Scavenging food method

[piratetoothgir]

I recently bought some scallop shells from Naples Seashells, and I wouldn't have if I didn't stumble over a message from @GotButterflies
She mentioned in a post about food saying she uses shells to promote the scavenging instinct that the crabs possess.

I decided that I liked that method, and wanted to do it too
Purchased four sunset scallop shells from the shop to use as little dishes. I chose four because I usually feed that amount of food groups per day, so I wanted this to make my life easier! One shell for each food group that I feed in a night.

[curlysister]

Do they seem to like it? I saw the post too, and was considering trying it!

[piratetoothgir]

Do they seem to like it? I saw the post too, and was considering trying it!

Last night was my first attempt, I haven’t seen my crabs since earlier in the evening, it’s 3AM where I live, so I didn’t check on them yet.

[Ankutchey]

This is how I feed my food. My crabs seem to enjoy it, but you can still most definitely see which food out is there favorite. Sometimes I'll see two or three eating together around one bowl.

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[alicrabs2003]

Do they seem to like it? I saw the post too, and was considering trying it!

You should for sure try this method, my crabs love it!!

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[piratetoothgir]

Well, everyone. They loved it! Raw shrimp was completely gone, no trace of it yet.
The veggies got used pretty roughly, but not as much as the fruit and nuts.

[GotButterflies]

My crabs love this...it's definitely a great way to see what they do and don't like!! I use small shells, because sometimes the hermits drag them off into their holes!!

You can do it the way Stella does it, or you can mix individual plates, so that the food groups are on each one - this way each crab has the opportunity of having all of the food groups when he/she finds a shell

[piratetoothgir]

I have seen people using paint palletes to offer individual sections of food, very clever!
@hermiesguardian uses plastic paint trays, I saw them in a photo.

[Hermiesguardian]

I have seen people using paint palletes to offer individual sections of food, very clever!
@hermiesguardian uses plastic paint trays, I saw them in a photo.

Actually I don't anymore. Lol. I read that it may be slippery for them so I switched to small terra cotta saucers. I wish I could find smaller than 4". I use 2 now, for the foraging effect. And a shell for either peanut butter or honey.

[piratetoothgir]

I have seen people using paint palletes to offer individual sections of food, very clever!
@hermiesguardian uses plastic paint trays, I saw them in a photo.

Actually I don't anymore. Lol. I read that it may be slippery for them so I switched to small terra cotta saucers. I wish I could find smaller than 4". I use 2 now, for the foraging effect. And a shell for either peanut butter or honey.

That’s what those are for!

[mlakers]

Actually I don't anymore. Lol. I read that it may be slippery for them so I switched to small terra cotta saucers. I wish I could find smaller than 4". I use 2 now, for the foraging effect. And a shell for either peanut butter or honey.

Not trying to push anything here, @StellaCrab, but I'm a potter and use terra cotta for everything I make. If you want something smaller than 4", that's a snap, glazed or unglazed, any size or shape. Custom shapes are okay, too, within reason. If you can sketch it, I can make it.

[Hermiesguardian]

I have seen people using paint palletes to offer individual sections of food, very clever!
@hermiesguardian uses plastic paint trays, I saw them in a photo.

Actually I don't anymore. Lol. I read that it may be slippery for them so I switched to small terra cotta saucers. I wish I could find smaller than 4". I use 2 now, for the foraging effect. And a shell for either peanut butter or honey.

Well, I went back to the paint pallet.

[Hermiesguardian]

Actually I don't anymore. Lol. I read that it may be slippery for them so I switched to small terra cotta saucers. I wish I could find smaller than 4". I use 2 now, for the foraging effect. And a shell for either peanut butter or honey.

Not trying to push anything here, @StellaCrab, but I'm a potter and use terra cotta for everything I make. If you want something smaller than 4", that's a snap, glazed or unglazed, any size or shape. Custom shapes are okay, too, within reason. If you can sketch it, I can make it.

Actually it was me, hermiesgaurdian, that wrote that about the clay saucers. Stella was quoting me. But very cool! How much would you charge for a couple small dishes let's say?

[mlakers]

Oops! @hermiesgaurdian I lost track of the threads (happens to me a lot, I fear).

It depends on how specialized you want the dishes to be. If you just want simple, small, and round (with no glaze), I can produce those for $4 each. And if they are small enough, they'll fit in a small flat-rate box and ship for $7, priority mail. (I can do glazes and custom shapes, too, but those take additional time and would cost just a bit more. I do think a glazed interior is nice, though--so much easier to clean and keep clean. I have food-safe glazes in all sorts of colors, both natural shades and primary colors.)

[Hermiesguardian]

Oops! @hermiesgaurdian I lost track of the threads (happens to me a lot, I fear).

It depends on how specialized you want the dishes to be. If you just want simple, small, and round (with no glaze), I can produce those for $4 each. And if they are small enough, they'll fit in a small flat-rate box and ship for $7, priority mail. (I can do glazes and custom shapes, too, but those take additional time and would cost just a bit more. I do think a glazed interior is nice, though--so much easier to clean and keep clean. I have food-safe glazes in all sorts of colors, both natural shades and primary colors.)

Lol. No problem. I will certainly keep this in mind. And I have found that the unglazed saucers are very difficult to clean.