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i was just wondering if i have to provide my hermit crabs (blue legged) with extra (larger) shells that they can move into as they grow. i know this is the case with land hermits.

the people at the store told me that they will often kill and steal snails' shells, or they will pick each other off and take the newly vacant shell. i don't want them to kill each other. will getting extra shells prevent this?

also (perhaps relatedly) i noticed that one crab is living (without a shell) in a hole in a piece of live rock. is this normal? can he function properly from there?

please let me know! thanks

Yes it's true without a surplus supply of shells to change into as they grow or just because they want a change, they will fight for those prime shells or kill snails. Its a good idea to keep plenty available in a variety of sizes. As for the one in the rock, are you sure it's a hermit? Not saying it can't happen, I've just never heard of it. What you are seeing may be something else all together. Mantis comes to mind.

i'm pretty darn sure it's a hermit because it has blue legs and looks like the others that i bought. he's just holed up in a little circular hole in one of my rocks. very odd!

so, can you buy hermit shells? if so, how much are they generally?

That's one confused crab. lol

I get my hermit shells from my local fish store. They sell them for a few bucks a bag. If you can't get them locally, you could try some of the online places like liveaquaria.com or saltwaterfish.com. I know they both sell them but not sure about shipping to Canada. Sorry I can't help more.