Newbie, food clarification questions

[hprmom]

Okay, my questions are getting specific so I'm moving over from the new owners forum. On reviewing the safe food list, I'm tickled pink that hermit crabs can eat things that we normally keep in the house. I've done a few forum searches so I'm trying to ask questions I couldn't find specific answers for.

First -- how small do you cut food items for hermit crabs? Crush, crumble, dice, or do they like to nibble on large chunks?

Food on constant offer -- do you leave food down for 24 hours, or put it down at night and take it up in the morning?

Rinsing foods -- I'm assuming I should rinse with dechlorinated water, and not just run it under the tap?

Microwave cooking -- okay?

Dried fruit -- cranberries, raisins, etc. Are these just the same kind we get in bags at the grocery store, or the kind you buy in bulk at health food stores? We always have Ocean Spray on hand, the ingredients list says cranberries and sugar, is that okay? Same question for freeze dried fruit, regular store-bought bags okay?

Applesauce -- any kind? unsweetened, natural? I just looked at the strawberry applesauce my son prefers and it has high fructose corn syrup, I don't stress because he doesn't ingest them every day, but can the crabs eat it? I used to make my own applesauce, but I added a lot of brown sugar!

Vegetables -- Are bagged fresh/bagged frozen okay? I buy a lot of our veggies pre-packaged in the produce section, e.g, bag of cut carrots, "steam in bag" broccoli and green beans (NOT frozen). The ingredients just say "carrots" or "broccoli", but when we kept garden snails I noticed they didn't like bagged lettuce as much as a leaf from a loose bunch. I also buy anything we can't finish quickly frozen in bags. Do you offer veggies raw, cooked, both?

Dehydrated foods -- I might have to break out the dehydrator I've had sitting in storage for two years, looks like a good way to save fresh fruits/veggies that are on the decline. What percentage of their diet can be dehydrated/dried/freeze dried v. fresh?

Eggs/whites/shells -- I see people offer them boiled, scrambled, in one picture it looked like someone had a soft boiled egg on the half shell (my own favorite, lol). If I crack an egg to cook breakfast, can I just save the shell for the crabs' dinner? Do I need to prepare it in any way, e.g. rinse off the white, or give it to them with the white still wet, or leave the white on the shell to dry on the counter or in the fridge, or pop it in the oven to dry? Making eggshell powder for garden snails was a major pain, I had to get all the filmy white off so they would crush after baking, hoping it's easier for crabs!

Oats/oatmeal -- I've tossed in dry rolled oats. Do you also offer them cooked?

Quinoa/rice -- raw, cooked, both?

Seeds and nuts -- I usually have these either raw (almond, walnut) or roasted with no salt (sunflower, almond). Are roasted okay?

Honey/maple syrup -- just put in in a dish, or does it need to be drizzled on something they can pick up?

Fish/shrimp -- I often get these in IQF bags, and from a quick forum search it looks like salt on the ingredient list is okay. Do you offer these raw or cooked? If I'm sautéing fish in olive oil for my family, is that okay for the crabs as well (I'd do their piece unseasoned and remove from the pan before cooking my family dinner?

Oak leaves/acorns -- I have an endless supply in my yard. Fresh or dried leaves or both? Just crush the acorn and offer both shell and meat, or does it have to be prepared in any way?

Water -- If I mix up a half-gallon or gallon of freshwater and saltwater and use it up over the course of a week, is it okay for it to sit at room temp (73F right now) during that time?

I'm sure I'll think of more questions later. THANKS for your help!

[hprmom]

So the freeze dried strawberries I set out on the counter earlier started to rehydrate and now instead of a nice crispy treat they are chewy, lol. Perils of living in Central Florida, even in winter with the heat on the humidity in the house is 60%!

[wodesorel]

First -- how small do you cut food items for hermit crabs? Crush, crumble, dice, or do they like to nibble on large chunks?
~ I mostly do chunks, but I have larger crabs. They are capable of eating anything we put in there, so it's really owner choice on what is given.

Food on constant offer -- do you leave food down for 24 hours, or put it down at night and take it up in the morning?
~ They should pick throughout the day. I put down new food before lights out as that's when they're most active, and they have some available all the time.

Rinsing foods -- I'm assuming I should rinse with dechlorinated water, and not just run it under the tap?
~ Ideally, yes. I don't bother rinsing organic fruit and everything else I give is peeled so I don't actually rinse stuff, now that I think about it!

Microwave cooking -- okay?
~ Completely okay.

Dried fruit -- cranberries, raisins, etc. Are these just the same kind we get in bags at the grocery store, or the kind you buy in bulk at health food stores? We always have Ocean Spray on hand, the ingredients list says cranberries and sugar, is that okay? Same question for freeze dried fruit, regular store-bought bags okay?
~ Ideally, no extra sugars or additives. A little of bit of sugar or salt is okay now and then, as are things like Vitamin E or acetic acid as preservatives. If it's 100% dried fruit/veg then it's definitely safe for the crabs. Try the children's bags - there are lots of organic, fruit only treats at the grocery store!

Applesauce -- any kind? unsweetened, natural? I just looked at the strawberry applesauce my son prefers and it has high fructose corn syrup, I don't stress because he doesn't ingest them every day, but can the crabs eat it? I used to make my own applesauce, but I added a lot of brown sugar!
~ Unsweetened and natural. Again, too much sugar isn't good for them, and the the less processed the better.

