Is it possible for a hermit crabs shell to be to big?

[James_O]

My new scarlet hermit crab has been super inactive over the past few days. (I got him on Monday)

My guess was that he was molting, and once he finished that, he would be really active. That is not the case...

Is it possible for a hermit crabs shell to be to big for it, restricting its movement?

 

[Hermie]

certainly possible

 

[Aldrinlights]

It's possible You could pick up some shells of various size from a LFS and put them by your hermit to see. Usually LFS places will give these away.

 

[FBAA]

I covered my sand bed with snail shells to grow pods but the hermits like it because they can find the right sized shell. Do you have shells he can select from for size. If not you might want to get some.

 

[James_O]

It does seem pretty dang big for this little guy

It's possible You could pick up some shells of various size from a LFS and put them by your hermit to see. Usually LFS places will give these away.

I will definitely ask for some next time I go.

 

[Powahfull]

I put a line in the front of my tank of empty shells various sizes/shapes but all bigger than the biggest one was at the time. They will come to the front of the tank lock shells is what I call it and check out the new one if it's too big they go back to their old shell and check back later.

When they do move up in size they leave the old shell in the front of the tank so the next one can move up. There was once two hermits were out when one move up the other took his old shell and took off running. The new shell was too big so I had to keep trying new shells for him until he finally picked one.

The favorite seems to be Astera? The pyramid shell types like a triangle and second is cerith because if they fall or get flipped by a bigger hermit cerith shells are very easy for them to get back up. The biggest one is in a giant turbo shell that's way too big for him you can tell he has trouble moving around but he won't give it up hermits are hilarious!