HCA: Hermit Crab Association

So one of my purple pinchers is being so crazy! As some of you know, I am having a mite infestation so when one of my crabs switched shells I pulled the old one out and washed it.The crab promptly started attacking everyone trying to get them out of their shells. I put the old shell back in and it switched into the old one right away. About 5 min later it switched back into the new shell! As I am typing this the crab is getting back into the old shell!!!
So now it has switched back and forth 4 times today, and those are only the ones I have watched!

Maybe it is deciding on which shell to take. Just leave him/she be.

And back into the new shell? That's 5.

Old shell, 6!

my smaller PP's do that all of the time. I don't even know which is which!
don't worry, completely normal behavior. just be sure no major shell fights start!

very normal, they get really attached to their old shells. I just take t out and wash it with good treated water, check for mites, then put it back. 75% of the time they go back to it or at least try the old shell on again a few times over the next day or 2. After a couple days I'll do a shell boil and clean them all in case of mites and then decide if that shell is worth going back in the tank.

I don't always use their old shells after this because they are usually pretty beat up or have holes but also if someone else takes that shell, sometimes the original person will get mad just seeing someone else in their old shell.

kuza wrote:...sometimes the original person will get mad just seeing someone else in their old shell.

Sorry but I had a very good laugh at this!

Yeah my mom gets really mad every time I use her old shell.

lol they are little personalities

MilkingMooMoo's wrote:Yeah my mom gets really mad every time I use her old shell.

You mean dress.... right?