Food Available?
Food Available?
I am a new hermit crab owner and are experiencing our first molt. Should we be keeping fresh food available during the molt in case she resurfaces? Or should we have dry food out that can withstand the wait? If so, what are the best dry food options? It just seems silly to keep placing fresh food out when she is likely to be underground for weeks and at the same time if she comes up one night I want there to be something there to eat. Thanks for any advice!
Re: Food Available?
It's always good to have a dry mix on hand. A small dish of dry mix can be left in the crabitat 24/7 for those crabs that like to snack at all hours. For a molting crab, leaving out dry mix is fine. Once the crab emerges, you'll want to up the protein and calcium by offering fresh foods such as hardboiled or plain scrambled egg, raw or cooked unseasoned chicken/shrimp, peanut butter, honey, etc.
I make my own dry mix by crushing (using a mortar and pestle) egg shells, rolled oats, Wardley's Hermit Crab Dried Shrimp and Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend (dried mealworms, crickets and shrimp) and powdered cuttlebone. When serving, sometimes I'll add a pinch of 10-grain cereal (bought from the bin at Sprouts), dried flowers, bee pollen, etc. These more exotic items can be purchased from Alaska Hermit Crab and other vendors listed on HCA's Shopping Guide page. Another great source for dried foods hermies love is Hugsforhermits on ebay (like Alaska Hermit Crab, vendor is also an HCA member).
Good luck with your molter!
I make my own dry mix by crushing (using a mortar and pestle) egg shells, rolled oats, Wardley's Hermit Crab Dried Shrimp and Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend (dried mealworms, crickets and shrimp) and powdered cuttlebone. When serving, sometimes I'll add a pinch of 10-grain cereal (bought from the bin at Sprouts), dried flowers, bee pollen, etc. These more exotic items can be purchased from Alaska Hermit Crab and other vendors listed on HCA's Shopping Guide page. Another great source for dried foods hermies love is Hugsforhermits on ebay (like Alaska Hermit Crab, vendor is also an HCA member).
Good luck with your molter!
PPs are Big Enzo, Charles Paris and Mr Pinch
On the Big Beach in the Sky: Murray, Gino, Oscar, Gordon, Ignatz, Harry and King Felix the Pale
Also Mom to Imogene the Syrian Hamster
On the Big Beach in the Sky: Murray, Gino, Oscar, Gordon, Ignatz, Harry and King Felix the Pale
Also Mom to Imogene the Syrian Hamster
Re: Food Available?
Thank you so much! That is exactly what I needed to know!