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In their natural habitats, hermit crabs are omnivorous animals, so their diet plan consists of elements from both the plant world and the animal world.
The key aspect of hermit crab food is to provide a rich source of calcium to the crabs as calcium is an important element of their body structure.
Water is another key aspect of these crab's diet plan.
If you are using commercial food preparations found in pet stores then remember to maintain a balanced diet of food and water for the crabs.
Apart from calcium and water, another vital constituent of a crab's food is carotenoids, as this natural pigment is important to the crab for the sake of its body color.
Although, the commercial food options in pet stores for these crabs are not as readily available as the foods for other exotic animals, yet there are some very good options too.
Brand names like Zoo-med and organizations like the Florida Marine Research (FMR) provide some very great food options for these crabs.
If the food is not available at the pet stores, then they can be ordered to be shipped to your address.
Common calcium Vitamin supplements found in pet stores are also used as food for the crabs.
However, the important point to remember in such cases is that, the food is available as pellets and it is necessary that the pellets are crushed and given to these crabs as food.
The pet store is also an important place to buy the natural calcium supply of the hermit crabs.
Look for crushed oyster shells, cuttlebones and coral deposits as these are rich sources of calcium.
If you cannot find these in the reptile's section, look for them in the bird's section of the pet store.
You can also get coral dust on the pet store, which can be sprinkled over the sand bed of the hermit crab enclosure.
The best household method of supplying calcium rich food is to supply crushed egg shells as crab food.
The calcium supply is even more important if a crab is molting or is preparing for molting.
The discarded exoskeleton from a these crabs is a rich source of calcium in the crab cage.
Hermit crabs also like delicacies and special treats like fresh fruits, vegetables, leaves, grass, unsalted nuts, raisins, popcorns, dried shrimps and planktons.
Rotate the supply of delicacies in an alternating way to maintain a balance in the crab diet.
Treating these crabs with special delicacies is a great way of earning the crab's trust, and very soon the crab might very well be ready to directly eat from your hand.
Hermit crabs drink freshwater and they bathe in saltwater.
Thus, it is important that both freshwater and salt water are present inside the cage.
Before using the freshwater as crab food, ensure that it is dechlorinated completely.
The bath-water of the crabs should also be dechlorinated water.
These crabs leave uneaten food particles inside the cage.
It is important to clean the cage often to keep the cage clean and free from rotting food.
It is best if the cage is cleaned once daily.
While deciding the hermit crab food, it is necessary to check that the food provided to the crabs is free from pesticides, contaminations, ingredients like copper sulfate and also harmful food preservatives.
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