. Then came the adding of dechlorinated FW and EcoEarth, churning it all to sandcastle consistency and piling more and more in to get to the recommended depth. It was definitely the hardest part of setting up the crabitat for this arthritic senior!Re food: remember that Oliver needs calcium and protein in his diet, as well as fruits, grains, etc. As Oliver needs to "repair" himself in his next molt, he'll need to stock up on items like peanut butter and honey. As hermit crabs can eat almost everything we do (without seasonings and sauces, of course), it's easy to feed them right from your own 'fridge and pantry. For example, eggshells are an excellent source of calcium: rinsed out and dried, they can be crushed up and added to any dish of food; a fresh half-shell, still containing clear, gloppy albumin, is a marvelous source of calcium and protein so don't automatically throw out those shells when you're preparing eggs. Commercial hermit crab food is nutritionally poor and loaded with chemicals/preservatives. That said, there are a few out there that are actually good, i.e., Wardely's Dried Shrimp is 100% tiny shrimp, no additives, and is under $4 in Walmart's Aquarium section. Another standby is Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Medley (freeze-dried meal worms, shrimp and crickets): protein-rich and apparently quite tasty. You can make your own base dry mix from a blend of Wardley's, Fluker's, egg shells and old-fashioned oats or multigrain hot cereal (i.e., Bob's Red Mill).
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