Hermit crab food is available in pellet form, in gel form, in powder form, or like canned dog food. If you choose any of these types of food, give small crabs about 1 teaspoon per day. Generally, all forms contain many nutrients not found in every human food, like tannins, carotenoids, and cellulose, to name a few. There is some conflict over whether or not to feed your crab commercial crab food. However, the consensus is that organic food is better than non-organic, and that you should avoid buying commercial food that has copper sulfate or ethoxyquin. [1] X Research source
You can serve vegetables raw as long as you rinse them thoroughly in water (without soap!). Some believe it is important to note that the main source of nutrition should be from a commercial crab food, with vegetables and fruits being added only as a supplemental treat. [3] X Research source
There are several types of wood for their enjoyment, like Birch, Oak, Ash, or Cholla, to name a few. [4] X Research source Your crab is a little creature, so there is no need to feed them multiple times a day. Feed your crab once daily in order to keep the fruits and veggies fresh. Foods like wood will last considerably longer, so change the wood when you see it gets slimy, old, or otherwise unappetizing.
You can select from a wide range of widely available protein sources like animal protein (turkey, unseasoned beef, duck), seafood (lobster, catfish, cuttlefish), or grubs (bloodworms, earthworms). You can even source some of these from your own yard (just dig up some worms after a fresh rain). You should include a fresh protein source on a daily basis. Fresh in this case means that each day you’ll need to provide new food, replacing the old protein. The protein sources you serve can be raw or cooked, including meat. Crabs do enjoy eating meat off of the bone, but they do not do well with sauces or butter. Make sure to exclude these. Seafood can also be served raw or steamed.
Natural peanut butter will be best. Honey, washed grass, trail mix, and popcorn are other favorable treats.
It’s important to supplement their food with calcium source. Give them calci-sand substrate, crushed oyster shell, or cuttlebones. Each of these is calcium rich, which will help shell maintenance and exoskeleton development. Neglecting this could lead to an unhealthy crab. [6] X Research source
It’s strongly recommended that you remove the meat and seafood the following morning to avoid attracting flies and other pests.
Taller dishes won’t allow your crabs to freely access their food. The optimal height for a food dish is one that is shallow. Crabs are also sensitive to metals. Make sure you choose dishes made of plastic or ceramic. The best type of dish will also be non-porous. The tiny imperfections in porous materials (stone, some plastics) permit the growth of bacteria and germs.
You’ll need to treat any tap or bottled water with a water dechlorinator. This is crucial because hermit crabs are sensitive to chlorine and chloramines (a combination of chlorine and ammonia that affects their gills). [7] X Research source If you have an Ecuadorian hermit crab (land crab), give it one bowl of fresh water and one bowl of salt water. These crabs require both types of water to keep their gills wet (yes, crabs have gills!). Without both salt and fresh water the gills dry out and the crab suffocates.
Be sure to place the sponge in close proximity to the tank heater. This will ensure the water evaporates from the sponge.
You may notice a residue or film on the water dish. Even though this is a common, natural occurrence, you need to clean it off regularly. As an additional note, when you change the water, also clean other undesirables from crabitat, like crab feces. This will help reduce water contamination, as well as cut down on any odiferous emanations from the crab’s home.
