Homemade food mix

[biancachristensen]

does anyone have any recipes for a hermit crab food that will give them everything they need to live but will also last a while without expiring so pretty much a homemade store bought food that is good for them like different things mixed together such as oatmeal and fish food and etc. also is fish food safe for them

[Crabinski]

I like to keep a dish of dry food in the crabitat 24/7 and make a mix for my crabs that combines protein and calcium. When I serve it, I'll add a pinch of 10-grain hot cereal (uncooked) or unflavored oatmeal (also uncooked).

The base mix ingredients: Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend (freeze-dried mealworms, crickets and shrimp), Wardley's Hermit Crab Shrimp, cuttlebone, eggshells. Just reduce these items to a coarse powder (I use a small mortar and pestle) and store in a tightly-sealed jar.

Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend can be found at Petco and PetSmart for about $8; it's a big jar and will last for quite some time. I grind up only about 1/4 cup at a time. Wardley's Hermit Crab Shrimp can be found at Walmart for about $3; sometimes, I'll sprinkle a bit of the Wardley's over fresh fruit or veggies just to add a bit of protein. Cuttlebones can be found in any pet store in the Bird section and are easily powdered just by flaking with fingernail -- also good to sprinkle over fruits/veggies. Eggshells are always good to have around to use as serving bowls: the crabs will pinch away and consume bits of the eggshell after eating the other food! When you're making eggs, wash out the shells in hot water and air dry. I keep a stock of dried eggshell halves in a little ziplock baggie.

Hope this helps .

[biancachristensen]

I like to keep a dish of dry food in the crabitat 24/7 and make a mix for my crabs that combines protein and calcium. When I serve it, I'll add a pinch of 10-grain hot cereal (uncooked) or unflavored oatmeal (also uncooked).

The base mix ingredients: Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend (freeze-dried mealworms, crickets and shrimp), Wardley's Hermit Crab Shrimp, cuttlebone, eggshells. Just reduce these items to a coarse powder (I use a small mortar and pestle) and store in a tightly-sealed jar.

Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Blend can be found at Petco and PetSmart for about $8; it's a big jar and will last for quite some time. I grind up only about 1/4 cup at a time. Wardley's Hermit Crab Shrimp can be found at Walmart for about $3; sometimes, I'll sprinkle a bit of the Wardley's over fresh fruit or veggies just to add a bit of protein. Cuttlebones can be found in any pet store in the Bird section and are easily powdered just by flaking with fingernail -- also good to sprinkle over fruits/veggies. Eggshells are always good to have around to use as serving bowls: the crabs will pinch away and consume bits of the eggshell after eating the other food! When you're making eggs, wash out the shells in hot water and air dry. I keep a stock of dried eggshell halves in a little ziplock baggie.

Hope this helps .

Thanks this is very helpful will the eggshells expire quickly or do they last a while. Also I have eggs that are a few days expired. could I still use the shells.

[Crabinski]

Thanks this is very helpful will the eggshells expire quickly or do they last a while. Also I have eggs that are a few days expired. could I still use the shells.

Raw eggs are actually perfectly fine for a good 7-10 days after the posted expiration date (it's more of a "sell by" date) so the shells are just fine.

[YYWW]

I stash a bunch of eggshell "bowls". They've sat around for a year and do not show signs of spoiling. I'm not sure the shells EVER go bad.


Crabbers unite!!!

[singlemomwithcrab]

The ukranians have an art form where the put a small hole in an egg, empty out the insides and then use colored wax to put artistic designs on it. My mom has had a couple in her china case for 30+ years...the shells are calcium based and I'm sure eventually turn to dust but go bad....no.

[CCCSilva]

You can ground up a few ingredients if you would like.
Pumpkin seeds
dried carrots
dried strawberries
coconut
bloodworms or shrimp
powdered cuttlebone
worm castings

My crabs seem to enjoy this mix!

[Mr. Crabby Pants]

This one may be more trouble than it's worth, but I made a variation on one I found online:

1 cuttle bone
1/2 cup organic rice (uncooked)
1/2 cup organic oatmeal (uncooked)
1 Tablespoon chopped kelp
2 Tablespoons freeze dried shrimp (jumbo krill)
1 Tablespoon freeze dried blood worms (because I have some on hand, could probably leave out)
2 Tablespoons organic 100% Spirulina powder

Apply coffee grinder and serve.
The original calls for 1/4 tsp. sea salt which I thought was weird, do crabs need any in their diet?

Unfortunately I can't tell you how the crabs like it because almost all of them are molting. One has been spied munching on it though.