Q&A for How to Feed Hermit Crabs

Most hermit crabs love sweet things like fruit, including bananas. As long as you cut it into small pieces or mash it, you can feed them bananas.

Put in small amounts of food at a time or weigh the food and look for changes.

The crab is just a bit shocked because of the move and soon he will be climbing and digging everywhere to check it out. It is best to get new crabs as soon as you get the first so that way the first crab can't find all the good spots before the others and dominate them. In a well-suited ten gallon tank, up to five medium sized crabs can live happily together. The bowls for water should be in the front corner of the tank next to each other and the food bowl should be at the opposite end of the front corner.

Yes, hermit crabs love vegetables and also some fruits, such as grapes and bananas.

Get a tank or cage for it with a couple of things for it to climb on (without cluttering the habitat too much). You can get hermit crab food at any pet store. Don't handle it too often and don't force it out of its shell.

Yep! Hermit crabs enjoy fruit, especially tropical fruits like mango and coconut. Bear in mind, they do like variety in their food.

No, graham crackers have too many additives and preservatives. It would be best to stick with hermit crab food or natural food, like meat, fruits, and vegetables.

Don't use any citrus fruits, as these can harm hermit crabs. Cinnamon is probably your best option.

Yes. The best diet for a land hermit crab consists of natural, healthy foods with zero processing involved: fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, etc. Land hermit crabs are omnivorous and therefore eat just about anything.

First, get a very big tank, if you use a little one they will become stressed and die. Second, make sure to provide enough food for all of them. There are plenty of other things you should know about, so check out this article on How to Care for Hermit Crabs for more information.

You should feed hermit crabs once a day, preferably at dusk because they're (mostly) nocturnal. You could put out a tablespoon of food every night for three hermies, and they would (probably) eat it all. You can experiment with this, but if they eat all their food, give them a bit more until you find a nice balance.

Between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but it often depends on the species.

I don't think you should give hermit crabs anything other than the suggested food, but you could ask a pet store employee.

Yes, they can eat carrot if they like it.

Yes, please use bottled or distilled water. If you use tap water, the chlorine in the water can be harmful to the crab.

I don't think so. Stick with other things, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat with no preservatives. If you want, you can check out a list of foods that are safe for hermit crabs to eat.

No.

You should use a dish.

Glass tanks are better because they allow you to create a more suitable habitat.

Hermit crabs do not necessarily need another crab, but they are often happier and healthier when they have one or more companion crabs.

They should be fed at least once a day, whether it is at night or in the morning.

You should get a small hydrometer to put inside your tank, and if the humidity stays above 70, you should be good. If the humidity drops a lot, just take some dechlorinated water in a spray bottle and mist the tank a few times.

It's recommended you use a food bowl so mold doesn't grow on their dirt, but if you change it out often enough (every day or twice a day) then it should be fine. Hermit crabs do need calcium.

Yes, but they should also have hermit crab food as well.

You cannot use a lamp, it is best to put a bowl of hot water in the cage with a sponge inside the water, that will bring the temperature up.

The main difference between looking after fresh water and salt water hermit crabs is that you need three bowls/dishes instead of two. Fresh water hermit crabs need one bowl of food and one of fresh water, but a saltwater crab needs one bowl of food, one bowl of fresh water for drinking, and one bowl of salt water for bathing.

You can use whichever sponge you want, as long as it hasn't been used. That is because a used sponge might have absorbed substances that are harmful for your crab(s).

A food bowl is useful because it helps keep the tank clean, though it's not strictly necessary.

You can only make saltwater with pet store salt. You can get the salt by itself from the pet store and mix it with water yourself, but you should never use any other kind of salt (including the salt you use to eat and cook).

For freshwater aquatic and semi-aquatic crabs, feed bloodworms, small fish, and a pellet food specified for crabs. Natural elements would probably be best, like large rocks and wood. Get these from your local pet or reptile store. If you get them from outside, sanitize them by washing them with boiling water multiple times.