Hermit keeps changing shells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[heath492]

Ok, so I have this red leg hermit crab that keeps changing shells. I mean he changes everyday and sometimes twice a day. He just keeps going back and forth between the shells. I have no idea why he would do this, I have 4 reds and about 10 little blues in the tank. The one bigger red bothers him sometimes but not to often. :thinking:
Has anybody ever seen anything like this before and is it anything to worry about? :notsure:
Water params;
temp. 80
Sal. 1.024
rite. 0
rate. 20
amon 0

 

[ophiura]

Do you have a lot of shells in the tank? My first suggestion would be to add more. Basically it seems he's trying on a coat, but he's got limited selection. So keeps going back to the same one going "could I get by with this even if it doesn't quite fit well?" It is also entirely possible that it doesn't "remember" that it has tried on this shell....it is just looking for a new one and it is not quite working out.

 

[alyssia]

I have never seen my hermits switch shells, I know they have, I just think it would be neat to see.

 

[gtgtazz]

very cool was watching tank and then noticed the change over
they get the shell next to them then when everything is in the right position
they grab the shell and in a fell swoop out he came then slyped into the new one

 

[ninjamini]

I guess they just dont fit right. If there is only a few choices. He leaves one for another and goes off on his way. He says "hey this just aint right" and then stumbles upon the first shell. He does not know that that is the old shell. He does think he is walking around the ocean. He says "Hey this looks familiar but what are the odds that its the same shell"..."O'well I'll give that one a try"
Its just a dumb crab ya know.

 

[mikersof]

I'm just about to clmplete my water cycle on two new tanks (an 80 bowfront and a 29 high). i have 5 hermits that have gone with me through two ammonia spikes (poor guys!). when i got them at a LFS, they threw in a few extra turbo snail shells. they are not the most attractive. however, we have a shoe box full of beautiful shells we picked up along the NC outer banks that are in the size range we need for our little guys. they are the longer shells-- not the cone shape turbo shells.
can i use these shells in my tanks? if so, any prep before tossing them in?
Thanks to all!!!

i will be patient ... i will be patient ... i will be patient....
james =)

 

[jaydee]

We bought shells from this site. They said to boil them to get the junk off. Seemed to work pretty good, the water was a mess!

 

[heath492]

I would say he has a limited selection. since there is only one empty shell in the tank. I never thought of that and I will have to buy a bunch of shells to leave in there for him so that maybe he will find the right "coat" for him. It was funny because when I put my last red leg in he went right over to this poor guy kinda talked to him for a minute, then took him out of his shell and stole it on him. I kid you not I got to watch the whole thing, because I just put him in the tank. So now this guy is switching between the shell that the guy who stole his shell from had on and one that I just happen to get with a feather duster..