Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Queries and feedback on how this site is run. No care questions.
Post Reply
User avatar
emmac350
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 1949
Joined: 22 Sep 2008, 08:08
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 6
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2
Contact:

Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by emmac350 »

Wai,

I've been thinking for a while and have been kind of honing my 'crabby food groups' and was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to put it in the nutrition section. Maybe have it as one of the links within the main part of that section? You discuss why commercial foods are bad, but maybe we should provide a framework to ensure that crabs are being offered everything they need? Too many people assume that just providing a fruit, a vegetable, a calcium, and a meat is enough to ensure their crab has everything it needs nutritionally. But that leaves out so many other food groups!

I've also been thinking about some of the groups that do overlap in some ways...and I'm thinking we should make a "core" group of foods like proteins with and without chitin and calcium, fruits, veggies, nuts and grains (these are always such a hit with my crabs, it seems like they are necessities) and calcium supplements, then group the rest (flowers, 'trace elements,' bee products, cellulose) in a "it's good to offer these for X, Y, and Z reasons, but if there is no way you can feed these, it is better than you not feeding the other group" group or something? I mean, it's good for crabs to get flowers because of the coloring compounds and it's good for them to get even more cellulose or worm castings, but those aren't as core of nutritional needs as basic sustenance.

Also, at the bottom of the "omnivore" page, there is no verb in the final sentence. I assume you mean "Detailed lists of the foods that hermit crabs can eat can be found in our Food Database."
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com

Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09

If you are contacted privately and enticed to join another forum, please inform a moderator. This is an unethical practice.
User avatar
ladybug15057
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by ladybug15057 »

There are already a couple sites that do offer this that even a link to them can be provided.
This can be a little tricky too when making up 'food groups' and which foods go where.
One would also need to basically give credit too where the info was gathered. Wai and I discussed diet and foods a little back in November when I was helping some with the updating of the crab care section.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

If you are contacted privately (via pm or e-mail) and enticed to join another forum, please contact a Crab Crew member. This is an unethical practice.
User avatar
Wai
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 2892
Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by Wai »

In case anyone is wondering what is going on with me and the Crab Care section: the Internet in my Hong Kong apartment was acting up, so I hand-wrote some drafts of the Crab Care section. I'll get around to typing them up and putting them online soon.
Wai
Image
bo and mo
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 12
Joined: 27 Aug 2009, 07:23
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 12
Total tanks: 2

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by bo and mo »

Well actually I have done so much research and you should use regualer food AND commercial food. Some great foods are:

Alfalfa sprouts
amaranth
arugla
basil
bok choy
carrots (tops and roots)
broccoli
celery
chard
cilantro
collard greens
cucumber
dandelion leaves
grape leaves
kale
kelp
parsley
romaine lettuce
posemary
spinach
watercress
zucchini

apple
avocado
banana
blackberries
blueberries
cantaloupe
carambola
cherries
coconut
cranberries
grapes
honeydew
mango
orange
papaya
peach
pear
pomegranate
raisins
watermelon

cat or dog food (as long as it doesn't have dairy)
chicken (cooked)
commercial crab food (daily)
crickets (make sure you get them from the pe store)
fish
beef
blood worms
clams
freze dried plankton
freeze dried shrimp
freeze dried waterfleas
eggs(cooked)
tropical fish food
turtle food


MAKE SURE YOU NEVER GIVE CRABS DAIRY!!!!!!!

i got all of those foods from a great book with more info called your happy healthy hermit crab by audrey pavia.
User avatar
ladybug15057
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by ladybug15057 »

I do think the book you have may be a little outdated, or incorrect with todays crabbing practices? The commercial hermit crab food, majority of it has ethoxyquin and/or copper sulphate which are both insecticides. Hermies are from the arthropod (insect) phylum. Freeze dried, dehydrated, or fresh are mainly practiced with majority of the crabbing community.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

If you are contacted privately (via pm or e-mail) and enticed to join another forum, please contact a Crab Crew member. This is an unethical practice.
User avatar
emmac350
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 1949
Joined: 22 Sep 2008, 08:08
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 6
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2
Contact:

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by emmac350 »

Additionally, dairy has been found to not only be harmless to crabs, but to also be a favorite treat with some. See our nutrition section for more information about how that myth was disproven.

It is important to not trust everything that was written ages ago, especially if it states that there's only such a little bit of stuff crabs need...many of those books' authors don't realize that, if properly cared for, crabs can live 30+ years in captivity. For a long time, they didn't realize how crucial humidity was for crabs to breathe, and it took them ages to realize that crabs don't actually like commercial food, nor is it good for them. Please do more research on crab care on sites that are updated often, as there is much more up-to-date information on reputable crab care sites at this point than you will find in any book.
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com

Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09

If you are contacted privately and enticed to join another forum, please inform a moderator. This is an unethical practice.
User avatar
Wai
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 2892
Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by Wai »

Dairy has been proven not to be lethal. When I first started crabbing, I gave my hermit crabs bits of my birthday cake, which contained dairy. I have also tried milk, which wasn't a problem.

However, I wouldn't recommend birthday cake, since it may contain harmful chemicals to hermit crabs. Commercial hermit crab food is a big no no. Why risk slipping in pesticides or other dodgy chemicals into their diet if healthier alternatives are easily accessible?

Hermit crab food for hermit crabs is not like dog food for dogs. Dog food products are examined very carefully so that they are nutritional and safe for consumption by dogs. Hermit crab food on the other hand, is just cheap crap, if you ask me. No-one knows what goes in hermit crab food, nor are there any hints that the food has been tested for safety. More often than not, a list of ingredients isn't even provided for hermit crab food. Quite pathetic, really.
Wai
Image
Ginger
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 212
Joined: 22 Nov 2014, 12:19
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 11
Total gallons: 60
Total tanks: 3

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by Ginger »

Hi, I understand this post is old, but what I would like to ask fits in well with this topic. I was looking at my commercial food that I bought when I was a beginner, AquaMaster Hermit Crab Food. The list of ingredients:

Fish meal, meat meal, kelp meal, soy flour, wheaten flour, vegetable oil, yeast, enzyme, emulsifiers, vitamins and minerals.

The biggest words in there are enzymes, which are in all foods to some degree "a protein used by the body to either increase or decrease digestion" and emulsifiers, which are (basically) used to blend water and oil together. Who knows what Is involved in vitamins and minerals are though.

Overall I think this is one of the best commercial foods you could buy, considering the others out there. Any thoughts?
User avatar
ladybug15057
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by ladybug15057 »

Seems to have a lot of "Meal" in the ingredients which can range from Ethoxyquin, copper sulphate, and who knows what else?
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

If you are contacted privately (via pm or e-mail) and enticed to join another forum, please contact a Crab Crew member. This is an unethical practice.
Ginger
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 212
Joined: 22 Nov 2014, 12:19
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 11
Total gallons: 60
Total tanks: 3

Re: Nutrition in Crab Care Section

Post by Ginger »

OH! Ok, thanks for the heads up! I wasn't sure about the meal part, because I know in chicken terms meal is pretty much crushed grain... So I was thinking in like terms (probably not a smart thing to do!) thanks again :)
Post Reply