Hermit Crab Without His Shell!

S

stuart_nash83

AC Members
Dec 31, 2005
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I woke up the other day to find my hermit crab had come out of his shell!

I thought I was being fortunate enough to see my crab get into a new shell, I know hardly anyone gets to see this as they are so quick. But to my surprised he just seemed to be wanting to get back into his own shell but couldnt. I watched him for a very long while but then unfortunately had to go to work. when i came home i was shocked to see he still had not got back into his shell and was turning the shell in all directions trying to get back in. I put more shells around him thinking his shell was too small but he still tried his old shell with no luck.
I really do not know what to do, im tempted to help him but do not want to damage him any further. he has obviously been damage or injured im assuming already but can not make out how. He is the only crab in my small tank which contains some small amount of live rock (which came from my large tank, where he hitched a ride from) and an anenome with two clowns. Their are no predetors in the tank other then the anenome so he should have no threats but will he die without his shell?

If any one has any information as to why or how this has come to happen please help, or if you have any advise to help my little guy out that would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Stuart.
 
well I don't know much but I've done research on a land hermit crabs. (I would think that most of the info applys to these guys as well) First thing would be he needs a bigger shell but you've seem to got that covered so the other thing is maybe hes molting.

I know that your suppose to "wash" a land hermit crab by holding him under water. He'll get out of he's shell, and then you can rinse the shell so it must be ok for them to be with out there shell and since theres no predators he should be ok.
 
I had one exhibit the same behavior. He did return to his shell, ignoring the larger ones available to him, after a while. I found him eaten by snails after I returned from work...apparently he left the shell again, died while outside, and the nassarius snails jumped him. He was a blue-legged hermit. Good luck to yours.
 
ragc said:
I found him eaten by snails after I returned from work...apparently he left the shell again, died while outside, and the nassarius snails jumped him. He was a blue-legged hermit.
Click to expand...
A blue-leg hermit attacked and eaten by snails... now isn't THAT ironic!

--Mike
 
It was a wimp of a blue-legged...I once fed him a piece of shrimp and saw a nassarius snail wrestle it from him!
 
Take the small shell away from him, sometimes they like there old shell to much. Or you could take the old shell and clean it out in hot water. There may be parasites in it that are keeping him our.
 
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