Here is the diet I use for my crabs. It's super easy because I keep it bulk in the freezer and just scoop some out as needed. I'm sort of a 'plop' and 'glop' cook so I'm not sure the exact measurement I used for each ingredient, but I will estimate for the purpose of this post. :) The crabs really like this stuff, but be warned that it is fishy smelling if allowed to get moist, so I try to put a very small amount out at a time and replace it every two days. I have eight crabs and they will only eat about a tablespoon's amount in that time period.
Ok, here goes:
- container of San Francisco Bay freeze-dried mysis shrimp
- container of San Francisco Bay freeze-dried bloodworms (you can also use ground-up freeze-dried mealworms seen sold for outdoor bird treats. I used that last time.)
-container of JurassiDiet Hermit Crab Food (their favorite brand)
-container of Zoo Med Natural Box Turtle Food (oddly they like this)
- bag of Zilla Freeze-Dried Reptile Munchies Fruit Mix
-two cups (approx) grated carrot (important for bright coloring in Ecuadorians and strawberries)
-two cups ground corn (good for crabs supposedly)
-two cups powdered peanut butter (its easier for everything to be dry and gook-free)
-two cups dried alfalfa... not required as the box turtle food already has a high content of it
-a cup or so crumbled walnuts (plain/raw)
-a cup or so sliced almonds (plain/raw)
-a cup or so shredded coconut (plain/raw)
-a cup or so powdered Spirolina or kelp
Where to get these ingredients:
-grocery store (carrots/nuts)
-health food store (Spirolina/kelp)
-Amazon (big containers of freeze-dried stuff)
-Petco (box turtle food, hermit pellets... though I bought mine from Amazon)
-garden/birding section of hardware store (for mealworms)
Stuff I might add in later:
-dried chamomile (they love chamomile)
-grated parmesan cheese (just a bit)
-bone meal
-freeze-dried mealworms
-some boiled/dried/ground up oak leaves... they (love) oak leaves, and it makes them get this nice roasted brown coloring... though they probably better enjoy them strewn over their bedding...
- container of San Francisco Bay freeze-dried mysis shrimp
- container of San Francisco Bay freeze-dried bloodworms (you can also use ground-up freeze-dried mealworms seen sold for outdoor bird treats. I used that last time.)
-container of JurassiDiet Hermit Crab Food (their favorite brand)
-container of Zoo Med Natural Box Turtle Food (oddly they like this)
- bag of Zilla Freeze-Dried Reptile Munchies Fruit Mix
-two cups (approx) grated carrot (important for bright coloring in Ecuadorians and strawberries)
-two cups ground corn (good for crabs supposedly)
-two cups powdered peanut butter (its easier for everything to be dry and gook-free)
-two cups dried alfalfa... not required as the box turtle food already has a high content of it
-a cup or so crumbled walnuts (plain/raw)
-a cup or so sliced almonds (plain/raw)
-a cup or so shredded coconut (plain/raw)
-a cup or so powdered Spirolina or kelp
Where to get these ingredients:
-grocery store (carrots/nuts)
-health food store (Spirolina/kelp)
-Amazon (big containers of freeze-dried stuff)
-Petco (box turtle food, hermit pellets... though I bought mine from Amazon)
-garden/birding section of hardware store (for mealworms)
Stuff I might add in later:
-dried chamomile (they love chamomile)
-grated parmesan cheese (just a bit)
-bone meal
-freeze-dried mealworms
-some boiled/dried/ground up oak leaves... they (love) oak leaves, and it makes them get this nice roasted brown coloring... though they probably better enjoy them strewn over their bedding...
Feeding crabs is sort of an experiment. They eat only a little, they like variety, and stuff goes rotten in their hot humid cage before they can to get to it. I like having everything dry so it stays fresh longer, and having a lot of things mixed up in itty bitty crumbs means each scoop is not like the last so they are more willing to eat it. (Also fishy peanut buttery stuff gets them going... so they appreciate it in their food- I like that it's dry and a bit less stinky.)
Happy hermit feeding!
Happy hermit feeding!