HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello all!

I originally bought 'green marine algae' for my saltwater hermit crabs, but as they sadly died I am left with an entire bag full of Seaweed. I can't find any topics on seaweed for terrestrial hermit crabs. Does anybody have experience with this? Thanks.

Here is a link to the seaweed type I have.
https://www.amazon.com/San-Francisco-Br ... 331&sr=8-3

And also say the hermit crabs bred (This is my goal). Can I feed the Zoea seaweed as well? (Because then I could save some for IF that ever happens )

Thanks

Check the Safe Foods List. You can feed seaweed to hermit crabs, but zoea are too small. Trying to break the sheets into pieces small enough isn't worth the effort, in my opinion.

JoeHermits wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 10, 2020 5:06 pm

Check the Safe Foods List. You can feed seaweed to hermit crabs, but zoea are too small. Trying to break the sheets into pieces small enough isn't worth the effort, in my opinion.

I just put a sheet in and my hermit crabs love it! I did check the safe food list but couldn't find seaweed on there, but thanks for the information.

But is it edible for Zoea? I was thinking I could just clip a pice on to the glass and they could pick on it as a snack while I am at school (or just gone in general).

Zoea feed on small particles picked up by the current.

More typical zoea foods include baby brine shrimp and phytoplankton that are microscopic or near so that fit in their mouths.


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For raising Zoea this would probably still be way to big for them to eat as Joe stated. Most people add micro algae like Spirulina, Phytoplankton or Nannochloropsis to the water. People also raise brine shrimp to add to the water as food as well. The hardest part is constant upkeep and refreshing the water daily. It gets to be rather pricey unless you make the micro algae yourself.

Mary Akers is the one to really explain everything in more detail. Over the last few years she has successfully reared hundreds or well over a thousand of zoea to become baby hermit crabs! Reading her blogs really shows how much work it really takes. https://maryakers.com/

Motörcrab wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 10, 2020 6:05 pm

For raising Zoea this would probably still be way to big for them to eat as Joe stated. Most people add micro algae like Spirulina, Phytoplankton or Nannochloropsis to the water. People also raise brine shrimp to add to the water as food as well. The hardest part is constant upkeep and refreshing the water daily. It gets to be rather pricey unless you make the micro algae yourself.

Mary Akers is the one to really explain everything in more detail. Over the last few years she has successfully reared hundreds or well over a thousand of zoea to become baby hermit crabs! Reading her blogs really shows how much work it really takes. https://maryakers.com/

Then maybe I can feed it once they are big enough to get their mouths around it.

Mary Akers's blog inspired me to try to start breeding. Her blog is the very first thing I read. That's when I got interested in making a bioactive, to 'promote' them to do... stuff. I am fully aware of the difficulty of raising babies. I've already made the holding space for the Zoea, talked to a pet store to help me adopt them out IF they get to land. I know its a bit early to think about all this, as they generally start mating in June-July, I'm just trying to prepare myself. . I mean, I don't even know if they will mate (although one of my males has started to show guarding behaviors to one of my females) And I certainly don't know if I myself will be able rear them, let alone bring them to land. Although it's worth a shot if it means that captive-bred hermit crabs will go to a home that will properly take care of them, and if the pet store in my town starts selling captive breeds instead of wild-caughts. But I mean, that's just my thought, my goal. does not have to work out.

I think this is the same kind I have from one of the Etsy shops. I feed it to my crew.
Edit to add: I just put a scoop into their food dish with their other foods. I offer some type of seaweed at all times.

Good luck in your breeding endeavors. My strawberries mated last year, I had zoea and mine only made it about 10 days.

If you are every successful I highly recommend contacting organizations that will help find them proper homes within the hermit crab community. Similar to what Mary has done with her captive bred babies. By selling them within the community will raise their price and help to label them as an exotic pet. Perhaps some day Crab Con can be in your city as an adoption event. My thoughts are if they would go to a pet store they will still get improper care and a majority of them will die.

We adoped some of Mary's babies last year. Even at a year old they are adorable and truly amazing little creatures.

The zoeae won’t have any way to eat this during the first stages when they only catch microalgae, etc, as others have said. But if you get them to megalopa stage, they will happily eat this with their brand new claws. And it’s really nutritious for your adult land hermit crabs. Good luck!

Motörcrab wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 10, 2020 8:13 pm

Good luck in your breeding endeavors. My strawberries mated last year, I had zoea and mine only made it about 10 days.

If you are every successful I highly recommend contacting organizations that will help find them proper homes within the hermit crab community. Similar to what Mary has done with her captive bred babies. By selling them within the community will raise their price and help to label them as an exotic pet. Perhaps some day Crab Con can be in your city as an adoption event. My thoughts are if they would go to a pet store they will still get improper care and a majority of them will die.

We adoped some of Mary's babies last year. Even at a year old they are adorable and truly amazing little creatures.

Thank you for the tip . If I do manage to bring some crabs to land, I will definitely look for an organization. I think I would probably adopt some out on HCA. That being said because I know that every member here is properly informed with correct care/information. I NEVER want any crab to live a life of improper care.

Gosh, I hope someday I am lucky enough to attend a Crab Con, let alone have one in my own town!

Although If I were to sell them to any pet store, It would be this small-business that I work at. That being because I would be the one taking care of them. Although by your text above, I realize that they would probably still go to an uneducated home...

I hope someday I can adopt a 'Mary' baby crab! That would be awesome...