In: Food and Nutrition

The basics of hermit crab feeding Most commercial hermit crab foods contain ethoxyquin and/or copper sulfate. Fish meal typically contains hidden ethoxyquin that is not required to be listed. Both ethoxyquin and copper sulfate are toxic to invertebrates. There are many things in your kitchen that your hermit crabs can eat also. The collages below made by Amber Miner show some of the more common food items you can safely feed to your hermit crabs. Here is a printable safe food list for feeding your hermit crabs: Safe Food List-A Generous List of Foods Your Hermit Crabs Can Safely Eat Hermit crabs require a nutritionallyRead More →

In: Food and Nutrition

Written by Julia Crab (Kerie Campbell) Saturday, 19 November 2005 Zeaxanthin is an important precursor to astaxanthin, the carotenoid crustaceans need most to regulate their body systems. If astaxanthin is hard to come by, then zeaxanthin is the substance that coenobita need most. Beta carotene, while a valuable carotenoid, is not used as efficiently by crabs and is not of as much dietary use as zeaxanthin is. The following lists are of zeaxanthin-containing foods. There are three lists, one each for foods containing high, moderate, and low or trace amounts of this important substance. They are partial and will be updated as new information comesRead More →

In: Food and Nutrition

Written by Julia Crab (Kerie Campbell) August 2005 This list contains beneficial foods for hermit crabs that are moderate to high in beta carotene apricotsbell pepper of any color, red being the highest in carotenidsblueberriesbroccolicantaloupecarrotchardcilantro (raw)collard greensdandelion greens (raw)fava beans in the pod (raw)grape leaves (raw)lettuce (dark varieties, not iceburg which is nutritionally empty)mangopapayaparsley (raw)passionfruitpeachespeaspersimmonpineapplepumpkin and squash, and seeds (dried)snap beans (raw)spinachspirulinaseaweeds and microalgaessweet potato Astaxanthin is another carotenid found in shrimp and krill and red seaweeds, that the crabs also use. Astaxanthin must be fed with a healthy fat/oil to be absorbed properly. Tannin is also a color booster. Dried oak or sycamore leaves,Read More →

In: Food and Nutrition

Written by Julia Crab Monday, 01 August 2005 – this information has not been reviewed or updated but is maintained here for archival and reference purposes. 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 PalmitateAutolyzed yeast *BarleyRead More →