Hermit crab moving back into a painted shell after changing!!

[Kermitandplum]

I got one of my hermit crabs, Kermit, from a gift shop in florida. He came in a painted shell that was too tight for him. Kermit molted and I expected him to change shells, but he still stayed in his old one. Yesterday, Kermit finally moved out of his way too small painted shell. I checked inside of the shell and saw that it was chipping really badly. I could peel the paint off with my fingers! My little brother put the painted shell back into Kermit's tank, and today I saw that he moved back into it!!!!!!! I was so happy he changed shells and now he's back in the horrible shell? How can I get him to change back other than waiting? cause I'm scared that the paint will kill him!

[wodesorel]

It's not good, but it's also not immediately deadly and may not have any effect on him at all. It's more how the distributors get them into those painted shells that causes health issues than the shell itself.

Trying to force a crab to stay in a shell it thinks is uncomfortable is dangerous as they will streak naked if they are really bothered by it. He obviously is willing to shop around which is great, but he needs to find something he likes more than what he has or he'll get buyers remorse. We don't like the idea, but leaving him his old painted shell as an option while he experiments is safest.

[Kermitandplum]

Okay thanks! Good to know that it won't harm him immediately. I boiled the shells in salt water, I think it'll help. It's so sad how horrible people treat them at gift shops. In the place that we got Kermit from, there were about 50 crabs, with shells all painted, and there was no substrate and minimal hiding places.