Blue Legged Hermit Crabs

[Glennw]

Small blue legged hermit crabs, do there shells grow with them when they are very tiny, say 1/4"-1/2" long?

[Sisterlimonpot]

They don't have a shell. Once they outgrow the shell they're in they will search for a better suited home. You'll need to get different sized empty shells and throw them in the tank to accommodate their growth.
BTW they may still go after your live snails and kill them and take their shell.

[spleify]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14506835#post14506835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sisterlimonpot
They don't have a shell. Once they outgrow the shell they're in they will search for a better suited home. You'll need to get different sized empty shells and throw them in the tank to accommodate their growth.
BTW they may still go after your live snails and kill them and take their shell.

Yep^^ +1

[0b1]

you can get them at a craft store, assuming they didn't paint them. They will still kill your snails for their shells even with the extra shells in there.

[daudelus]

Most of my blue legs have taken dead snail shells and I have not resorted to buying shells.

[Glennw]

So these crabs are born with no shells??

[Mariner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14507979#post14507979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Glennw
So these crabs are born with no shells??
Correct. They are designed to use recycled snail shells.
Mariner

[Glennw]

Before I add some extra shells to my tank, should I boil them in water to make sure they are clean??

[Mariner]

That's what I do. Not sure if it's necessary, but it doesn't seem to hurt the shells.
Mariner

[fasteddie99]

I recently lost a nassarius snail and found the vacant shell on the sand bed. I put the empty shell beside my 1 lone blue legged hermit and within 5 minutes, he was in it! It was the coolest thing to witness. He rolled the new home around a few times ( in the direction so sand fell out of it), then did a little house cleaning, and when he had both openings next to each other he moved right in and never looked back. I wish I would have video'd it.

[zooxanth]

I always boil shells .... to be sure

[Glennw]

Do you boil them in one of your wife's good pots???

[aklee987]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14508216#post14508216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Glennw
Do you boil them in one of your wife's good pots???

I do, but only when she's not home.

[Anemonebuff]

You can clean the shells in 10 to 1 water to bleach solution. Rinse in cold water and allow them to fully dry. Any left over bleach will burn off into the air as it dries.