Why are painted shells bad?
From piccalo's livejournal:
October, 2004
“See the white paint stuck to his knee? By stuck i mean STUCK. It's off now, but it took a bath and misting to even loosen it. That is one reason I am angry. This shell has THREE layers of paint. It was a shell painted over paint and painted on the inside. I wonder just how long he's gone with no food and water. He is so weak he can't WALK. He was trying to... It was like watching a baby attempting to take his very first step but too weak to bear their own weight. These crabs suffer, all for the sake of money in some ***'s pocket.
(Read more)
February 2004
"...I went to the pet store, the one that I LIKE,
and they always have good patties, in natural shells, none of the
painted. So I wander to the hermit crab tank and in the aquarium
is about 16 crabs in cups, stacked on top of each other.
(Read more)
From Bill:
Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:59 am
“I don't care for painted shells
either. We don't know if the paint is safe if ingested (it most likely is not).
Crabs "groom" their shells and often will chip pieces off to make
more suitable-- they can and do often eat the shell pieces they groom
off. We also don't know what effect sealing the outside of a shell
with paint has-- perhaps shells are somewhat porous and while holding
fluid may help with gas exchange. Also, painting them in cute
patterns I think leads to more impulse purchases and we all know how
those go... ”
From hermihoot
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:42 am
I can't begin to express my anger and contempt for those who are in the shell painting business in attempt to make a dollar. I never realized the depth of the problem of painted shells, until I witnessed the photo's sent into the site by Piccaloo. These shells apparently are either being painted while on the crab, or offered to the crab directly from the painters hand while still wet. Crabs stuck within the shell??!! This is just simply appalling. To know that there are creatures out there that are being entombed within what is supposed to be their safety haven, is just beyond comprehension. It facinates me that these same people who are so driven to make the almighty dollar, are the same who will continually turn over crab forfeitures as a result of customers returning them for money back or replacement. The end doesn't seem to justify the means. Just don't get it. I would think they'd show more of a loss by having to make their 'dead' sales right, than just to sell healthy crabs in the first place. This matter of selling hermies should be regulated and strict guidelines enforced. Very angry. Paula
From Newbie
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:27 am
Hi there,
I am new to crabbing - but I have to agree that the painted shells are not good. In nature many animals will avoid what is not good for them - when I got my 13 crabs all had painted shells - when I purchased natural shells and placed them in the tank - already 7 have changed into the new shells - they have only been in the tank for a few days! I also noted that some of the crabs had chips of their painted shells and it concerned me that the flakes would get eaten as I have seen some crabs scrapping the shells too. Painted shells will always be around though - it makes money and attracts people to buy the crabs - which is very sad as it is unlikely to ever change!
From Wai
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:52 pm
Hey guys!
This is my first post! I totally agree that painted shells are unsafe, regardless of whatever paint they claim they used. I believe hermit crabs like the naturally coloured patterns on the shells, and then these people come and spray all these ugly stripes and spots on them. Just because we might think it's pretty (but we don't anyway), it doesn't mean that our fuzzy little friends will like them too. I do have two crabs in painted shells, and I've tried convincing them to change, but they showed no interest (one of the two did change, but changed back again). I'm not surprised that all the painted shells are always left empty in the crab tank.
Wai
From hermiesncrabbies
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:07 am
I agree with everyone. Painted shells should be banned. Its not fair to sell these shells to unexpecting new hermit crab owners. They will get ripped off. I have shells that are painted at a petstore nearby but they are way too expensive. I don't care what they use but this is just wrong. I'm afraid hermit will die from swallowing too much paint that they is "safe". I did it once and mine almost died. When the shell begun to chip though the crab actually abadoned it for its old shell.
From orchdork1234
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:45 am
Ive had crabs in the past when no one painted shells. I got new ones and they came in painted shells! How can i get them to change shells? there are already shells laying around. Ive never seen them change =( Help me find a way to get the out of the painted shells!
