What Should You Not Feed Hermit Crabs?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In general,

avoid onion, garlic and citrus

. When picking any kind of dried meat it is critical to look at the ingredient list for a pesticide called Ethoxyquin. It is a common preservative in many commercial hermit crab and fish foods and is poisonous to your .

What can hermit crabs eat list?

  • High-quality commercial hermit crab food.
  • Recommend vegetables (spinach, carrots and romaine lettuce) and noncitrus fruits (mangoes, coconut and papaya) as treats.
  • Nuts, seaweed, brine shrimp and fish flakes can also be offered as treats.
  • Provide carotene and calcium supplements (such as cuttlebone).

Can hermit crabs eat human food?

You can include

vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, and fresh fruit

in their daily diet since are omnivores so this often allows you to easily feed your hermit crab food straight from your refrigerator. … Antioxidants are prevalent in many fruits and vegetables as well.

Can hermit crabs eat junk food?

Hermit Crabs also will eat junk food like

pretzels, corn chips, and sweetened cereals

. They may like these foods but they're definitely not good for them. … Some are: escargot, frozen fruit, iguana food (plant based), seaweed, sun dried shrimp, brine shrimp minus the salt water, plankton, and fish flakes.

Are hermit crabs allowed to eat bananas?

Foods to Feed

There will be some trial and error to learn what Sheldon likes, but most hermit crabs have a sweet tooth. … If you want to avoid baby food and use fresh fruits and vegetables, try blueberries, mango, banana, pineapple, grapes, sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, spinach, apple and broccoli heads.

Can hermit crabs eat dog food?

In the wild, hermit crabs are foragers, so they also need a good source of animal protein. … You can also feed them a few pieces of a

high-quality, high-protein dog kibble

. Protein additions include: Dried Insects: Crickets, mealworms, river shrimp, blood worms, dried shrimp, brine shrimp.

Can hermit crabs have babies?

Hermit crab

babies hatch from eggs

. Mama Crab carries them around until they change color from a rusty brown to light blue, at which point they've finished developing. Many animals have more than one offspring at a time, but hermit crabs, have many in one effort. …

Can hermit crabs have peanut butter?

Some other foods your crab should enjoy are: … Nuts, applesauce, raisins, trail mix,

peanut butter

, honey, cooked egg, cereal, crackers, washed grass, and popcorn are some of the miscellaneous favorites people have reported their crabs enjoying.

How do hermit crabs poop?

Hermit crabs produce

black or brown poop inside their shells

. They then use their rearmost legs to flick this solid, long, and thin waste onto the substrate. Urine is expelled from behind the antenna. Their poop and pee have no discernable odor.

Can hermit crabs eat cheese?


It's safe for hermit crabs to eat cheese

, but it is an unnatural food, so many people don't find it appealing to give them.

How can I make my hermit crab happy?


Gently bathe or “mist” your hermit crabs with a spray bottle filled with clean water

. They'll enjoy the water and may become more active. Hermit crabs generally like warm, moist environments with a relative humidity of 70%, so give them that tropical environment they are used to.

Can hermit crabs get fat?

The short answer is

no they don't get fat

and any extra calories are stored and then used up during their molts/growth cycle. However, in captivity we do feed them oils and other high calorie foods that they don't normally eat in the wild.

Can hermit crabs pinch you?

A hermit crab pinching you is rarely a form of aggressive behavior. Most hermit crabs are docile and

only pinch when feeling afraid or acting in self-defense

. Hermit crabs also pinch if they fear losing their footing. … Hermit crabs use their claws to eat, so you may be pinched while hand-feeding.

What do hermit crabs need in their tank?

Hermit crabs thrive at humidity levels between 70% and 80%. Mist their

terrarium with non-chlorinated water

as necessary and use a hygrometer to keep track. Put a fluorescent or LED bulb in the terrarium hood to light the habitat for 8 to 12 hours a day. Do not use high-output UVB lighting for hermit crabs.

Can hermit crabs eat cucumber?

Give them small bits of your varied diet. You can include

cucumber

, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots and carrot tops, cilantro, chard, dark green lettuce, bell peppers, apples, berries, melons, pears and citrus fruits. Include sea vegetables, too — algae, kelp, seaweed and spirulina, says Petco.

Do hermit crabs sleep a lot?

Hermit crabs are

nocturnal and will sleep throughout most of the day

. Choose an aquarium with a glass cover for your hermit crabs to live in. … Hermit crabs require humidity of around 50-70%. They need this to keep their gills moist and to breathe properly.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.