HCA: Hermit Crab Association

For those of you who asked for my crabs diet, this is pretty much what they are fed weekly, though the fresh foods change from week to week. I always include 2 food dishes in each 'tat: 1 for kibbles & 1 for mainly fresh foods. I change out their foods every other day. With EVERY feeding, I make sure that they receive at least one serving of:
calcium
protein
spirulina

I make two homemade kibbles: "Greens & Stuff" and "Fruit & Fiber". (ingredients for those will be listed at the bottom of this post.) With each feeding, my crabs get one of my homemade kibbles, as well as other dried kibbles that I purchase from other crabbers, and a calcium source in their dried dish. I have a food dehydrator, so I dry most of my own fruits & veggies.

I will list all the known color enhancers with a "*".

Here is a week's worth of my crabs diet. Here we go!!!...........

Days 1 & 2:
Dry Dish: "Fruit & Fiber", Happy Hermit's "Colorful Crabby", Dried Spinach, and Crushed Oyster Shell.
Fresh Dish: Dried Hibiscus Flowers (from my back yard), Dried Red Peppers*, Dried Jalapenos*, Silversides, Dried Mango*, Dried Papaya*.







Days 3 & 4:
Dry Dish: "Greens & Stuff", "Epicurean Staple Food", Powdered Cuttlebone with Hibiscus Powder.
Fresh Dish: I created this "Walk-in-the-Woods" combo for my PPs, but all the species enjoy this "woodsy" meal! Dried Oak Leaves, Oak Twigs & Bark, Smashed Acorns, Live Moss*, Mushrooms, Blueberries*, Mealworms, all sprinkled with earthworm castings from the Crabbage Patch.






Days 5 & 6:
Dry Dish: "Fruit & Fiber", Crabotanicals "Spiced Pumpkin", Powdered Cuttlebone mixed with kelp powder.
Fresh Dish: All-natural Tuna Flakes, Frozen Mysis Shrimp Cubes, Honey-glazed Carrots*, Parsley*, Green Peppers*.



Kathy's Kibble Ingredients:


"Green & Stuff":
Greens~
Papaya Leaf*, Blackberry Leaf*, Red Clover Leaf & Flowers, Parsley*
Grains~
Wheat Germ, Cornmeal*, Millet
Fruit & Veggies~
Raisins*, Dried Coconut Flakes, Shitake Mushroom Pieces
Proteins~
Dried Crystal Shrimp, Dried Baby Shrimp, Dried Bloodworms
Seaweed~
Dulce Flakes, Bladderwrack, Kelp Powder*, Spanish Moss Powder
Misc~
Cuttlebone, Spirulina Powder*, Aztaxanthin Powder*, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Palm Oil

"Fruit & Fiber":
Greens~
Cilantro*, Cholera Powder*, Strawberry Leaf
Fruits~
Dried Golden Raisins*, Papaya*, Pineapple, Apricots*, Cranberries, Dates, Figs, Mulberries, Apples, & Coconut.
Nuts & Seeds (protein)~
Ground black walnuts, almonds, pecans, dried soy nuts, flaxseed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Flowers~
Red Roses*, Hibiscus*, Elder, Jasmine, Powdered Pink Roses
Grains~
Oatmeal, Brown Rice
Misc~
Cuttlebone, bee pollen, powdered honey, Coconut Oil

Basically, my hermies could survive on just my two kibbles, as they have all the basic food groups in them, plus oils & items native to their habitats. The recipies sound extensive, but I make enough food to last me about 8 months, plus I also supply my friends Dianna, Linda, & also Brandi. So, I make a lot of food!

I buy the ingredients from our local health food store, and also Mountain Rose Herbs, Hermit Crab Addiction, The Happy Hermit, Crabbage Patch, and an organic Ebay store. Most, but not all, of my ingredients are organic.

So, any questions????

Thank you for making the menu that I requested. I'll have to put in substitutes until I get ALL that stuff. It's no wonder you've got such pretty crabs with all those littl red * all over the place!

Kathy, this is fabulous!
Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge with all of us.

Is there any reason why I couldn't use olive (EVOO) or veggy oil when I mix up some of my dry ingredients?

I don't have any coconut or palm oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is fine! In fact, it is one of the oils I use in my "Greens & Stuff". The reason I started adding oils, and also the reason I buy so many of Narnar's foods, is that I truly believe it has helped my straws with their very stressful molts. As soon as I started adding more oils to their foods, the straw molts went smoother. Could just be coincidence, but I am not going to change things around again to test the theory!

Very cool Kathy! Thanks!

(although, you are just as anal with their food as you are with lining up their shells!!! LOL!)

Ima gonna hafta bookmark this one; thanx *Kathy*

You are very welcome, my darlings!!!

Wickie??? I am NOT anal at all, you beastie woman!!! It was YOU who kept ME on the phone through an entire straw molt, as I recall!

Tetra, dear, you can substitute away, and still get similar color effect. Just make sure to sub in some color enhancers to your everyday feedings.

Joy, you are sucking up again! Believe me, I will continue to fix your technical difficulties....you don't have to praise me. (Just buy me those Prada shoes & Versaci skirt I've been wanting, and we'll be fair & square!)



And, Wickie?!??!?!? Take some "sugar" lessons from the Mud-Dude! He is always nice to me, and I don't even spend hours on the phone with him, debating the consistency of his substrate, like I do with some people!!! [smilie=plbbt.gif]

Delayed duplicate post? What is up with that???[smilie=confused.gif]

Some days, I think little gremlins take over the HCA controls just to mess with my threads!!!

Me thinks that Mud got her all in a tizzy & her finger twitched 1 too many times!

Ok girlie, I'll try to find you some "Prada" shells in Hawaii next week when I'm there!

The menu is up! My crabs will be delighted to see this.

That is a really good menu, *Kathy*! There are so many good foods on there. I think I might have to try a few of the * foods to get them looking bettere.

*Kathy* wrote:You are very welcome, my darlings!!!

Wickie??? I am NOT anal at all, you beastie woman!!! It was YOU who kept ME on the phone through an entire straw molt, as I recall!

Tetra, dear, you can substitute away, and still get similar color effect. Just make sure to sub in some color enhancers to your everyday feedings.

Joy, you are sucking up again! Believe me, I will continue to fix your technical difficulties....you don't have to praise me. (Just buy me those Prada shoes & Versaci skirt I've been wanting, and we'll be fair & square!)



And, Wickie?!??!?!? Take some "sugar" lessons from the Mud-Dude! He is always nice to me, and I don't even spend hours on the phone with him, debating the consistency of his substrate, like I do with some people!!! [smilie=plbbt.gif]

BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! Ya knows I luvs ya, silly woman!

(And it wasn't the ENTIRE straw molt...just the ATTACK and aftermath....lol!)



*blows versaci and prada kisses*

This is AWESOME, Kathy! Thank you so much for doing this for us. And thank you, Kili for requesting it.

Momma, why are you giving Kili credit? I requested it first!!!

^^^

[smilie=confused.gif]