HCA: Hermit Crab Association

1. I have a bunch of leaves in the yard that are on the safe food list. How would I go about harvesting them and feeding to the crabs. Do I give them freshly washed, dried out, baked, etc? Any over detailed directions would be helpful. (Ex. Step one, pick the leaf off the tree.)2. I know there are a ton of meats that are safe to give the little guys, but I was never clear... Do they need to be raw or cooked?3. I know the fellows like variety, but how much variety each day do you recommend? One protein and one fruit or veggie and....? Also, how often do you change it up for them? Are they going to be indignant if they have to eat the same food a few days in a row? (A little crabby voice chirps, "Leftovers again! What is wrong with this woman!")4. Every morning I find the food trampled, so I know they have been there, but it doesn't really look like the food is gone. How much should I be feeding them and how much do they typically eat? I have 3 medium/small PP.5. What consistency should the food be? Does it need to be pulverized or are they pretty good at biting or pinching it down to size? For instance, would small piece of carrot be good or would I need to cook and mash it? Can I stick a piece of cuttle bone in there or does it need to be ground up?Thanks in advance for your help. I did try to look for the answers first in the forums, but I fear I am one of those quirky people that way overthinks things.

LOL. I too prefer really over detailed directions sometimes!1) if your lawn is free of pesticide and herbicide use, gather leaves on or off the trees. Mine like the sticks with leaves as well as both fresh and dried leaves. I than fill the sink with water and appropriate declor and add the leaves. I rinse well and inspect each leaf for bugs, bug eggs, etc. since I dont really know too much about bug eggs anything that looks suspicious gets tossed in the mulch pile. I then put them on towels to dry. I will put a small handful in the tanks and then put the rest into mason jars once they are completely dry.2) they can have meat raw or cooked. Generally I cook for my safety more so than theirs.3) variety is important to meet nutritional needs. You don't want to serve the same food closer than 48 hours apart. I usually feed one protein source, one fruit or veggie, one grain each day trying not to repeat any during the week.4) they eat very little most of the time. I put about a teaspoon or two of each food, sometimes they eat it all, sometimes none.5) with mine, some of my crabs like to tear things apart, some prefer things pulverized. I just do a variety of things. It seems though that pellet food even if it doesn't have bad stuff in it, is impossible for smaller crabs to eat. Who knew?On the topic, when I travel, I have a petsitter come in every other day and put in dry foods that I keep regularly in mixes I prepare each week in large pill sorters. Just as a thought.Did I cover it? Did I miss anything?

Most of the time I do 3 or 4 different items each about the size of a pea or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon. If they eat all of it in one day then I put more food in if I notice they didn't I leave it for one more day never leaving longer than that. My crabs prefer the calcium/cuttlebone or whatever in more of a powder form, but they will munch on it if I just put in a small piece. Pretty much anything can be given raw or cooked just make sure that you don't use any seasoning when its cooked. I cook everything like geranium said so I don't have to worry about all the bacteria that is left behind or gets on the crabs from raw meats, but most of the veggies are given raw or sometimes I use dehydrated or freeze dried items if I can't feed them for a couple days or if I'm in a hurry.

I pick up organic baby foods and freeze them in Baggies and break off chunks when needed. I don't put to much thought into the feeding them. I go bike riding I see purple flower clover I will go grab a bunch and soak in their water in a jar for several hours, same with dandelions., pull the whole thing up and out rinse it off and soak it. Leaves, mine like them dried out, the drier the crunchier, I take small pieces of bark boil the crap out of them with their water and let it dry...I buy small pkg of walnut unseasoned meats and use it.Sometimes crab will go with out eating. They don't eat my much either