How to sneak extra nutrients into your crabs diet!

[erikleeson]

You may have placed a cuttlebone or calcium stone into the tank, but the crabs are ignoring it completely. Well here's 2 easy ways to sneak extra nutrients into your crabs diet.

Well the safest thing would be to take a cuttlebone and grind it up super fine with a blender or coffee grinder and fill an empty salt shaker with it and sprinkle on the food 3 times a week or something, I do this. But I also now use HBH pets hermit crab variety bites. You may be thinking "oh no! commercial crab food!" Well this is a treat kind of food that comes in a powder format and its made with coconut, seafood, calcium carbonate and carrot powder, as well as a bunch of other stuff. And it DOES NOT contain Exothyquin or Copper Sulphate. The coconut adds appeal to the food, seafood has protein, calcium carbonate is high calcium and carrot powder is a source of carotene which aids in coloring of crustaceans. Here's the guaranteed analysis

Protein 15%
Fat 10%
Fiber 7%
Moisture 12%

I hope I don't sound like a salesman, I'm just pointing it out. I would go with the cuttlebone cause it is 100% safe while the crab treat may have been in contact with the bad preservatives, but I use both, Cuttlebone 3 times a week, crab treat once. I sprinkle a large amount over my fresh food diet. Just a technique I thought people could try!

[vckums]

The problem with commercial foods is that the companies don't have to list every ingredient. It may not say it on the label, but there's a good chance that there's something in there that isn't safe for hermit crabs.

Instead of buying the commercial item, why not get those items from your local store? You could get a coconut, shred it and dry it. Get some shrimp, dry them. Crush some cuttlebone. Get some carrots, chop really fine and dry them, then crush them into a powder.

[erikleeson]

Well, that is a good idea but for the record I have a commercial diet made by the same company but this one does contain Exothyquin and copper sulphate.

[lolagranola]

What Vicki said! LOL!

Here's another problem with commercial crab food. It's made by people who have one goal. Money. The decisions they make are based on their desire for $$$. We've got 6 or 7 crabbers making their own foods and basing it on research and the end product is quality from quality ingredients. Small store foods are just a better option all around.