Hermit crab diet
Hermit crabs require a variety of foods to stay healthy, and commercial hermit crab food should be used as part of their diet, and not the sole source of nutrition. Although this sounds daunting, you likely already have food suitable for hermit crabs at home. A range of vegetables can be fed, such as broccoli, peas, corn, seaweed, salad greens, and carrot. They can even have coconut, squash, and mushroom! Fruit can also be fed in smaller amounts, like apple, pear, strawberry, blueberry, stonefruit, and melons. Whole grain and nuts are a special treat, and hermit crabs do get those in the wild when they fall from trees! Once in a while, they can also get higher protein foods like egg, fish, and even dried insects like mealworms!
Hermit crabs need calcium in their diet to grow their exoskeleton, so high calcium options like spinach and parsley are great, as well as cuttlebone, eggshell, and crab/prawn shells.
Hermit crab hygiene
Enclosures should be spot cleaned daily, with soiled areas of substrate and uneaten food removed, along with any contaminated substrate or furniture. Standing water should be changed every 2-3 days, and water with filters or bubblers every 3-5 days. The whole enclosure should receive a thorough clean every 2-4 weeks depending on how many crabs you have, where the crabs are moved to a temporary enclosure while the substrate, furniture, water, and food bowls are all removed, cleaned, and replaced.Â
Use an aquarium-safe cleaner like F10, and ensure it is wiped or rinsed off before replacing the tank contents. Be careful when moving your crabs!
