Hermit Crab only eats coconut?

[jwhite1083]

I've been offering a variety of foods to my hermit crab, Mr. Shy.

Foods I've offered include the following:

dried shrimp
kombu seaweed
boiled egg
cuttlebone shavings
oak leaves
maple leaves
carrot shavings

But there's one treat that is preferred over all else and that's coconut shavings. Fresh ones.

I've checked daily to see if the little guy was eating anything else and I can't see any sign. Maybe he's eating the cocofiber substrate? I put in a small strip of coconut and sure enough I checked and he's tearing into it at mid afternoon. Meanwhile, every thing is as it was when I put it in there.

I don't want my little guy to get undernourished. I would like to stick as close to its natural diet as possible. I'm going to try mango next.

[wodesorel]

In the wild they have access to a vast array of plant, insect and scavenged meals. In captivity we can only offer so much, but the more diverse their diet, the better it is for them. Try all manor of fruits, and dried seafood and insects. We're not going to get the same things they have in their natural diet, but it will be similar even if the sources are foreign to them. Studies have shown they prefer to not eat the same things within a 24 hour period so long as they have similar options, ie two different fruits, to different meats.

That said, they can go on binges. They know what they're doing and while different items should be offered there may be no getting them to stop for a while. I've found new crabs often want fresh coconut more than anything. It's high in fats, oils, sugars, complex carbs, and has a surprising amount of vitamins and minerals and even protein. That's a ton of good nutrition, in an easy meal. The only thing better for them IMO is bee pollen.

[Giner13]

In the wild they have access to a vast array of plant, insect and scavenged meals. In captivity we can only offer so much, but the more diverse their diet, the better it is for them. Try all manor of fruits, and dried seafood and insects. We're not going to get the same things they have in their natural diet, but it will be similar even if the sources are foreign to them. Studies have shown they prefer to not eat the same things within a 24 hour period so long as they have similar options, ie two different fruits, to different meats.

That said, they can go on binges. They know what they're doing and while different items should be offered there may be no getting them to stop for a while. I've found new crabs often want fresh coconut more than anything. It's high in fats, oils, sugars, complex carbs, and has a surprising amount of vitamins and minerals and even protein. That's a ton of good nutrition, in an easy meal. The only thing better for them IMO is bee pollen.

Where is the best place to find fresh coconut and/or bee pollen? I don't want to get anything too processed lol

[soilentgringa]

@Giner13 You should be able to find coconut at the grocery store. I know our local Wal*mart even sells fresh coconuts that you can just crack open and throw in the tank... our crabs love them.

If you are looking for flakes, just look at the ingredients. As long as the only listed ingredient is coconut, you're good. Bee pollen is normally sold at the more "health centric" food stores, like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, etc. You may also be able to find it at a vitamin store.

If you have a local apiary near you, you could possibly get some there from the beekeepers.

[jwhite1083]

Really! Wow! Now I feel bad for trying to feed them other things because I thought they were going to starve. I had no idea coconuts were so nutritious!

Thank you so much! I'm learning so much about them.

This morning I'm going to offer them more coconut and shrimps along with scraps from my kitchen.

Collard green leaves, some pieces of apple and carrot. Mostly different things.

All genereously sprinkled with cuttlebone powder.

I'm looking for my other teeny guy today and I don't see him. Maybe after binging on coconut he went down to molt. We'll see.

[Giner13]

@Giner13 You should be able to find coconut at the grocery store. I know our local Wal*mart even sells fresh coconuts that you can just crack open and throw in the tank... our crabs love them.

If you are looking for flakes, just look at the ingredients. As long as the only listed ingredient is coconut, you're good. Bee pollen is normally sold at the more "health centric" food stores, like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, etc. You may also be able to find it at a vitamin store.

If you have a local apiary near you, you could possibly get some there from the beekeepers.

Thanks soilentgringa! I'll keep an eye out

[Jedi Sena]

Your offerings are great! Keep offering a variety, even if he isn't interested. Good quality coconut is a great thing for him to binge on so keep it coming! I might lace it with some spirulina myself. But at least he's not fixated on Cheerios or something starchy. Drizzling a little honey on new foods may get him interested too!

[SHERRYCOOPER5]

I am happy to hear that coconut is so good for our hermit crabs because although I do offer a variety of fresh foods and organically prepared Hermit Crab Foods to my PP's daily, coconut seems to be what they always eat. I also notice that they eat the unsalted sunflower kernels and the organic carrots shreds everyday too. Interesting : )

[Jedi Sena]

SHERRYCOOPER5 brings up a good point. Sunflower seeds or really any oily seed or nut is always a favorite food in my tank. I think oils is something we don't yet fully appreciate for crabs, but they do. IMO we should be offering more fattys and oils. I think walnut may be more of a favorite in my tank than coconut.

[Kermie16]

Our guys' favorites over anything else in the tank:
Popcorn, coconuts, walnuts. All the time. Other foods offered are completely ignored if any of those are in the tank! Lol! Pretty funny to see their preferences! But I figure if we continue to give options, they will eventually eat the other stuff too - kind of like toddlers.

[Giner13]

Mine really enjoy the nuts too. As well as dried greens, rose petals, moss & coconut!


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[SHERRYCOOPER5]

Oh the other day I picked a little rose flower, stem and a few leaves and Mini absolutely loved it-she picked at it for the entire evening and probably even after I went to bed. I put a daylilly in for them but they didn't seem to like it and after a few days I took it out. I think they are like little kids and we do need to keep offering all kinds of different foods, safe plants, nuts and flowers for them.

[LindaLou]

When they are done picking the coconut out of the husk how long should I bake it before putting it back in for a hide?