Can hermit crabs eat tomatoes? This is a question that many hermit crab owners and enthusiasts can’t seem to answer. The short answer is that it can vary from species to species.
This article will discuss the pros and cons of feeding tomatoes to your hermit crabs, how much they can eat, and what vegetables they can eat.
In case you are in a hurry and don’t have time to read this complete article. We have an on-point answer for you.
Can hermit crabs eat tomatoes? Yes, hermit crabs can consume tomatoes. Tomatoes are not a good source of nourishment for hermit crabs, but they’re an excellent supplement to other diets. Slicing tomatoes or dehydrating them is the best approach to get the most out of them. Once again, the smaller the portion, the more likely your hermit crabs will eat tomatoes at all.
Hermit crabs can eat tomatoes but are not recommended. Hermit crabs can also eat cherry tomatoes.
It is best to feed them cooked tomato slices because it can be difficult for their stomachs to digest raw vegetables and fruits in general.
Hermit crabs can also include sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, squash or pumpkin, green beans, and peas.
They can also eat cooked broccoli or other low-salicylate fruits such as apples, pears, berries, and peaches.
Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene but can also be difficult for hermit crabs to digest.
Like humans, they can get stomach aches or diarrhea if too many tomatoes are eaten at once.
Cooked tomatoes can still provide the same benefits as raw ones and allow your hermit crab to enjoy this nutritious food without any complications.
Benefits Of Eating Tomatoes For Hermit Crabs?
The benefits for hermit crabs on eating tomatoes are:
Can increase the calcium intake of your hermit crabs. This can help them build a healthy and robust exoskeleton if they eat it raw or harden their carapace (outer shell) when cooked.
It can be used as an emergency food source if you ever find yourself in a situation where there is nothing else to eat.
It can help them recover from an illness and speed up the healing process of any wounds on their bodies.
It can also give your hermit crabs healthier skin when used raw – it can increase their appetite if they are sick or injured, as it is high in Vitamin C, which will make them more hungry and can speed up their recovery.
It can also be used as a supplementary food source to other hermit crab diets such as Hermit Crab Pellets, Hermit Crab Coconut Diet, and even Crushed Clamshells.
Harmful Effects Of Eat Tomatoes For Hermit Crabs?
Well, there are not many harmful effects of eating tomatoes for hermit crabs!
These effects may be found in hermit crabs if they eat tomatoes excessively:
The shells can become softer and may be deformed.
You can observe white deposits on top of the shell, indicating a calcium deficiency in hermit crabs.
There’s also an increased risk for bacterial infections due to the possible ingestion of pesticides or other chemicals while eating tomatoes.
At any rate, having added some extra calcium can be an excellent way to prevent problems.
You can feed your hermit crabs with some of the following supplements: cuttlebone, shell grit, or crushed oyster shells.
For added calcium, consider providing them with some spinach too! Spinach is high in calcium and can help boost the health of their skeleton.
It’s best not to give hermit crabs the whole raw spinach leaf but instead place it in a food processor and serve them with that.
How Many Tomatoes Can a Hermit Crab Eat?
The number of tomatoes can a hermit crab eat is dependent on the size of your hermit crab.
A few can eat one tomato, but it is not recommended to feed them more than once a week since too much can lead to health issues for your hermit crab.
How often to feed them tomatoes?
You can feed hermit crabs tomatoes once a week, but do not overfeed them.
If you overfeed them, it can lead to health issues like obesity.
Raw Or Cooked Tomatoes For Hermits? Which One Is Best?
Hermit crabs can eat raw and cooked tomatoes, but it is best to feed them uncooked tomatoes since they are rich in vitamins.
If you have a sick hermit crab that can’t eat anything yet, providing him with some sauce made from fresh tomatoes can help him feel better.
It can also be challenging to find cherry tomatoes in their original state, so it is best to give your hermit crab-cooked ones since they are already cut, and you can eat them more quickly than uncut ones.
The downside of feeding them with baked cherry tomatoes is that they can be a bit dry and hard to eat, so make sure your hermit crab can handle it.
Can They Also Eat Cherry Tomatoes?
Yes! You can feed your hermit crab any tomato, such as red or yellow ones (cherry, beefsteak, etc.).
Tomatoes are sumptuous for both big and small land hermit crabs.
Cherry tomatoes are often used as treats for hermit crabs but can be included in their regular diet.
You can feed them one or two of the small tomatoes per day without any problem.
Please note that cherry tomatoes can cause diarrhea if given to your pet too often due to high water content and lack of fiber compared to other vegetables you can offer them daily.
What If My Hermit Crab Is Not Eating Tomatoes?
If your hermit crab is not eating tomatoes, it can mean that they don’t feel well or has some health issues you weren’t aware of before.
In this case, you can try to check the temperature in their habitat. Can they walk or climb?
Make sure your hermit crab can move freely and is not trapped somewhere.
Also, make some changes to the container by adding more shells for them to choose from.
If everything seems fine with your pet, yet it still doesn’t eat tomatoes, then you should take them to a veterinarian.
Please note that to avoid any digestive problems with your pet, vegetables must be cut into small pieces or shredded so that they can eat through them quickly.
Also, note that it is not recommended to feed hermit crabs fruits regularly since they can have laxative effects on their digestion system and cause diarrhea.
Fruits can be used as treats instead of the leading food for land hermit crabs.
Other Vegetables Hermit Crabs Can Eat
Leafy vegetables such as collard greens can also be an excellent source of vitamins for your hermit crabs when feeding them with uncooked leaves that they can quickly eat.
There can also be other vegetables such as bell peppers and snap peas that can serve the same benefits of eating tomatoes for hermit crabs.
If your land hermit crab doesn’t like tomatoes, you can try feeding it with other vegetables suitable for them.
These can include carrots (cooked or raw), cucumber, zucchini, etc.
Their diet can contain both vegetables and fruit without any problem since they are omnivorous animals.
Some of the favorite fruits can be raspberries or strawberries (they love it when you wash their food with some freshwater before feeding them).
Now that you know that hermit crabs can eat fruits. Let us discuss what fruits do they eat and love the most.
Fruits That Hermit Crabs Love
Hermit crabs can eat papayas, peaches, and plums.
They can also enjoy apricots, avocados, bananas, and strawberries.
The tropical fruits that hermit crabs can consume are mangoes, pineapples, coconuts, and mangosteen. Purple fruit with white flesh inside that can help keep the crabs healthy.
