The Healthy Hermit Crab Diet
Everyone who has wanted to raise a hermit crab will ask himself the following questions:
“And what will I be required to feed these hermit crabs with?”
“Will I be able to afford the cost?”
“Are hermit crabs picky on what they eat and what they don’t eat?”
“Do they eat meat?”
“Do they eat vegetables?”
Well, these are good questions since they show that you are ready and eager to take care of your pets.
The hermit crab diet is an important factor when it comes to hermit crab care. What the hermit crab eats or does not eat will determine whether they will be throwaway pets or not. The diet is what will spell the length of time that you will spend with your hermit crabs. Poorly fed hermit crabs hardly live beyond six months in captivity. On the other hand, well-fed crabs can live up to 20 years with their owners.
So what can you do to ensure that you provide your hermit crab with the best type food?
First, Relax
You do not need to fret much about what you will feed your hermit crab with. This is because hermit crabs are not such fussy eaters after all. It will be easy for you to feed them and you will not have to go bankrupt just trying to provide them a meal. However, this should not imply that you become careless about what you are feeding them; you might end up killing them.
They are generally omnivores and scavengers in particular. They therefore eat pretty much of what is around them.
Provide variety
Just like human beings, different food types have different roles in the life of hermit crabs. This means that if you want your pets to be healthy, you must make sure that you give them a variety of foods and not just the same food at all times.
Commercial food
Commercial food is what you get from the pet store. Many people prefer this option because it is less taxing to hermit crab keepers. You do not have to keep on worrying where you will get natural food, especially if you are living in the city. You can simply rush to the store and get some meal for your pet.
As you venture out to give your hermit crab commercial food, it is important that you understand that commercial food comes in two main forms:
Pellets and canned food
When it comes to pellets, just give your crab one pellet a day. If it happens that you are feeding a very young crab, make sure that before you give the crab a pellet, you have ground it and made it wet so as to make it comfortable for the pet to eat.
In case of canned food, just feed the hermit crab as per the, manufacturer’s instructions. If you would like to give your hermit crab human food, give him cooked meat, fruits and brightly colored vegetables. Always avoid spices and artificial flavors as these have proved to be quite dangerous to the life of hermit crabs. Remember to keep off from chlorinated water.
