Hermit Crab Food

If this concern is still a question mark for you then your pet hermit crab might not be enjoying a day’s delicacy that you serve. Maybe it is already thinking of a way on how to escape that hermit crab cage and find some real grub for itself. However, if you know the basics about hermit crabs then you might just have some harmony with your exotic pet.

Hermit crabs have been known to live in the wild; the sea. They are most commonly seen at the seashore where children often chase and capture them during a day at the beach. Given this type of environment, hermit crabs are known to be omnivorous or in Layman’s term, they can eat both plant and animal. Even though these critters live in the wild they still know what foods to take that is good for them. None the less, as a pet owner you should be well aware about a hermit crab’s balanced diet.

Since hermit crabs as pets have become a popular trend these days, feeding them is really not that hard to imagine. However, there are things that you might need to watch out for. There are some foods that can be harmful to your pet hermit crab. In order to guide you with the “what’s” and “what not’s” when it comes to hermit crab food, check out the classified food types below:

Fruits that are good hermit crab food
1.    Mango
2.    Bananas
3.    Apples
4.    Coconut
5.    Grapes
6.    Pineapples
7.    Strawberries
8.    Melons
These fruits can be fed to your pet hermit crab without any hazard. Just as these provide good nutrition for the human body, it does the same thing for hermit crabs too.

Leafy green and other vegetables that can be used as hermit crab food
1.    Green lettuce
2.    Broccoli
3.    Sea weeds
4.    Grass
5.    Leaves and strips of barks from deciduous trees
6.    Carrots
7.    Spinach
Leafy greens listed here are very easy to find. Although, if you’re planning to pick out grass or leaves coming from your own garden, make sure that these are pesticide and chemical free.

Meat that can be fed as hermit crab food
1.    Cooked eggs, meat, and seafood
2.    Freeze dried shrimp and planktons
3.    Brine shrimp
Given that hermit crabs also feed on meat, it is best to put this in moderation and go for other food types instead like the fruits and vegetables.

Other foods considered as hermit crab food
1.    Nuts (unsalted)
2.    Peanut butter
3.    Raisins
4.    Crackers (low or no salt)
5.    Popcorn
6.    Plain rice cakes
These food types are really easy to find in your kitchen. Just make sure to feed them with these occasionally instead of regularly.

Aside from these food types, your pet hermit crab also needs other nutrients that can cater to nurturing its protective covering. The hermit crab shells can be prone to easy breakage if calcium is not evident in the food that they eat. These sources of calcium can come from both natural and artificial sources. Supplements that are calcium enriched are an example of artificial sources of calcium that can be mixed to a hermit crab food. On the other hand, natural sources of calcium are those like crushed eggshells, oyster shells, and cuttlebones, which can also be mixed to a hermit crab food.