Hermit Crab Food
Beginners who have just got themselves hermit crabs as pets often wonder what hermit crab food should be fed to them. Hermit crabs are omnivores that thrive on leaf litter, grasses, plants and twigs. Studies show that for a healthy growth, they require plenty of carotene and calcium in their diet. It is therefore essential to offer them hermit crab food that is rich in these nutrients.
Carotene is essential to ensure that the crabs do not fade in color after molting. Calcium provides them with strength. Fruits and vegetables must be fed after ensuring that they are grown organically.
The easiest method of feeding hermit crab food for your pets is to purchase the popularly available commercial food from the pet shop. Dry food makes sure that there is no mess and are available in a lot of varieties.
In their wild habitat, hermit crabs enjoy eating an assortment of food varieties. You can experiment on the foods they enjoy and rotate a couple of varieties every day to make eating a joyful experience for them.
As you choose commercial foods, avoid those that contain ethoxyquin or copper sulfate. Information on the ingredients can be found on the wrapper. Feeding dry hermit crab food for months together can get very boring for your pets. You can supplement them with certain juicy food bits to add life to their meals.
Here are a few food ideas apart from commercial food –
• Get them delicious freeze dried foods such as crickets or meal worms.
• Choose from a range of frozen foods such as plankton, shrimps, krill and blood worms. Any item that is suitable for fishes can be offered for the crabs.
• Bird seeds are packed with nutrition and are small in size enabling them to eat with ease.
• Browse through the bird feed section to choose from a range of foods such as vegetables, fruits, dried nuts and crushed bones of cuttlefish.
Other hermit crab food options include foods that we normally eat. It is essential to remember that our food must be supplemented by commercial foods from the pet store to ensure that they are not deprived of essential nutrients. Some of the foods we eat that you can feed your hermit crabs with include –
• Peanut butter
• Peeled grapes
• Coconut, bananas, apples and pears diced
• Bread, crackers and cereals dried
• Cool, cooked potatoes
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded spinach
Hermit crab food must be healthy and nutrition packed to ensure that they do not become weak or contract any disease. Taking care in choosing the right kind of hermit crab food and feeding them on time ensures that they lead a healthy and long life. You can go through various websites that offer information on hermit crabs to learn more about their food habits and requirements.
Hermit crabs are wonderful pets. It is essential taking good care of these exotic pets and providing them with a comfortable habitat and a good life.
