Where do hermits that you buy get their shells?

[Drysocket]

I assume that the hermits that we buy are farm-raised and not collected from the ocean.

 

I've noticed that almost every blue-leg hermit that I've seen has a conical green shell that hangs off to one side.   Why is that?  Are these shells deliberately given to the hermits for a reason?

 

Were the snails that originally owned these shells raised to be shell donors?

 

Just curious.

[HuBu]

i dont know what shells you are talking about. but i do think snails are somewhat raised to donate their shells to the hermits. the shells from the dead snails inside my tank are still there for the hermits. if they ever want to move out.

[Guest AbSoluTc]

Hehe, this is a cute thread - snail shell donors

 

Im curious about this as well.  It may be a simple explaination, but I can't think of it

[BustytheSnowMaam]

My blue-legs have a marked preference for baja shells, is that the kind of shells you're talking about?  They're conical.  Studies have shown that hermits prefer shells in which a snail has recently died- they don't like "clean" shells.  My extra shells came from premium aquatics (www.premiumaquatics.com) and a lot of them were dead snails.  I think they were snails that happened to die in premium aquatic's tanks.  My hermits chose the dead snails' shells first and simply ate the dead occupant.  Aesthetically, not very appealing to us but to the hermits, a new home and a gourmet meal.  

Tasha

[Sahin]

I always ask for a few empty shells when I buy something from the LFS.

 

I have seen my hermits inspect empty shells, and last week one blue legged hermit actually turned the shell round and round many times inspectng it (looks so cute!) and finaly jumped in to the larger shell.

 

I guess the empty shell are obatined from snails that simply died, ie collected or maybe farmed.

[linty]

I know what you mean about the "default pet store variety" of shells that hermit crabs are sold in.  I guess it is probably just a fast growing type of snail...

Actually, I have a freshwater snail...melanoides sp. Which is incredibly easy to care for, extremely prolofic, and grows a shell which is quite similar, if not identical, to the shells all the hermit crabs in local stores are sold wearing.