My crab won't leave it's painted shell

[CrabbyJo]

Yep Harley, I have found that to be the best answer. When I have crabs that just won't change shells, I just buy some new ones. I figure there must be something about the inside of the shell he doesn't like or something. No telling! Picky little buggers.

[Wai]

Remember to remove the painted shell as soon as the hermit crab changes out of it. Even if they do by chance like the painted shell, it's for their own good.

[Ameretat]

I've had Red for about 2 years now and he has never changed shells. He is in a painted one and I am wondering it at this point if he can't change out of his painted shell. Is there anything we can do to help him?

[harleyucollins]

I ended up boiling all the shells like they said and put some salt water in them. We ended up getting more shells and mine finally decided to switch out of his painted shell last month. So... have you tried boiling the shells and dipping them in salt water?

[Ameretat]

We have done that twice already with current shells and newly purchased ones. I have seen him checking out the shells but never changing.

[CrabbyJo]

All you can do is continue to offer new shells. Have you tried different shaped openings? While most PP's prefer the round openings a turbo shell has, some will choose shells with the flatter, D shaped opening. It might just be a strange preference they have. Different weights may matter too.

Unfortunately, I have heard of hermit crabs being "glued" into their shell to prevent them from leaving it so they can be sold. We know he was forced into his painted shell, because they just don't paint shells with the crabs in them, and they don't wait around to see if crabs will choose their newly painted shells. They force them out of their old ones and then force them into the new ones.

The good news is I have never heard of an owner who had one that was glued in, so that may mean it isn't common to do this, or that what I heard was only a rumor and not based on fact.

I have heard of owners who had calci-sand in their tanks, which was wet, got into the crab's shell, hardened, and trapped the crab in the shell. In this case, frequent baths and gentle prodding and picking at the sand itself (if possible) eventually cleared it out.

Can your crab currently pull at least his eyes into his shell? How small is it for him? It also could be he is just so very comfortable in it he really doesn't want to change.

[Ameretat]

He hasn't molted to my knowledge and the shell fits him perfectly. He is one of my friendliest one. I guess he just doesn't want to "growup" yet. I am getting more shells next payday from ebay from some of the sellers I saw recommended by other members. Thanks!

[ladybug15057]

The good news is I have never heard of an owner who had one that was glued in, so that may mean it isn't common to do this, or that what I heard was only a rumor and not based on fact.

Not actually glued in, but certainly stuck in the shell due to the paint drying and them becoming stuck:

http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... ted+shells

http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... ted+shells

This was happening quite often a few years ago but not so often nowadays? Either that or it isn't posted about like it use to be.

[kgbenson]

He has actually changed his shell three times... but all into painted shells before I knew they were bad. So I removed the paint of the ones I could and the ones I couldn't I just threw away... I was thinking about putting him in an ISO tank with a lot of shells but I bought a new hermie and he's in there right now. So maybe in a week or two I will switch them out and hopefully by then the new shells I ordered will come in so he'll have even more shells to choose from. Thanks. :]

If he piced it it may take a bit, perhaps he will need to gropw a smigeon before he shops again. Most of the time wild caught crabs in their origional shell will switch right off because they are often in whatever they could find and are somwhat "undershelled". Shells are a limiting resource for LHC in many areas.

When it comes to painted shelss, simce most of the time it is not the animals choice of shell they will change right off into something they like (this is often perceived as the crab purposely trying to get away from a painted shell, though it is more likly just trying to get into a better fitting shell) and choose on their own. I ahve heard of crabs doing this on the drive home from the pet store. They know what they like!

In your case the animal selected the shell, so it may well feel very comfortable. All you can do is offere it a variety of shells, mostly the kind PPs favor and wait. Once he moves out, take the paitned shell out and there you go.

I don't usually remove natural shells right after an animal moves because it may change it's mind shortly and want to go back (think trying on shoes) but with a painted shell I would ditch it - just make sure there are lots of other choices for him/her.

Keith

[harleyucollins]

Yeah, my crab, Dino, had finally changed out of his shell about a month ago when I got a new/bigger tank. So none of my crabs have any more painted shells. :]