule to add to the water. Chloramine and heavy metals will still remain in the water, even after boiling however the use of distilled or spring water will give you pretty much "treated water". Even then, its totally safe for us also if some 'residue' of the dechlorinator remains, and even then washing it out well will remove it all anyway.
I would personally go with stainless steel, when I boil I tend to use those... But then again, I don't have any pots in teflon....

You can offer the salmon to the crabs, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't a hit since you seasoned it with lemon. Lemon is on the unsafe list, which is due to the crabs never really eating it. (Could be the smell, or we give them less credit, and lemon is in fact unsafe and they know this... regardless, they dont like lemon! ) You can always cut a piece away - such as a part thats mostly the skin, or near a large collection of bones - and then cook theirs seperately - if you want to - and then serve it, unseasoned?

I just wanted to add a few things I picked up a few huge stainless steel pots at a garage sale for a few bucks. Maybe you could try garage sales or second hand stores?

As far as the salmon, I personally would give them a piece of it raw or cook a piece of it separately for them. My crabs don't seem to care for cooked items- and nobody cooks for them in the wild...so I look at it that way. To each's own though!


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Garage sales will probably happen, but quite good to hear about the safety of the dechlor. That said, I don't have nearly enough pots and pans anyway as I have trouble getting a simple meal with a couple sides going. Lots of shopping reasons due to this forum.

I was just wanting to see to what extent the crabbies and humans could share food. I wonder, what would be their reaction to a single piece of sushi? I usually get raw salmon on the ball of rice, or the salmon chunk in the middle of rice and wrapped in a piece of seaweed. I don't like the spicy mayo or whatever it is.

As long as it is on the safe list it is fine. No seasoning is recommended


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