Thanks
Jake
From ladybug15057
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 2:59 pm
We have brought hermies home from the pet store in the past with the painted shells. After my daughters were given their first 6 hermies by somebody, and we researched a bit, we immediately went to the pet store for hermie supplies. Along with the proper type tank, UTH, and gauges, my daughters bought a couple more hermies. We were brand new to crabbing, and the painted shells did as what they are meant to do. They attracted my daughters attention and cost them double than what the hermies cost in the natural shells. The painted shells they were in, they could not retract their legs into. Nothing was said by any employee's about how a shell should fit on a hermie or the purpose it served. Because of the price of the painted shells, instead we bought the natural shells to use as extra shells. When we got them home, we bathed all the hermies together and let them run about. Once we had the crabitat's set up and ready for the hermies, they were put in it. Within 15-30 minutes every single one of them had changed into the natural shells. Due to the dirt within the shells, I boiled them to sterilize them. The sealant of the shells that was covering the paint became very dull. The sparkles that were decorating the shells was falling off, and around the edges of the opening of the shells it was peeling, and sort of sharp in consistancy. I peeled off what I could, and put them in the tank. (we were new) Not one hermie showed interest in them other than to crawl over them to get to the other side. With our last purchases of hermies, I will buy the ones with the painted shells. I feel for them not fitting poperly within them. When I get them home, I bath the hermie, and put them within an iso tank with a wide variety of natural shells. They always change into a natural shell within the first hour. (except for one Rug, and he soon changed after molting) Having young great nieces, they do love the colored shells. (they do not have hermies, they collect shells) Once the hermies change out of the painted shells, I boil them to give to our nieces when I see them. I have noticed that once boiled, they have a paint odor to them, and the sealant on the outside of the shell is very tacky until it cools. The sealant still becomes loose around the opening of the shell, which I have removed, only to have some of the paint to come off with it. In some of the pet stores in my local area, they carry mainly the painted shells and the decorated extra shells for hermies. I have noticed on many occasions that there are a couple decorative shells that have already been damaged in the boxes they have them in. Sometimes there are sunglasses, ears, tails, etc. laying in the box. On the shells that somethng has fallen off of, there is always a blotch of glue where something had been glued to it. And more often than not, some of the paint has also been chipped off. In the bottom of these boxes where the decoration are laying, there is always paint chips to accompany them. When I have picked up the painted shells with the glue blotch left on them, it isn't very hard to pick a piece off of it. The glue, along with the paint chips, the odor of the paint when the shell is sterilized, the sealant becoming tacky until it cooled, and then peeling back from the opening of the shell making a farily sharp edge are all hermie safety issues that need to be dealt with. The shell they must live in is one of their means of survival that should not be 'toyed' with for human entertainment.
Take care,
Marie (aka ladybug15057)
From Wai
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:07 pm
I've heard how some people get a hermit crab into a painted shell before sending them off to a pet shop. They put them in the refrigerator! Once the crab is frozen almost to death and is hanging loosely out of his/her shell, they take out the crab and pull off their natural shell. Then they put the crab in a tight container with a painted shell. How cruel!
From
kpuddy
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 10:02 am
Hello,
I would have to agree 100% painted shells are awful, not only are they not natural but we really dont know what paints they are using, for example.... I recently went to a few large pet store chains within Melbourne (Australia) and was so upset by one store who was so pushy into selling me painted shells (as they had the worst supply of natural shells) anyway when I told them about some of the pictures Ive seen from this group and horror stories about poor little crabbies getting paint stuck on them they quickly turned and said "Oh but we are getting our new painted shells from America and they use ceramic paint" Well I immeidiately told them that ceramic paint contains lead and it will only be removed if you heat it to a certain temperature (my boyfriend is a painter/decorator of 8 years) I know they use ceramic paint on out dinner sets but they have been heat treated. So I asked him if he knew if the paint had been heat treated he was dumbfounded, I informed him of this site and since have posted caresheets in the mail to them. A pet shop close to me which I frequently visit now includes a care sheet with any purchase of crabs from her shop, she also said if I made a poster about painted shells and why they are no good she would display it.
