Favorite / Least favorite food

For any and all questions about feeding, diet and different foods. Questions and posts about purchasing from stores should be made in the Shopping section.
User avatar

Topic author
purpletiger
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:41 pm

Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by purpletiger » Wed Oct 21, 2015 11:16 am

What foods do your crabs devour as soon as you put them in the tank? And which foods do you always end up having to take out uneaten the next day?
4 Purple Pinchers: Huey, Dewie, Louie, and Stewie

User avatar

purpleperson
Posts: 384
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:56 pm
Location: Manitoba, Canada

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by purpleperson » Wed Oct 21, 2015 12:15 pm

Mine absolutely love grapes, freeze dried shrimp, celery, raw meats and fish, romaine lettuce, freeze dried bloodworms, raspberry leaves and many many other things too! The list could go forever.

Fortunately for me mine are not picky eaters. However they don't care much for freeze dried brine shrimp, but they usually eat almost everything I give.

Recently a teeny at school ate 6 mealworms at school in one night, so that's a hit too! Haven't tried my worms with my crabs yet though. I'm waiting for my work colony to get started fist.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar

megmaholm
Posts: 1247
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:15 pm
Location: Bloomington, IN

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by megmaholm » Wed Oct 21, 2015 1:53 pm

Mine devour pretty much any mix from The Hermit Crab Patch. They also love raw salmon, honey, peanut butter, daphnia, mealworms..they're really not too picky; I've never put something in that hasn't at least been picked at. They don't seem to especially like cooked ground beef but eat it raw; same with chicken and pork.
Crabbing since July 2014! 75 gallon with 12 Purple Pinchers.


hermitcrab101
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:17 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by hermitcrab101 » Wed Oct 21, 2015 2:57 pm

I've found my crabs love mealworms and crickets they'll be gone within a few hours if I give them to my crabs. On the other hand, my crabs won't touch collard greens or romaine lettuce.


amart24
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:33 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by amart24 » Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:22 pm

I cant get mine to touch leafy greens at all :(. Egg shells seem, the be pretty popular. i have never caught them eating it, but every morning its moved about and has noticeable nibble marks. I just got a cuttlebone so Im hoping they enjoy that.

User avatar

LadyMorrgian
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 6:35 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by LadyMorrgian » Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:24 pm

One thing mine love is the bones from canned salmon. Every time I make salmon patties I give them a few pieces. It's like a crab attack. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar

JulesRolyCrab
Posts: 399
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 1:22 pm
Location: United States

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by JulesRolyCrab » Wed Oct 21, 2015 5:29 pm

That's funny, because mine absoultely LOVES any leafy green, I swear it is the only thing I can count on him to eat. That, and Hermit Crab Patch worm castings.

User avatar

CallaLily
Posts: 3831
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:05 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by CallaLily » Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:28 am

I can always count on mine to eat freeze dried shrimp, live mealworms, dried leaves, dried greens, dried flowers, corn, eggs (shell too), HCP Mineral Blend, spirulina, cuttlebone, cilantro, watercress, walnuts, popcorn, coconut, berries, pretty much any dried fruit.

They rarely touch fresh banana, brussel sprouts, asparagus, pineapple.

I'll add more as I remember. Most things aren't so cut and dry. They'll tear it up one time and hardly touch it the next.

User avatar

Crabinski
Posts: 1977
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:56 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by Crabinski » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:55 am

Raw egg white -- just leave a bit of the albumin in half an eggshell and serve as is so they can nibble the shell for calcium, too. Freeze-dried shrimp and crickets, strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, raw ground turkey, hard-boiled egg yolk are some of their faves.
PPs are Big Enzo, Charles Paris and Mr Pinch
On the Big Beach in the Sky: Murray, Gino, Oscar, Gordon, Ignatz, Harry and King Felix the Pale
Also Mom to Imogene the Syrian Hamster

User avatar

Ilovehermies74
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:31 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by Ilovehermies74 » Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:48 pm

I have pps and they love coconut, honey(obviously), fresh fruits and vegies, and if its possible; my crabs always eat all of this, unseasoned meat

hope this helps:) :crabbigsmile:
owner of 10 happy hermies! tiny micro, arora small, problem small, romeo small, Juliet small, berry small, mars medium, katniss medium, lucky large, and the big head honcho hugo:) :) RIP shy Check out my youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW91Ko ... s84MrO0zog

User avatar

Topic author
purpletiger
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:41 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by purpletiger » Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:52 pm

Thanks a lot, guys. I have two land crabs, not hermies, and they're very picky eaters so I was trying to see what you guys' hermit crabs prefer.
I guess in a tank with a bunch of crabs, what one doesn't eat the others most likely will. I've only got two, so it's taking me a while to figure out the "sweet spot" when it comes to food.
Also, for those of you who feed honey, how do you do it? Do you spread it over other foods, or do you just put a blob of it separately?

Thanks again for all the info.
4 Purple Pinchers: Huey, Dewie, Louie, and Stewie

User avatar

Crabinski
Posts: 1977
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:56 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by Crabinski » Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:59 pm

purpletiger wrote:Also, for those of you who feed honey, how do you do it? Do you spread it over other foods, or do you just put a blob of it separately?

Thanks again for all the info.
They usually get a blob of honey alongside a dab of peanut butter, served on a little flat shell.
PPs are Big Enzo, Charles Paris and Mr Pinch
On the Big Beach in the Sky: Murray, Gino, Oscar, Gordon, Ignatz, Harry and King Felix the Pale
Also Mom to Imogene the Syrian Hamster

User avatar

CallaLily
Posts: 3831
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:05 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by CallaLily » Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:02 pm

Sometimes I'll drizzle honey over other food. Other times I give them a small chunk of honeycomb. They do love it but I don't offer it very often. More as a treat.

User avatar

purpleperson
Posts: 384
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:56 pm
Location: Manitoba, Canada

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by purpleperson » Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:07 pm

CallaLily wrote:Sometimes I'll drizzle honey over other food. Other times I give them a small chunk of honeycomb. They do love it but I don't offer it very often. More as a treat.
Where do you get your honeycomb?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar

CallaLily
Posts: 3831
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:05 pm

Re: Favorite / Least favorite food

Post by CallaLily » Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:15 pm

Local farmers.

Locked