HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Okay I'm having some trouble. I give my crab fresh food daily but having difficulty knowing when to switch it out and it not go moldy/bad. I was thinking oh since he is mostly nocturnal it would be best to give fresh food at night and switch it again at some point during the day, but I think I am keeping it out for too long. Should I just put dry food (nuts, etc) in the bowl at night and keep fresh food in there from morning to bedtime? Please give me your ideas and eating schedules! Thanks!

That's a really tough one to answer! I would play around with different feeding times and lengths to see what works best. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you offer they will ignore it. Other times they attack it instantly. I tend to keep fresh fruits and veggies in for two maybe three days until it gets real funky. I honestly think my crabs prefer some things after we would consider them inedible.

Since crabs smell with their antennas humidity helps carry the smell. Make sure there is a fresh cut, pinch, peel, or tear in what you are offering. You could also try dipping fruits and veggies in your dechlorinated freshwater before placing in the tank.

Mine do not prefer fresh foods or freshly cooked foods with the exception of finely minced leaf lettuce--that they devour. Even super enticing and super healthy foods that are "wet" go ignored (i.e. honey, peanut butter, oils, blackstrap molasses, banana, etc.).

Unless they devour it overnight, I usually leave most offerings in the tank for three days. After that, I change it out.

Mine are oppossites they tend to have a sweet tooth something I moniter when I noticed it. They will instantly eat any sweet fruit or honey or molasses. They do not tend to care for veggies and they go crazy for a cooked chicken bone that has been cut in half. I also use this to my advantage though. If they haven't to the best of my knowledge touched any green in a will mash it with a bit of banana or drizzle a drop or two of honey on it and it so usually be gone. They kind of remind me of children sometimes. They nees to be tricked into eating whats good for them lol