# will hermet crab take over empty snail shell



## carmine00700 (Apr 13, 2011)

i have an empty snail shell in my tank. can a hermet crab house one?


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## verdifer (Sep 8, 2010)

Yes, you should have a selection of empty shells for them, I have a Blue Legged Hermit and it swaps it shells a lot, I have a selection so there must be at least 1 that's good for it but it just seems to like moving house on a regular basis.


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## verdifer (Sep 8, 2010)

I should have added you really should have a selection of shells for them as they may start to fight, 1 crab may pass another crab who seems to have a better shell so he might fight him for it.


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## carmine00700 (Apr 13, 2011)

really? thats cool...lol. i better put some shells in there. I have read that you should boil the shells first. Is this right?


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## verdifer (Sep 8, 2010)

Suppose you could, better safe than sorry just to make sure nothing is in them before you put them in.


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## carmine00700 (Apr 13, 2011)

today my biggest hermet crab took over a bigger snail shell but afte a while he went back to his old one...weird


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## verdifer (Sep 8, 2010)

Yeah they do that, can be funny when it walks past each day with a new shell.


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## John7429 (Jun 9, 2009)

Should: yes


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## carmine00700 (Apr 13, 2011)

thanks


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