HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Can shells become discolored after awhile on a crab? One of my crabs picked a green turbo to wear a week or two ago, and now its all brown and dingy. It doesn't appear to be substrate I can brush off, but none of the free shells have gotten like that.

Not really an issue other than the fact that he looked like a sharp-dressed crab at first, now it looks sorta like his gross old shell from the store that he couldn't wait to ditch once options became available.

Any thoughts?

Since shells are porous, they will stain over time. Brown usually comes from cocofiber or moss, since both have tannins. No way to prevent it and give the crabs a natural environment.

Wode, would a polished shell be the same way? My polished big green turbos on my jumbos are flawless but my non polished smaller green turbos are stained. Makes me wonder if it is because they are less porous after being polished. Hmmmm... *ponders* lol


ETA - several of my big guys are underground most of the time because they have always loved digging so I don't think it is because smaller crabbies are underground more to molt. Hmmm...

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The polished shells seem to hold up a little better, or it's just not as noticeable. The spots on the spotted tapestries in my tank turn brown after a crab has worn it through a molt. Some species of snails have shells that are more porous than others, too!

Ah ha! I knew you would know. Lol

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My one crab, Batman, has his favorite shell...he changes every now and then for a day then always goes back. Its unpolished, it started out a light tan/sand color, it's now pretty gray and dingy. It's definitely seen some crap

I wish he would change, he could use a new look. But that's always been his way, he came to us in a batman painted shell, and it took him outgrowing it to be able tontake it away, he wouldn't let it go