You may know some basic food names that you can give to your hermit crab but you don’t know in detail and wander with questions like “What do hermit crabs eat?”
The simple answer is that hermit crabs can eat pretty much everything as they are omnivorous animals. From vegetables and fruits to meat (fish, chicken, etc), they will eat as much as they can. But there are many things to consider before preparing anything as hermit crab food. There are exceptions like which period you should feed, which foods are ideal and they like, and which food you should avoid.
Vegetables and fruits to feed hermit crabs
There are lots of options to choose from, including fruits and vegetables. First, give your hermit crabs some options. Observe their behavior with food, what they like and don’t like. Keep this observation for 20 – 30 days then you will have more accurate data than these lists. Because different hermit crab species might have slightly different food choices.
Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Kale
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
- Peas
- capsicum
These are commonly used vegetables but you can try any vegetables you like. Before giving those vegetables to hermit crabs, make sure they are all chopped and sliced well. Remove all seeds from the vegetables and boil and mash the potatoes.
Fruits
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Nuts
Some prefer not to feed sugared fruits like bananas. But sometimes a sugary diet might be a great treat. Remove seeds from all fruits, especially apples, and watermelons, and slice them into small pieces. Avoid giving canned and frozen food, be it fruits or vegetables. Always try to give fresh fruits and don’t forget to clean them.
Meat diet for hermit crabs
One kind of food is not enough to maintain overall health. You should maintain a balanced diet with meat, which can fill the need of protein and calcium and maintain overall wellbeing.
Meat as calcium source
- Eggshells (crushed)
- Shrimp (sliced into small pieces, raw)
- Chicken breast (sliced, raw)
- Tuna (canned)
- Anchovy (cleaned and raw)
- Beef (cooked and unseasoned, in very small amounts)
Meat as protein source
- Eggs (Boiled or scrambled)
- Crickets (Dried or Freeze-Dried)
- Mealworms and other insects (dry or Freeze-Dried)
- Krill (Dried or Freeze-Dried)
- Shrimp (Dried or Freeze-Dried)
- Fish flakes
- Turkey or chickens (Unseasoned)
- Any raw seafood
If you want to cook a meal, remember not to season it. Ensure they are plain and free from additives like salt, sugar, or seasoning. Experts prefer to feed raw seafood but avoid feeding raw seafood as much as you can, as cooking helps eliminate potential pathogens.
Commercial hermit crab food
The ratio of giving commercial food seems confusing. Some people use this as hermit crabs’ ultimate diet, as the shop told them so. But only commercial food shouldn’t be hermit crabs’ ultimate diet.
One-sixth of commercial food should be given as a complement and a convenient and balanced source of nutrition, along with fresh fruits and veggies, in captivity. There are some lists of commercial diets. [Most of the hermit crab owners discourage the use of commercial food.]
We are not recommending any brand specifically. You can go to the nearest pet store and ask for a hermit crab diet. As long as the diet contains a mix of ingredients, including dried shrimp, fish, and other proteins, it is safe and pretty much okay.
What you shouldn’t feed
There are some limitations and shouldn’t feed these foods to your hermit crabs, as they can badly affect their health. Foods that are considered not good for humans (though we eat them) are not good for crabs like coffee, tea and sugary foods.
- Dairy products (hermit crabs can’t tolerate lactose)
- Salty foods (biscuits, chips, etc.)
- Sugary foods (candies, cake, etc)
- Spicy and Seasoned foods (can create digestive problems)
- Citrus fruits like oranges (as they are acidic to hermit crabs)
- Uncooked potatoes
Water
Hermit crabs need both fresh and saltwater. Tap water needs to be dechlorinated and to make saltwater, you’ll need reef salt (from the aquarium store). To know more about hermit crab water requirements.
What you should feed in the molting period
In the molting period, hermit crabs need special care, mostly in diet. At that particular time, they are getting enough calcium-rich food such as cuttlebones and crushed eggshells. Calcium helps hermit crabs form their new exoskeleton. Give them a balanced diet with protein, fresh fruits and veggies, seaweed, and mineral supplements, and ensure they have access to saltwater.
What do baby hermit crabs eat?
If you buy a baby hermit crab from a store, it means the crab has already grown well because, in their natural habitat, hermit crabs do not breed in captivity. So a little hermit crab (not larvae) can eat normal foods.
But in the larval stage (first 15-20 days of their birth), you should give them brine shrimp, marine copepods, frozen krill, marine crayfish, and a couple drops of live plankton. Read how to breed captive hermit crabs.
What do hermit crabs eat in the wild?
Hermit crabs will eat anything in the wild, acting as opportunistic scavengers. Their diet includes algae, moss, plankton, marine plants, small fish and crabs, as well as brine shrimp, dead fish, insects, and mussels. Here is a list of things hermit crabs commonly eat in the wild.
- Algae: Algae that grows on rock surfaces, an important source of nutrition for hermit crabs.
- Plant parts: Any parts of plants such as leaves fruits and flowers. This is mostly consumed by coconut crabs (large land hermit crab species) and they are pretty much dependent on coconuts. They may live at the seashore but they can’t go to the water to find food as they can’t swim.
- Decaying matters: Hermit crabs play a great role in recycling by consuming decaying plants and animals.
Can hermit crabs eat cat food?
Yes, hermit crab can eat cat food as well as dog food. They can meet their nutrition needs as an external source with this food. But if your hermit crab doesn’t like it, you shouldn’t give it.
