foods hermit crabs like

Brittanybaby22 · Post by **Brittanybaby22** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 6:20 pm

I am trying to feed dwebble different kinds of foods that are good for him bit I dont have any money to buy online I want to try flowers and dried fruit and dried veggies

kip.rogers357 · Post by **kip.rogers357** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 8:08 pm

It is hard to buy online when money is tight! The best thing to do is to save your scraps and make them something out of that. Fruits, veggies, meats, eggshells, etc.
I just chop up a little of everything and throw it in the blender with just a bit of fresh water, then I pour it out on some cookie sheets, add chicken bones, freeze them, then cut them into "dish sized" portions. With it being so slimy and stinky they are interested in what it is and devour it all within minutes, then they get to haul away the chicken bones.
I also dehydrate stuff like leaves and rose petals to make them some dry mixes, making sure to add really stinky things like dehydrated bugs and shrimp so that it'll get them interested! Sprinkle on some coconut flakes & egg shell, plus spirulina powder and they have no choice but to eat it!
Have you taken a look at THIS? It's a great guide to follow, or at least use as an outline as to what you can feed.
Harvestables are definitely the way to go! Just make sure nothing has been sprayed with pesticides or anything like that.

Drakezilla · Post by **Drakezilla** » Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:23 pm

Oh wow! They must love that! Kip, I read something online though that recommended not to cut up their food because of the enrichment they lose in tearing it up, is that true? I've cut mines up for years and I was just curious.

kip.rogers357 · Post by **kip.rogers357** » Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:12 pm

Drakezilla wrote:Oh wow! They must love that! Kip, I read something online though that recommended not to cut up their food because of the enrichment they lose in tearing it up, is that true? I've cut mines up for years and I was just curious.

They do love it!
I'm not sure about that, I've never heard it before. I too, however, have been cutting it up for years. I mean they do occasionally get whole stuff like fruit/veggies, or the occasional chicken breast, chicken fat, or a whole fish from the Mimbres river. I'm not too sure though, maybe Wode can fill us in...?

MuseCrazy · Post by **MuseCrazy** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 3:19 pm

For the small/micro crabs it's necessary to cut their food to a manageable size, but the bigger guys do like to rip their food apart, or crowd around a corn on the cob and feast lol.

Drakezilla · Post by **Drakezilla** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:18 pm

Wow! They look like they're having a blast! Mine loves whole shrimp, he went under last week to molt and he wanted to take the remainder of the shrimp he'd had for dinner under with him!

moonbeam · Post by **moonbeam** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:21 pm

I put another chicken bone in there last night and it's gone again. That makes 3 missing chicken bones in my tank. I'm thinking someone is feasting

love some of the ideas I've gotten from yall. My crabs are happy

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kip.rogers357 · Post by **kip.rogers357** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:39 pm

moonbeam wrote:I put another chicken bone in there last night and it's gone again. That makes 3 missing chicken bones in my tank. I'm thinking someone is feasting love some of the ideas I've gotten from yall. My crabs are happy

Chicken bones are definitely the way to go! It's awesome to see them tear into it with their claws!
I try to give them as many chicken bones (and fat) as I can, they gobble it all up! Plus I think it keeps them entertained.
Keep an eye out, one of these days you'll be doing tank maintenance or something and you'll find a piece of an old chicken bone. clean, plain, dry, won't even look like a bone!

moonbeam · Post by **moonbeam** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:46 pm

It's just awesome to see that someone actually took it and hid it. The only other thing that I've ever found in a maintenance cleaning are pecans and walnuts and I rarely see my crabs eat. I catch one here and there but that's it. I'm glad to know I'm putting things in that they're truly enjoying

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HCA: Hermit Crab Association