Hermit crab out of shell

Question
Jennifer,
Thanks for getting back to me.  You were right...Harold didn't make it :(
So now we just have Buzz...who did change shells after we removed Harold from the crabitat!  We want to get another crab b/c I have read that crabs are social and it is better to have more than one.  Is there any special way to introduce a new crab to Buzz's crabitat?
Thanks again.  We really appreciate your help.
Paula
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-----Question-----
We are new owners of 2 hermit crabs.  Harold (the larger) loves to change shells.  Buzz (the smaller) does not.  He tried one shell but returned to his original shell.  We have had them for 2 months.  Harold has recently gotten out of his shell and I found him hanging out on the sand with NO shell.  He eventually gets back into a shell but I didn't think they liked being out of their shells?!?!  I have seen him do this twice in the last 1-2 weeks.  I got new shells for them thinking maybe he didn't like the shells we already had.  I have read everything I could about them and made sure that we set everything up right for them.  Is Harold's behavior normal?  I am worried that he might be sick or something.
Thanks, Paula
-----Answer-----
Dear Paula,
thank you for your question.
A crab going out of its shell is always a bad sign. Often they are sick when they do this. The fact that Harold moves back into a shell is weird, though. Maybe something in the shell irritated him, like a piece of dirt ect. He may just be choosy when it comes to shells.  
If he's sick, there's not much you can do except providing good conditions, As long as he is active (moving around, feeler activity), that's still a sign that he's feeling okay.
Maybe you already came across these websites, but they are very helpful and the people at the message board are knowledgeable adn very friendly:
http://www.thecrabbagepatch.com/
www.epicureanhermit.com
http://hermitcrabassociation.com
http://landhermitcrabs.com/eve?cdra=Y&s=700101321

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer


Answer
I'm sorry to hear about Harold :(
Hermit crabs are very socvial and often travel in groups of several hundred in the wild. To introduce new crabs, it's a good idea to bathe them so that they smell the same. Keeping the new crab isolated for at least two weeks helps with discovering any mite infestation the new crab might have or other problems.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer