Cleaning shells for hermits

[.stu]

I was planning to look for some new shells on the beach for my hermits, what's the best way to clean them so I can add them to the tank or am I better off just buying some?

 

[thegrun]

I would soak them in a 1/3 bleach solution, rinse well and let them dry in the sun for a few days.

 

[lespaul339]

Just boil them and let them air dry for a day before putting into your tank.

 

[chimmike]

the bigger your hermits get the more likely they will be to eat things you don't want them to eat.

 

[JMorris271]

I always boil my crab shells.

 

[Shawn O]

If you're collecting shells on the beach, be sure to place them in some salt water and observe them for a while to be sure they're empty. My wife collected some empty shells and one of them wasn't really empty. We held them up to the light, shook them, etc. Didn't matter. We didn't realize there was a hermit in one of them until it started to smell.


All you really need to do is boil them in tap water for about ten minutes. Any bacteria in it will be killed and any stuck-on crud will have loosened up.