Categorized food list

mom_0f_3 · Post by **mom_0f_3** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:56 am

I have tried several differnt kinds of fresh fruits and fresh foods for my hermies (4 hermies) and they won't eat them. I am at a loss as to what to try for them. We have tried apples, grapes, kiwi, melons (several varieties), pineapple, strawberries, have also tried carrots, both cooked and raw meats and they won't touch them except to walk right over the top of them. The only thing that I have found that they will eat well so far is 1 of them loves the FMR Land Hermit crab treat, and they all love Flukers Medley Treat (found in the turtle foods it is a blend of freeze dried crickets, meal worms, and shrimp). Do you have any suggestions as to what else to try?

Irun26pt2 · Post by **Irun26pt2** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:25 am

Mom of 3 my crabs also love the FMR fruit treat and prefer it to fresh fruit. I've gotten most of my hermit food from an online store called The Hermit Crab Patch. She has dinner mixes which contain freeze-dried plants, proteins and minerals that the crabs need ( either the Staple mix or the Crabby Din Din) plus she has tons of other mixes that are fruits, veggies, nuts or bugs. The mixes last a really, really long time. In addition, you can get organic baby foods, put them in a tiny ice cube tray and freeze it, then offer a small cube of a baby food mixture along with your dried foods. Honey (organic), peanut butter and applesauce are other good "fresh" food alternatives. and I'll still put small amounts of fresh fruits/veggies in the food dish a few times per week. They do eat tiny amounts of it.One more thing - be sure to keep a dish of worm castings out at all times (also can get at THCP store) and a calcium source (like sand dollars, cuttlebone or oyster shells).

mom_0f_3 · Post by **mom_0f_3** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:37 am

Thank you. I have wondered about the baby food but I wasn't sure so I'll be sure to try that with them as well as checking out the Hermit Crab Patch again.

Rachel Lillie · Post by **Rachel Lillie** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:19 am

Mom of 3, dont give up on the fresh fruits and veggies just yet. Mine love zucchini fresh as well as raw shrimp from the butcher maybe give it a whirl. I have noticed mine like the fresh foods more and more the more times I offer them. I have recently (this week infact) begun feeding them mixes I purchased online (from the hermit crab patch) The crabs love them so much. Just keep trying things eventually they will like something and grow to like others. Also nuts, crush them up and put a little oil or honey with them. Mine love when I do that with sunflower seeds as well.

jules_LHC · Post by **jules_LHC** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:32 am

I was wondering about the olive oil. How do you serve it to the crabs?

dylan644 · Post by **dylan644** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:56 pm

I don't use it myself, but people use it as the safe alternative of other oils. We fry up eggs and pop popcorn...the stuff we would normally do just without the seasonings so it is crab safe. I guess you could drizzle just a little bit on the food they eat like lettuce, or grass.

mom_0f_3 · Post by **mom_0f_3** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:21 pm

They have finally started eating fresh apples and some bell pepper. I guess its a game of keep trying until you find what they like...the search continues

CrabbieLover1031:D · Post by **CrabbieLover1031:D** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:10 am

Does anyone know of any foods that offer straight chitin (the vitamin crabs get from eating their exoskeleton after molting) besides shrimp exo and lobster tails. Would smashed crab leg work?

Crabby Abby · Post by **Crabby Abby** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:01 am

Lola put together a partial list on her Hermit Crab Cuisine site. http://hermitcrabcuisine.com/blog5.php/chitin/

Rachel Lillie · Post by **Rachel Lillie** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:12 am

I thought that sunflower oil was also safe (not just the seeds) if this is not true someone please correct meI offer sunflower seeds crushed and sometimes add a little sunflower oil to them to make it more of a paste, and it seems to increase thier liking of it. But if it isn't safe then they will have to do without.

dylan644 · Post by **dylan644** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:09 am

According to Epicurean Hermit the flower, leaves and sees are safe. Nothing on the oil though.

mom_0f_3 · Post by **mom_0f_3** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:49 am

So I have my dehydrator now and I am thinking about doing a dehydrated flower mix for the crabs...any suggestions on what all flowers to put in it? I was thinking dandelion, day lilly, hibiscus and rose...any others that you think should be put in?

ashdawn14 · Post by **ashdawn14** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:30 am

On the olive oil question, I chop up various veggies (like carrots, celery, lettuce, etc) with mushroom and crushed soy nuts or pistachio and mix just a little bit of olive oil into it (1/8 of a teaspoon or less). The crabs LOVE it. In fact, it's the only way I can get them to eat carrots.You just want to be careful not to have too much in there. Olive oil is fine for eating, but if it gets in their shells or on their gills, it can possibly lead to gill infection (according to several more experienced crabbers here, at least).

dylan644 · Post by **dylan644** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:52 am

I don't have any idea why I didn't put this together before. Sunflower oil is taken from the seeds. If the seeds are safe then the oil harvested from them is safe too.

Christi · Post by **Christi** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:11 pm

Bamboo... could I put the leaves from a plant that needs to be trimmed in there or do they need the whole plant?The veggies - does it matter if they are cooked/raw?