Vegetables -- Are bagged fresh/bagged frozen okay? I buy a lot of our veggies pre-packaged in the produce section, e.g, bag of cut carrots, "steam in bag" broccoli and green beans (NOT frozen). The ingredients just say "carrots" or "broccoli", but when we kept garden snails I noticed they didn't like bagged lettuce as much as a leaf from a loose bunch. I also buy anything we can't finish quickly frozen in bags. Do you offer veggies raw, cooked, both?
~ I do raw veggies, and frozen is fine so long as nothing else is being added. Organic is best for the crabs, but it's not a must.

Dehydrated foods -- I might have to break out the dehydrator I've had sitting in storage for two years, looks like a good way to save fresh fruits/veggies that are on the decline. What percentage of their diet can be dehydrated/dried/freeze dried v. fresh?
~ It's more the variety they are getting than fresh vs. dried. So long as something is coming their way fresh/frozen once in a while they'll be okay. You can also chunk up fruit and veggies into meal sized portions and freeze it on a cookie sheet and then bag it. Some stuff freezes better (like citrus and peppers), some stuff dries better (like apples or carrots).

Eggs/whites/shells -- I see people offer them boiled, scrambled, in one picture it looked like someone had a soft boiled egg on the half shell (my own favorite, lol). If I crack an egg to cook breakfast, can I just save the shell for the crabs' dinner? Do I need to prepare it in any way, e.g. rinse off the white, or give it to them with the white still wet, or leave the white on the shell to dry on the counter or in the fridge, or pop it in the oven to dry? Making eggshell powder for garden snails was a major pain, I had to get all the filmy white off so they would crush after baking, hoping it's easier for crabs!
~ The crabs will eat anything you throw at them! You don't have to fuss unless you're worried about bacterial growth from the raw eggs. Only if you're going to store them long term do you need to make sure they are clean and dry. I personally pop them in the freezer for future use rather than go through the trouble of cleaning them off.

Oats/oatmeal -- I've tossed in dry rolled oats. Do you also offer them cooked?
~ Yes, they can be offered either way.

Quinoa/rice -- raw, cooked, both?
~ Both! Cooked gets more attention.

Seeds and nuts -- I usually have these either raw (almond, walnut) or roasted with no salt (sunflower, almond). Are roasted okay?
~ Yes, roasted is fine so long as it's all natural ingredients. Even some raw nuts have preservatives added or have been cleaned with chemicals. It'll say so in the ingredients.

Honey/maple syrup -- just put in in a dish, or does it need to be drizzled on something they can pick up?
~ Offering it straight up is fine, but they have a tendency to spill it or track it. Since it's so sticky, I personally drizzle it on other foods.

Fish/shrimp -- I often get these in IQF bags, and from a quick forum search it looks like salt on the ingredient list is okay. Do you offer these raw or cooked? If I'm sautéing fish in olive oil for my family, is that okay for the crabs as well (I'd do their piece unseasoned and remove from the pan before cooking my family dinner?
~ I personally do raw, but cooked is perfectly fine as well. And yes, so long as whatever is going on the item is crab safe, it can go to them.

Oak leaves/acorns -- I have an endless supply in my yard. Fresh or dried leaves or both? Just crush the acorn and offer both shell and meat, or does it have to be prepared in any way?
~ They'll appreciate them both fresh and dried! You can track bugs inside with the leaves and acorns - that won't hurt the crabs at all. If it bothers you then it should be heat treated by roasting on low heat in the oven or by being boiled. I toss stuff from outside right in my tank.

Water -- If I mix up a half-gallon or gallon of freshwater and saltwater and use it up over the course of a week, is it okay for it to sit at room temp (73F right now) during that time?
~ It doesn't seem to bother the crabs at all to have water that has been treated and sitting out. I personally make up fresh when I need it. Any water that is left at room temperature without chlorine will grow bacteria, so always wash your hands after using it!


I started buying organic fruit and veggies because of them and now do a LOT of kitchen trimmings for them. End of week lettuce? To the crabs. Apple cores? Crabs. Peeling an orange? Section to the crabs. Trimming meat for dinner? Chunk to the crabs. Bones leftover from braising? Chuck it in the tank. Unusable parts of a pepper? Crabs. They're basically a compost pile.

[hprmom]

@wodesorel, this is fantastic, thank you so much! A crustacean compost pile on a micro level, brilliant. For dinner tonight we had ramen with kale, tomato and hard boiled eggs, with watermelon for dessert; the hermit crabs are having the same (minus the noodles)! And I'm freezing the rest of the shells from the hard boiled eggs. This is way easier than feeding the garden snails, they were ridiculously picky!

I see rooibos on the safe food list, does this mean the hermies can have my tea leaves after I steep (in boiled tap water)?

Can they get too much of a good thing? The past two nights I put crushed turtlebone (cuttlebone) in a flat shell. The crabs took turns sitting on it and both times it was completely gone the next day. I'm thinking they're calcium starved, they didn't have the most well rounded diet before we adopted them (last Friday). I'm concerned getting too much all at once might upset their system, is that a concern? So I skipped it tonight, but they do have a bit of eggshell in their dish.

I know they don't eat much, but except for the cuttlebone the food dish has been looking exactly the same every morning until the last two mornings. Yesterday a shell dish with a bit of salmon (from a foil pouch) was spun around, though none seemed to be missing. Last night I replaced it with a bit of shrimp with broken up tail exo, and this morning the shell was not only spun around but half empty! We were out all afternoon and when we returned we found an exciting "crime scene" with bits of brown rice cake strewn about and a piece of shrimp dragged into the coco hut (the topmost shell in the photo was full of cuttlebone).



So we know at least Hermie is eating, and I've also seen him drinking freshwater. Herminy, on the other hand, I never see near water or food except the crushed cuttlebone. Anything to worry about?

Thanks again, your info is so good I pinned it!