HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi,

Forgot to add this to my last post. Crystal's shell is painted. I now know that's bad. I bought a larger shell. I've read they will switch out of a painted shell quickly. I've had her for 5 days and the new shell has been in the cage the whole time. She doesn't pay any attention to it. I try and keep the opening facing up so if she decides to switch it would be fast and easy? I shake the shell out each day to get rid of any sand that maybe in the shell when I clean the tank. I put it on the side with the coconut fiber today. Why hasn't she switched? Could she actually like her painted shell? There were tons of shells in the crabitat @ the pet store. She could've easily switched then - more empty than taken.

Should I be worried she didn't switch her shell?

Thanks for your help -

crabby 329

She has no idea it's a painted shell, she'll change when she's ready, just be patient

You could also put a bit of olive oil on it, at least that's what I was told. It perks their interest and they should at least check it out.

Do you know what kind of shell it is? And what species is Crystal? If you don't know, pics would be great. PPs tend to like turbo shells with round openings, although one of mine is in a crown shell, even though there are lots of turbos available. If you post a pic of Crystal and the shell, we can tell you if it is one she would likely choose.

I had the same problem when I got Sparky last August. He had a painted shell and never wanted to change out of it. In the end, it took him eight months to find a shell he liked enough to switch into. Crystal will change when she (he?) is ready and finds a shell she likes enough. Just offer a bunch of different shells that you think would be about the right size and eventually she'll find one and switch. Most of my PPs like smooth ones with round openings.

One thing that I seem to have a lot of luck with when wanting one of my crabs to change shells is soaking the shells in saltwater for a few hours and then sitting them next to an air conditioner vent to dry before I put them in the tank. It seems to make the crabs much more interested in the shells than when I just rinse them with treated fresh water.

hermitmommy wrote:Do you know what kind of shell it is? And what species is Crystal? If you don't know, pics would be great.

This!

It could be the wrong type of shell for her, or the wrong size. They can be really choosy about what to wear, so having a small selection is always a good thing.