Unlike what most people presume, hermit crabs actually have a much larger palate than what we think. Most people will actually find it interesting to learn that feeding a hermit crab is easier than most people think, because a pet hermit crab can eat a variety of food that we humans eat, in addition to one in particular that is not commonly included in any diet. They actually need a bit of leaf litter and decayed wood for tannin, which is important for their growth.
A pet store can carry a number of food items for your new exotic pet. Do not be surprised to find some of them labeled to be safe or healthy for hermit crabs.
It is very important to include food and water dishes in the aquarium of your land hermit crabs and give them a variety of foods. It is highly recommended that you rotate about two to three various kinds of foods for your crabs every day. Put yourself in your hermit crab's situation, would you like to be fed the exact same kind of food each day?
Animal doctors or experts will advise you that there are particular ingredients in some foods that are not healthy for hermit crabs. So you should always check the labels of all the commercial foods for hermit crabs that you come across and refrain from those containing copper sulfate and ethoxyquin. These are both ingredients in your common pesticide and would naturally not be a good thing to feed them with.
Foods that your crabs will be willing to eat are generally safe foods. And aside from the those foods we mentioned, there is very little evidence that will tell you that they will suffer any grave effects from eating food that they like.
If you have made sure that your hermit crabs have sustained enough nutrients from their commercial food, you might want to give them treats by feeding them some of the people food that we have listed below. The foods found on this list will actually be enjoyed by your pet crabs!
The people foods that hermit crabs would love to eat are:
Do not forget to prepare the fresh foods into sizes that the hermit crabs can actually pick up and eat. It will be quite cruel to give them food that they love eating and make them struggle just to get a piece of it!
Hermit crabs have a sweet tooth, too! These creatures actually love eating foods that are sweeter and less savory. You can give them fruit flavored baby food in flavors like:
Feeding a hermit crab could be more easier for your small animal, if you can give this type of food and vegetables to your hermit through a little dish or plate that they can find on their own or on a big plastic spoon. Your crab will not only love these treats, it will also give them sufficient nutrients that they need so they can stay healthy and strong.