How to Maintain a Healthy Diet For Pet Hermit Crabs

You don't need to buy special food to feed your hermit crabs. They're omnivores who will eat almost anything. You can probably find a steady diet for your hermit crabs in your own kitchen. Just make sure they eat healthy and get the nutrients they need. Some studies have shown that hermit crabs prefer to eat a variety of foods, so offer new menu items on occasion.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Offer your hermit crabs a variety of foods. Hermit crabs can eat almost everything that people do. You can give them any kind of vegetables, well cooked plain meat, nuts, trail mix and fruit, especially tropical fruits. Avoid sugary and processed food and dairy products except in small quantities.
2. Make sure your hermit crab gets plenty of calcium and carotene. Carotene helps the hermit crab keep her healthy reddish-orange color. Give the crab corn, carrots and other brightly colored vegetables. Increase carotene levels if you notice the crab turning a grayish color after molting.
3. Give your hermit crab a commercial powdered food along with other treats. Read the labels to be sure the food is free of copper sulphate and ethoxyquin.
4. Create a homemade hermit crab treat. Grind up a few large cuttlebones. Mix with rice, oatmeal, dried plankton or krill, spirulina powder and a pinch of sea salt. Grind into a powder. Serve with vegetables.
5. Feed your crabs tree bark, marigold petals and oak leaves. Wash them in water. Let them dry well because hermit crabs like crunchy food.
6. Clean out uneaten food after 24 hours. Keep an eye on any food that draws flies or other pests and remove promptly.