Hermit Crab Pellets: How It's Made and Is it Healthy?
Hermit crab pellets are the most common form of pet store food sold for hermit crab pets. But how is hermit crab pellet food made, and is it healthy? The questions and concerns over these brown pellets sold as “food” are valid. Hermit crabs are used to eating a wide variety of fresh foods in the wild. Understanding what store-bought hermit crab food pellets are, how they’re made and the pros and cons to feeding them to your hermit crab pets is important.
Hermit Crab Pellets Are... Food?
Hermit crab pellets are often not recognized as “real” food by many hermit crabs, but these store-bought pellets can be an important component of a hermit crab’s diet. Here are some of the benefits of using store-bought hermit crab food pellets:
- Convenience: Hermit crab food pellets are readily available at most pet stores and can be stored for a long time without refrigeration.
- Nutrient content: Many hermit crab food pellets are infused with essential vitamins and minerals, making it easy to ensure that your hermit crab is getting the nutrients it needs.
- Dryness: Hermit crab pellets are dry, which means they are much slower to rot than fresh foods. This can be especially beneficial if you don’t have access to fresh foods regularly or if you don’t want to deal with the mess and odor associated with fresh foods.
Common Ingredient in Hermit Crab Food Pellets
Hermit crab food pellets typically contain a variety of ingredients, depending on the manufacturer and specific product. Here are some of the most common ingredients you might find in hermit crab food pellets:
- Seafood: such as fish meal, shrimp meal, or crab meal. These ingredients are high in protein which is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy tissues in hermit crabs.
- Grains: such as wheat, corn or rice. These ingredients provide carbohydrates and fiber, which supports digestion and energy levels.
- Vitamins and minerals: pellets are often fortified with essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D and E.
- Other ingredients: dried fruits, vegetables or herbs which can provide additional nutrients and antioxidants that support overall health and well-being.
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Common Pet Store Hermit Crab Pellet Foods
There are several manufacturers of hermit crab food pellets that are most commonly found in pet stores. Each has their own unique mix of ingredients and food pellet forms.
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Zoo Med: Zoo Med offers a variety of hermit crab food products including pellets
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Fluker’s: Fluker’s offers a range of hermit crab food products including pellets
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Jurassipet: JurrasiDIET is a popular hermit crab pellet food product
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Gargeer: relatively new hermit crab food product on the market
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Florida Marine Research: non-pellet crunchies often seemingly more palletable to young and new hermit crab pets
When choosing a hermit crab food product, it’s important to consider the ingredients and nutritional content of each product. Some products may be better suited to younger hermit crabs, while others may be designed for older or more active hermit crabs. Be sure to choose a high-quality product that provides a balanced diet for your pet and meets their individual nutritional needs.
Using Extrusion to Make Food Pellets
These hard brown pellets are typically made using the “extrusion” manufacturing process. This involves mixing ingredients together and then forcing the mixture through a machine called an extruder.
During the extrusion process, the ingredients are heated and mixed together forming a dough-like consistency. This “dough” is then pushed through a die, which shapes the mixture into small, bite-sized pellets. The pellets are then dried and packaged for sale.
The two main benefits to this extrusion process to make hermit crab food pellets.
- heat and pressure of the extrusion process reduces the risk of bacterial contamination as the high temperatures used, can kill harmful bacteria
- the heat, pressure and drying of the pellets makes a food source that is easy to mass produce and package with a long shelf-life, no refrigeration needed
Do Hermit Crabs Like Food Pellets or Are They Desperate?
It’s important to note that hermit crab pellets may not be recognized as “food” by some hermit crabs, especially those that were recently caught in the wild. Wild hermit crabs are used to eating fresh foods found in coastal ecosystems like shrimp, coconut, seaweed and algae, grains and other natural sources of nutrients.
A smart question that hermit crab owners often ask is whether their pets actually enjoy eating these brown hard food pellets, or if they are only eating them out of desperation and extreme hunger?
While every hermit crab is unique and often have different preferences, it’s important to provide a varied diet that also includes fresh foods in addition to any store-bought pellet foods you may be providing.
It’s important to note that some hermit crabs will never recognize these hard brown pellets as food. So it’s very important to watch your hermit crab’s habits and if they aren’t eating, stick to feeding them fresh foods.
Are Hermit Crab Pellets ENOUGH?
Hermit crabs are omnivores and scavengers, and need a wide variety of foods to remain healthy and happy.
FACT: HERMIT CRABS GET BORED WITH FOOD, WHEN GIVEN THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER!
Hermit crabs are naturally very inquisitive, active little creatures. They get bored when they can’t climb and explore, and they ALSO get bored if given the same food over and over like the same hard brown pellets. They are likely to stop eating and starve in this scenario.
It’s VERY important to provide fresh foods regularly, to hermit crab pets. They need lots of vitamins and minerals plus supplemental calcium. And they need the stimulation of variety.
Hermit crab food pellets ARE NOT ENOUGH to keep hermit crab pets healthy and happy. However, they ARE a great supplemental food source because they are long-lasting, have nutritional value and won’t easily rot within the higher temperature and humidity levels of a typical hermit crab tank.
Looking for ideas on what foods to feed your hermit crab pets? See my blog post on Hermit Crab Food and Nutrition with tips and ideas, here!
FAQs
Q: Can I feed my hermit crab ONLY food pellets?
A: While hermit crab food pellets can be a valuable component of their diet, it’s important to provide a varied diet that includes fresh foods as well. A diet consisting solely of food pellets may lack essential nutrients that your pet needs.
Q: Are hermit crab food pellets safe for my pet?
A: Most commercial hermit crab food pellets are formulated to be safe for consumption by hermit crabs. However, it’s important to choose a reputable brand and check the ingredients list to ensure they do not contain any harmful additives or preservatives.
Q: Can I make my own hermit crab food pellets?
A: While it’s possible to make your own at home, it can be difficult to ensure that the diet is balanced and provides all the necessary nutrients. Additionally, homemade food pellets may have a shorter shelf life and be more prone to bacterial contamination.
Q: What are the benefits of feeding my hermit crab fresh foods?
A: Fresh foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and proteins, can provide a wider range of nutrients than store-bought food pellets. Additionally, feeding your hermit crab a varied diet can prevent boredom and encourage natural foraging behaviors.
Q: Are there any health concerns associated with feeding my hermit crab food pellets? A: Some hermit crab food pellets may contain high levels of copper, which can be toxic to hermit crabs. It’s important to choose a brand that is formulated specifically for hermit crabs and to avoid any pellets that contain copper sulfate or other copper-containing ingredients.
Q: How often should I feed my hermit crab food pellets?
A: This can vary depending on your hermit crab’s individual needs, but generally it’s recommended to offer food pellets as a supplement to a varied diet consisting of fresh foods. You can offer pellets once or twice a week, as a vacation food, or daily if only as a supplement to fresh healthy organic foods.
Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API