Food
Hermit crabs are omnivores — they eat meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, just about anything they can get their little claws on. You can buy hermit crab food at the pet store, but you can also feed them just about anything you eat!
Hermit crabs do require calcium, carotene, and antioxidants in their diets — just like people. Offer your crab a variety of foods. Fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, leaves and grass that have been washed, shellfish (yes, they are carnivores), meats (without spices or sauces), nuts, even dairy foods are okay once in a while. Jack and Sebastian, my hermit crabs, loved peanut butter.
Water
Hermit crabs, though more or less land creatures, do need a constant supply of fresh water. Don’t use untreated tap water — the chlorine in the tap water can cause blisters to form on your crabs’ gills, making it very difficult to breathe. You can buy a tap water conditioner at your local pet store.
- The water dish should be large enough for your crabs to sit in.
- The water dish should be shallow so your smaller crabs don’t get stuck and drown.
- The water dish should NEVER be metal — hermit crabs are sensitive to metal.
Bathing
Believe it or not, you can bathe your hermit crabs! A weekly rinse takes the place of rain that would clean them in their natural environment. The weekly bath is also beneficial for their breathing system — their modified gills need the moisture.
- Fill a basin/shallow bowl/dish with tepid water. Not too hot or too cold! And not too deep — you don’t want your crabbies to drown.
- Place your hermie into the water.
- Let him sit or crawl around for a few minutes, then take him out.
- Tip the extra water out of his shell.
- Place him in a drying area — a shoebox lined with paper towels is perfect.
- Keep an eye on your hermie at all times — bathing can make them very active!
Cleaning
Just like with an aquarium, your crabitat will require periodic cleaning. Otherwise, the waste, old food, and other gunk will build up and make your crabs’ home a very unhealthy one!
- Wash food and water dishes before refilling — just wiping the inside with a paper towel will remove most of the bacteria, food waste slime, and other stuff.
- Use a net or kitchen strainer to sift through your crabitat sand, filtering out crab waste and bits of old food.
- Shake the sand out of empty shells — would you want to move into a dirty home?
- Wipe any dirt, sand, or waste off of your crabs’ playthings.