dafishdude
Member
Hello! I just got a hermit crab from the lfs and they said that it'll just eat leftover food and algae. How do I feed it if the fish just eat all the food first? And also what should I feed it?
How and what to feed hermit crab
- Thread starter dafishdude
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flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaFishDude http:///t/397659/how-and-what-to-feed-hermit-crab#post_3545175
Hello! I just got a hermit crab from the lfs and they said that it'll just eat leftover food and algae. How do I feed it if the fish just eat all the food first? And also what should I feed it?
Hi,
You don't feed it anything. There is more in a SW tank then what you add as food. The "LIVE" rock is crawling with tiny sea bugs. The hermit crab is a cleaner critter, his job is to clean up and believe me the fish do waste and there is always algae...one little hermit will be plenty busy working to keep the tank clean, with plenty to eat.
Originally Posted by DaFishDude http:///t/397659/how-and-what-to-feed-hermit-crab#post_3545175
Hello! I just got a hermit crab from the lfs and they said that it'll just eat leftover food and algae. How do I feed it if the fish just eat all the food first? And also what should I feed it?
Hi,
You don't feed it anything. There is more in a SW tank then what you add as food. The "LIVE" rock is crawling with tiny sea bugs. The hermit crab is a cleaner critter, his job is to clean up and believe me the fish do waste and there is always algae...one little hermit will be plenty busy working to keep the tank clean, with plenty to eat.
silverado61
Well-Known Member
This sounds like the first time you've had a hermit so here's a heads up:
If one day you look in your tank and you see that the shell is empty then look farther and see what looks like a dead crab in your tank, relax. It probably just molted (shed its "skin") and is hiding for protection till its new "skin" hardens. At which time it'll move back into its home.
But, every time it molts it grows so when it does, start planning on getting some empty shells of the same style and various sizes so it can eventually move to a bigger home.
If one day you look in your tank and you see that the shell is empty then look farther and see what looks like a dead crab in your tank, relax. It probably just molted (shed its "skin") and is hiding for protection till its new "skin" hardens. At which time it'll move back into its home.
But, every time it molts it grows so when it does, start planning on getting some empty shells of the same style and various sizes so it can eventually move to a bigger home.
dafishdude
Member
Ok, thx!
skitzo7170
New Member
Silverado61 will any empty shell work? I just got into the game of SW tank.
silverado61
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jay0705 http:///t/397659/how-and-what-to-feed-hermit-crab#post_3547546
Any empty snail shell similar to there old one. I use empty cerith and margarita shells
+1
But, you'll have a hard time getting a hermit that lives in a cerith shell to move into a margarita shell. You'll have much better success if you use a shell from the same species as the one they're currently living in now. Plus, use a variety of sizes. Don't just put one shell in and expect him to move into it. He may even just go back to his old shell till he get's too big for it. Even hermits like to have the freedom to choose.
Originally Posted by jay0705 http:///t/397659/how-and-what-to-feed-hermit-crab#post_3547546
Any empty snail shell similar to there old one. I use empty cerith and margarita shells
+1
But, you'll have a hard time getting a hermit that lives in a cerith shell to move into a margarita shell. You'll have much better success if you use a shell from the same species as the one they're currently living in now. Plus, use a variety of sizes. Don't just put one shell in and expect him to move into it. He may even just go back to his old shell till he get's too big for it. Even hermits like to have the freedom to choose.
dafishdude
Member
I bought the 12 pack decorative shells like the one on *********** at *****. They look really nice but my crab didn't bother with them, so I just returned them.
dafishdude
Member
Agreed. Alot of red legs I see have cerith shells, but the blue legs have some weird shell idk what it is lol
My red leg when I bought it had some shell that looked like it came from a fighting conch but idk. I got it at *****, just so you guys know, I don't buy fish from them except for the damsel and my freshwater fish cuz I get a 30 day return policy if they die. Not availible for saltwater. The fish always seem to be unhealthy.
My red leg when I bought it had some shell that looked like it came from a fighting conch but idk. I got it at *****, just so you guys know, I don't buy fish from them except for the damsel and my freshwater fish cuz I get a 30 day return policy if they die. Not availible for saltwater. The fish always seem to be unhealthy.