Help!! Naked crab!

[cfaskmore2007]

My son begged for a crab when we visited the beach in July. I scoured the internet to find care info because the people at the souvenir shop were useless. I quickly discovered that his adorable pikachu shell was horrible for him. One day he came out of the shell and was walking around his tank naked. We ordered natural shells and measured to find the next size. He would leave his pikachu shell and try a few different shells but would always return to his original shell. Two days ago, he deserted the pikachu shell again so I removed it from his tank. Now he is walking around naked and will not stay in a new shell. We have given him 5 options and even swapped them for bigger or smaller shells but he still will not pick a new shell. He frequently visits his salt water bowl. I'm afraid he's going to dry out but I'm not sure what else to do. Help!!

[JoeHermits]

Getting him back in a shell is a priority. I suggest following our reshelling guide: viewtopic.php?t=122302


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cfaskmore2007]

Thanks! We will give it a try. I'm afraid the peeling paint has irritated its skin. It is a yellow color and is rough looking. He is currently trying out a new shell so hopefully it will stick.

[LittleCinderella]

Keep us updated!

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

[crabbycasey]

Sending positive vibes that your crabby finds a shell very soon and is happy and healthy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cfaskmore2007]

He did chose a shell and stayed in it for two days but last night he switched shells again.

[LittleCinderella]

Happy crab! They do like to change clothes.

[cfaskmore2007]

I hope so. He's not looking too good this morning. His shell is upside down and he's just leaning out on the side of it. He's still moving just not as much. It's time to replace the substrate in his tank but I'm afraid to move him. Any suggestions??

[LittleCinderella]

I would suggest just letting him be and not giving him any more changes to manage. If he absolutely needs fresh substrate perhaps you could just scoop out the dirty bits and add an inch of clean substrate

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

[cfaskmore2007]

Ok. Thank you