Feeding Hermit Crabs & the Healthy Hermit Crab Diet
Once you bring home your new pet hermit crab, you may be asking the great question what hermit crabs eat. Believe it or not, hermit crabs have a much larger food preference and palate than most people would think. Because of their desire for different kinds of foods, you have a lot of variety and options in feeding hermit crabs. This creates an enjoyable experience for both you and your hermit crab.
When perusing any pet store, you may find there are many kinds of commercial foods in pellet form. They all say they are safe and the preferred food for your pet hermit crab.
Give Your Crab Culinary Variety
To give your hermit crab the best diet, it’s best to rotate the types of food you give your hermit crab each day. You wouldn’t want to eat the same foods day in and day out, and neither would your hermit crab.
Commercial hermit crab food is good for him and is tasty, but some experts say that certain types of commercially available hermit crab food aren’t safe. Be sure to avoid commercial hermit crab food that contains ethoxyguin and copper sulfate.
Both of these ingredients are common in certain types of pesticides, and thus many crab owners don’t feel right giving their crabs such food. There is little conclusive evidence one way or another in feeding your crab such ingredients, but the choice is ultimately yours. Obviously steering clear of such ingredients would keep you on the safe side.
All proud parents want the best for their “kids” and being parent to a hermit crab is no exception. If you want to give your hermit crab a special treat, give him regular food, or something you also would enjoy eating (not French fries or brownies though). Just make sure he has commercial food available too for nutrients. Your hermit crab would love:
- Dried cereals, crackers, and bread
- Diced pears, bananas, coconut, and apples
- Peeled grapes
- Peanut butter (Sometimes messy!)
- Shredded Spinach
- Shredded Lettuce
- Cooked and cool potatoes
Hermit crabs are much smaller than you, so remember to break or cut everything into small bites so he can easily pick up the food with his claws. There’s nothing worse than having tasty food and struggling to eat it!
Just like our cravings for sweet things, hermit crabs have a bit of a sweet tooth too. When feeding hermit crabs, they often enjoy eating items a little more on the sweet side. Such foods are actually good in nutrients and have more of a sweeter taste that hermit crabs can’t resist. Try foods such as:
- Apples and Bananas
- Apples, Mango, and Kiwi
- Apple sauce
- Sweet potatoes and Apples
- Apples and Pears
- Fruit medley
- Guava Fruit Dessert
- Papaya Fruit Dessert
- Mango Fruit Dessert
- Sweet Corn Casserole
- Chiquita Bananas
You can be as creative as you want in feeding your hermit crab. Anything that is a little fruity, you know your hermit crab will love to eat. You can feed your hermit crabs by hand by using a plastic spoon or you can leave a little surprise in their food dish to find later.
Your hermit crab will love his treats and they will simultaneously provide him with the nutrients needed to stay healthy.
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