How to Clean Your Hermit Crab Shells?

Shells are very important hermit crabs as they help to protect the sensitive abdomens from the external factors such as the sun and the frequent swapping of old homes for new ones. Therefore, hermit crabs are very particular about their shells, whether it is about size, shape, or cleanliness.

So, make sure that you clean your hermit crab shells quite often to keep it hygienic and clean. Below we have made a list of all the things that you will need to clean your shells. You will also get the procedure below that you have to follow in cleaning hermit crab shells. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions!

Things you will need:

• Your extra hermit crab shells
• A clean towel
• Cotton swabs
• A sheet of paper
• Bowl of de-chlorinated water.

What to do now:

• Lay the towel on the area where you will be working. Look deep inside the shells to ensure that there are no crabs inside them and place the shells on the towel.

• Rinse the shells nicely with water by turning and rotating them to make sure that water is getting into the inner spiral where the delicate part of the crab will be. Also, be careful that there are no air bubbles inside them.

• Put your finger inside the shell as far as you can and rinse it nicely. Repeat this process if you think there are dirt and dust inside. If the shells are smooth and debris-free, then directly move to the next step. 

• If your shells are free of debris, then check the parts that you can't feel inside. Take a cotton swab and bend it so that it takes a round shape, that will help it move around the first corner in the shell. 

• With the help of the swab, scrub the shell's inside part as much as you can. If your swab comes out dark, then there is crabby poop inside the shell. Rinse and scrub the shell until all the useless things are gone. If you find even a single piece of sand, then go back and start the whole process again, so that you get all the sand out of the shells. 

• If your shells have channels that are for draining, then use a clean folded piece of paper for flossing those channels. Crabs use this channel to drain out their wastes, and trust me; they will love it if it is clean. 

• Once all these steps are done, rinse everything again in a bowl of clean water and then put the shells back in the tank. No need to drain or dry them before putting them back. But if you are doing so, then make sure that you are air drying it. Wiping the shells with a towel that contains detergents, soaps, fabric softener, and other poisons is not a good idea.

Cleaning your hermit crab shells is one of the best ways to make your little pets live a healthy life. So, what are you thinking about? Get hermit shells for your crab and clean them following these easy steps!

Also Read: Why Get Large Turbo Hermit Crab Shells?