How much calcium is recommended?

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Maddamay32
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How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Maddamay32 » Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:37 am

Every day I give egg shells to my crab's as their main source of calcium but I was wondering if that is enough for them? Or should I also be giving them calcium carbonate? I'm aware that crabs like variety and have purchased some exo from TheHealthyHermit as well as looking into my other options.
Basically, I'm wanting to make sure that what I'm using would be enough for my crabs or should I also be substituting with calcium carbonate because it's so concentrated? Thank's much for any replies!
8 crabs at the moment "Tarzan, Kermit, Shy guy, Eduardo, Jimbo, Rosa, Diesel, Treaker"

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Hermiesguardian
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Hermiesguardian » Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:25 am

I always have a cuttlebone in their tanks. I also sometimes scatter crushed oyster shell. And give them eggshell every couple of weeks with their food.
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by curlysister » Fri Aug 16, 2019 1:22 pm

I also keep Cuttlebone in the tank all the time. I give eggshell now and then, and a 'calcium mix' I ordered from Chubby Crab or from HCP.
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by PinchersAndShells » Sun Aug 18, 2019 11:26 am

Like the above, I also have a cuttlebone in the tank at all times, I’ll also offer things such as eggshells, cicada shells, oyster shells, etc. on occasion.
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Motörcrab » Sun Aug 18, 2019 1:09 pm

We keep a calcium pit/ dish, in our tanks at all times. Depending on it's location in the tank it may last a week until it needs to be changed. We rotate through 3-4 of these options every few days. egg shells, several crab exo mixes, crushed cattle bone, several powdered fish bone mixes, different sizes of oyster shells, calcium carbonate and azomite. We will also toss in some type of flowers to give off a smell. Our crabs seem to really enjoy the variety.
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Pincher » Sun Aug 18, 2019 11:08 pm

I always have a dish (a large seashell) filled with small cuttlebones, crab exos and small seashells (I can get them from the beach), and I leave it in until it's mostly eaten up.
I occasionally put in an egg shell with a bit of left raw egg when I prepare eggs for myself.
The crabs enjoy it and appear really healthy with a hard exoskeleton (I don't handle them, but I had to pick up one guy a few days ago). We never had any problems regarding molting/health.

In addition to the egg shells you mentioned as main source, I would add some marine sources, such as cuttlebones, tiny sea shells and - if you can get them - crab exos. If you don't live by the sea: cuttlebones are available in the bird aisle of most pet stores, tiny seashells/ puka mix are available in the fish aisle. Don't use puka mix from craft stores as it's often dyed. Crab exoskeletons are harder to get when not living near a beach; I would not use exoskeletons from prawns (the leftover shells from a seafood dish for humans) and so on because they are likely treated with antibiotics.

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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by GotButterflies » Mon Sep 02, 2019 4:47 pm

I personally always keep calcium choices available for crabs. I keep a calcium dish and cuttlebone available at all times. :)
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by KrankyKrab » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:36 am

Pincher wrote:
Sun Aug 18, 2019 11:08 pm
In addition to the egg shells you mentioned as main source, I would add some marine sources, such as cuttlebones, tiny sea shells and - if you can get them - crab exos. If you don't live by the sea: cuttlebones are available in the bird aisle of most pet stores, tiny seashells/ puka mix are available in the fish aisle. Don't use puka mix from craft stores as it's often dyed. Crab exoskeletons are harder to get when not living near a beach; I would not use exoskeletons from prawns (the leftover shells from a seafood dish for humans) and so on because they are likely treated with antibiotics.
Hey Pincher - I started using cuttlebones, do you grind up and keep some powder/mini chunks?

And tiny sea shells?? They EAT them??

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Maddamay32
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Maddamay32 » Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:16 am

I forgot I keep cuttlebone as well lol.
8 crabs at the moment "Tarzan, Kermit, Shy guy, Eduardo, Jimbo, Rosa, Diesel, Treaker"

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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Hermiesguardian » Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:41 am

KrankyKrab wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:36 am
Hey Pincher - I started using cuttlebones, do you grind up and keep some powder/mini chunks?

And tiny sea shells?? They EAT them??
Many of us just stick the cuttlebone standing up in the ground. Do that gently in case of tunnels, caves. You can just lay it down. You can break it into chunks. You can also use crushed oyster shells which you can get at a feed store.
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by curlysister » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:26 pm

Now that my crabs are bigger, it's kind of fun to see just how much Cuttlebone they can chew off! I swear Sonny ate half a surf-board when he came up from his last molt.
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Hermiesguardian » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:28 pm

curlysister wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:26 pm
Now that my crabs are bigger, it's kind of fun to see just how much Cuttlebone they can chew off! I swear Sonny ate half a surf-board when he came up from his last molt.
Or maybe he buried it. :hlol:
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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curlysister
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by curlysister » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:30 pm

LOL! No, I watched it go from a whole surf-board, to a half! Every time I checked on them, there was Sonny, munching away on it! What was left was all chewed up with big chunks missing.
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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by Pincher » Fri Sep 20, 2019 3:34 pm

KrankyKrab wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:36 am
Hey Pincher - I started using cuttlebones, do you grind up and keep some powder/mini chunks?

And tiny sea shells?? They EAT them??

I had rather big crabs ("had" means: we recently moved cross-country and the crabs were adopted by somebody else).
They had about 1.5 (for the smallest) to 2 inch shell openings, so really huge guys. However, when we got them, their shells were not bigger than typical marbles.
The cuttlebones I used were smaller than the ones you get at a pet shop, as I lived close to the beach. They were about 1/4 the size of pet shop cuttlebones. They eat the cuttlebones, as well as the sea shells or crab carapaces. They scrape off a tiny bit and eat that. After having the cuttlebones in the tank for a few weeks, I recognized grooves on the surface of the cuttlebones, and soon more was chipped away, clear signs they nibble on the cuttlebones. After a while, the cuttlebones looked like an arrowhead. The small sea shells also looked damaged after a while and I saw them nibbling on them :crabbigsmile: :banana:

I never grind up food. (If they are not "baby" hermit crabs, they can use their claws... And I think animals/pets should have some activity when eating their food, like in nature - then they get less bored. The same was true for other pets I had.) The only thing I was tearing in pieces was food they tend to hide and that can get mouldy soon. E.g., instead of popcorn (always without salt, without sugar, without butter etc. of course) in whole, I ripped each popcorn in two or three pieces. Also for nuts, instead of offering whole cracked nuts (the edible part in one piece), I usually cracked the edible part of the nut in a few pieces. When doing so, the crabs tended to eat their food in or around the food bowl and not walking away with it, eating it in some hide and then forget about it.

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Re: How much calcium is recommended?

Post by scuttlecrusty22 » Fri Sep 20, 2019 4:28 pm

Cuttlebone and Eggshell I believe is the best way to go, I don't know about mineral blocks because I've never tried them. Not knowing if it was actually as "good" for them as the pet stores say.

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