Thanks for listening,
Kellie
From
Kali_Ma
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:35 am
:evil: :evil: :evil:
I went back to the Petco I bought my straws at today, for the commercial foods on Marie's list to supplement my fresh foods. While I was there I really hit it off with one of the animal caretakers, who took Marie's list for me and was upset about EQ by the way (maybe he'll pull EQ items from their shelf, even, good for him).
We were discussing crabs in painted shells and he told me that the way he knew they made crabs give up their real shells was to gas them with dry ice fumes which makes them die! And just before they die, they relax and fall out of their shells. They then pop them into the painted shells and dose them with pure oxygen to recover.
What is wrong with people?!?!?!?!? I haven't seen a single painted shell that I thought even came close to the sheer elegance and beauty of a polished turbo. No wonder people's crabs are dying right as soon as they get them home.
It just makes me want to cry...
Kerie
From ashley_hermies
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:06 pm
People can make me mad the way they treat all animals, especially hermies. Trying to KILL these beautiful animals so they can make an extra dollar! OOOOOOHHHHHHH! I hve made it my goal to only buy hermies in painted shells and take them home and relieve them of their horrid makeshift home, giving them many natural shells to choose from. I feel so bad for these babies, I wish there were a way to buy all of them in my city and take care of them properly, with no painted shells!
I recently bought a crab in a painted shell. When I saw the shell, there was absolutely no sealant of any sort, and just under the opening the paint is very thick and rough. It is almost like the people painted the shell, set it somewhere to dry, and the paint pooled up around it. I have noticed that my female crabs are much happier to change shells than my male crabs. Fortunatly, Jeepers is a female crab, and although she fit perfect in her painted shell, I was able to see her change into a natural shell. Immediatly, I took the painted one out of the crabitat before she was able to get a chance to get back in it. I know that sounds mean, but I felt it was the best thing for her and my other 6 crabs.
I feel very strongly against painted shells, and am glad that I am not the only one.
Ashley
From ashley_hermies
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:06 pm
People can make me mad the way they treat all animals, especially hermies. Trying to KILL these beautiful animals so they can make an extra dollar! OOOOOOHHHHHHH! I hve made it my goal to only buy hermies in painted shells and take them home and relieve them of their horrid makeshift home, giving them many natural shells to choose from. I feel so bad for these babies, I wish there were a way to buy all of them in my city and take care of them properly, with no painted shells!
I recently bought a crab in a painted shell. When I saw the shell, there was absolutely no sealant of any sort, and just under the opening the paint is very thick and rough. It is almost like the people painted the shell, set it somewhere to dry, and the paint pooled up around it. I have noticed that my female crabs are much happier to change shells than my male crabs. Fortunatly, Jeepers is a female crab, and although she fit perfect in her painted shell, I was able to see her change into a natural shell. Immediatly, I took the painted one out of the crabitat before she was able to get a chance to get back in it. I know that sounds mean, but I felt it was the best thing for her and my other 6 crabs.
I feel very strongly against painted shells, and am glad that I am not the only one.
Ashley
From Wai
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:32 pm
Almost all the pet shops I've seen keep a separate tank for hermies with painted shells. When a crab in the main tank changes into a painted shell, the owners immediately take the crab and move him to the painted shell tank. You can guess what shells they offer to those crabs in that tank... no unpainted shells. Just these ugly shells with their natural beauty ruined by spots and stripes 
. I wish I could adopt every hermie, but that would cost heaps...
From crab_crazy
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:29 pm
Wow! That makes me mad. Humans think they can
paint hermit crabs seashells just for the amusment. They also charge
alot more for them to. I think that is wrong, but, my mom does not
believe us. She thinks that painting a hermit crabs shell is perfectly
harmlesss, ha! Well, some people in this world just need to get on the
net and search a little and tell what they have found. 
Ronni
From Delia
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:10 pm
I have to agree with all of you. To make them wear painted shells is cruel. I myself feel that the natural shells look so much better. To see my crabs walking around with sponge Bob on it's back is't cute.
Delia
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