Category: Food and Nutrition | Page 2 | The Crab Street Journal

Foods Containing Carotenids

Tagged: benefits, beta carotenids, booster, carotene, color, diet, enhancer, feeding, food, healthy, hermit crab, information

Written by Julia Crab Sunday, 07 August 2005 This list contains foods that are moderate to high in beta carotene: apricots bell pepper of any color, red being the highest in carotenids blueberries broccoli cantaloupe carrot chard cilantro (raw) collard greens dandelion greens (raw) fava beans in the pod (raw) grape leaves (raw) lettuce (dark varieties, not iceburg which is nutritionally empty) mango papaya parsley (raw) passionfruit peaches peas persimmon pineapple pumpkin and squash, and seeds (dried) snap beans (raw) spinach spirulina seaweeds and microalgaes sweet potato Astaxanthin is another carotenid found in shrimp and krill and red seaweeds, that the crabs also use. TanninRead More →

Safe Edible Flowers for Hermit Crabs

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: edible, flowers, poisonous, safe, toxic

The information that was used as a basis for this article was intended for humans not hermit crabs. We have adapted the list of edible flowers to what we believe is safe for hermit crabs. Some may be safe for external remedies but not for consumption. Written by Julia Crab Monday, 23 May 2005 Did you know that flowers are good for crabs? They contain vitamin C as well as vitamin A and many of the pigmentation substances such as beta carotene. As there has been no study done on the nutritional content of flowers, much of their value remains a mystery. But crabs willRead More →

Color enhancing foods

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: astaxanthin, benefits, booster, carotenoid, color, diet, enhancing, feeding, food, healthy, hermit crab, nutrition, tannins, Zeaxanthin

Great idea for an experiment. I have done some research on colour enhancing foods and figuring out how to get crabs a certain colour. If you want really dark brown colour hermit crabs then give them lots of foods rich in tannins such as Brown Oak Leaves, Brown Oak Bark (pesticide free). This comes from Carol of CrabWorks. Her hermit crabs have been eating this since they were itty bitty crabbies, 28+ years ago! If you want orange hues that foods such as carrots, marigold petals have been known to create an increase in orange colour. Foods rich in Astaxanthin are what you are lookingRead More →

Adulterants & Additives in hermit crab food

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: addivitives, avoid, cakes, chemicals, copper sulfate, diet, ethoxyquin, feeding, fish meal, food, healthy, hermit crab, information, label, meal, nutrition, pellets

Written by Julia Crab Monday, 01 August 2005 What follows is a list of ingredients added to commercial and processed foods that may harm hermit crab health when fed. While I believe that these substances should be avoided, there is no actual scientific proof that these are harmful. This list is being compiled as a guide to dietary harm reduction. The key to good diet, in crabs, other pets, and people, is informed label reading. Anything enzyme modified * Anything fermented * Anything protein fortified * Ascorbyl Palmitate Autolyzed yeast * Barley malt * BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) Bouillon and Broth * CalciumRead More →

Atypical things hermit crabs can eat

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: atypical, edibles, food, hermit crab, hermit crab care

Hermit crabs are omnivorous scavengers in the wild. There are lots of different foods that a hermit crab can eat. We have several different food lists for commonly fed items. Check out a few of the atypical things that hermit crabs can eat: Feces – herbivorous animal droppings. In Quirimba hermit crabs are known to eat human waste as well. Fish flakes or pellets Bloodworms Mealworms Earthworms Cuttlebone – great source of calcium Bonemeal – great source of calcium Cicadas and their exoskeletons (most other bugs too) Worm castings GreensandRead More →

Going Natural Beginner’s List

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: beginners, diet, eating, feeding, food, foods, going, hermit crab, hermit crab care, list, natural, nutrition, organic

If you are limited to what organics you can find or afford check out this list of foods that are safe to buy non-organic and foods that you should always buy organic: Dirty Dozen Food List written by Kerie Campbell If you’ve decided to get rid of commercial diet completely, and go natural, here is a list of the recommended human-grade beginner foods. These are the highest in nutrition and will make a good base for adding fresh fruit, vegetables and meat too. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (olive oil will do in a pinch) for cooking eggs, etc. Hemp seed meal (very high in HUFAs,Read More →

People food for hermit crabs

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: food, hermit crab, hermit crab care, people food, safe, snack, treats

Aside from the obvious flowers, plants, leaves, fruits and vegetables, there are some other people foods that can be safe to feed to your hermit crabs. This is not an exhaustive list but the most common we come across: Popcorn – plain (no salt no butter). If you don’t care for plain popcorn you can always buy a small quantity of kernels and pop two or three in the microwave using a paper bag. Hot dogs – go for all natural and only feed occasionally due to nitrates and other chemicals. No known research on their effects but you should limit the chemicals you areRead More →

Growing your own hermit crab food

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: garden, growing, hermit crab, hermit crab care, seeds, sprouts

With a small seed sprouter and some seeds you can easily grow a mini garden of tasty and tender sprout shoots to feed your hermit crabs. This could be an easy way to provide some fresh food while you are on vacation. If you use some time of eco earth substrate you may be able to get some seeds to sprout directly in the tank, assuming the crabbies don’t eat the seeds before the get going. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the substrate and mist them with dechlorinated water each day until they begin to sprout. The crabs will likely start munching onRead More →

Hermit Crab Food Recipes

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: benefits, diet, feeding, food, guide, healthy, hermit crab, hermit crab care, home made, natural, nutrition, organic, recipes

Unfortunately I have no indications as to who may have created this list though I suspect the list came from Kerie Campbell. I know there are endless food ideas but these may help get you started. Fruity Fish & Flowers II dried calendula (about 2 tsp.) dried chamomile (about 1 tsp.) coconut chunk large papaya chunk pink flame rose bud Kibble and place in the serving dish. Air-pop about 1 Tbl. amaranth shred some dulse 1 Tbl. Flott tuna 1 tsp rolled oats large pinch dandelion root large pinch dried dandelion leaf. Kibble and place on top of the fruit dish, sort of a reverse-chutney.Read More →

Hermit Crab Nutrition Table

In: Food and Nutrition

Tagged: diet, food, health, hermit crab, hermit crab care, minerals, nutrition, vitamins

Feeding your hermit crab a balanced diet as they would experience in the wild is vital to their ongoing health. We highly recommend keeping worm castings, calcium, and greensand on hand and in your tank daily. Both are highly nutritious and are loved by hermit crabs. This chart breaks down the nutritional needs and includes some food suggestions. Hermit Crab Nutrition Table by Lisa L. Download the chart as a PDF Also check out Kilimanjaro’s Guide to Hermit Crab Nutrition Read More →