Welcome to Epicurean Hermit

You must have joined us because you're interested in the best and widest diet to feed your crabs. To get you started, here is a comprehensive food list of hermit safe human-grade foods. I recommend you buy organic, for your crabs' health.

Seaweed forms a large part of a crab's natural diet in the wild. There are many different varieties of edible seaweeds, with different flavors, but mainly they are all rich in the following nutrients:

• natural iodine
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Vitamins B1, B2 and B12
• Calcium
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Bromine
• Iron
• Protein
• natural sodium phosphate
• carotenids (beta carotene)
• copper and other trace minerals

Personally, I find seaweed to be disgusting. I have to hold my breath when I prepare it for the crabs. But it is very good for them, and for us. A few bonus properties of seaweeds are:

Kelp contains iodine 127, which prevents the body from absorbing the radioactive version, iodine 131. Iodine 131 is released into our air constantly by nuclear plants and weapons facilities. This substance protects the thyroid gland from radioactive particles.

Bladderwrack (a kind of kelp with many wonderful healing properties) apparently helps prevent estrogen-dependent cancers. Women in Japan, where seaweeds are eaten regularly as a diet staple, have significantly lower rates of ovarian cancer, and other female cancers.

Kelp also contains sodium alginate which binds with ingested radioactive particles such as strontium 90, cesium 137, and various heavy metals, which then binds with these substances in the digestive tract and helps them evacuate the body.

Irish moss is interesting, too. It is the source of the thickening agent, carrageenan. It contains several natural antimicrobial and antiviral agents, and helps relieve tension (perhaps a good food for PPS?). It is even reputed to help reduce the effects of hangover. It contains calcium phosphate used by the cells of brain, liver, flesh and bones, and keeps bones and teeth healthy. I can't help but wonder if it has the same effect on exoskeleton.

All in all, I feel it is vital to offer your crabs some form of natural seaweed. A partial list of edible sea vegetables:

spirulina

Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus)

Nori (Porphyra sp.)

Wakame (Undaria Pinnatifida)

Dulse/Dillisk (Palmaria palmata, Rhodymenia palmata)

Green Seaweed (Ulva lactuca)

Mojaban (Sargassum fulvellum)

Sea Whip fronds (Nereocystis) Sea palm

Alaria (Longicruris)

Various kelp species:

Kombu (Laminaria sp.)

Laverbread (Porphyra dioica, Porphyra purpurea)

Digitata (Alaria esculenta)

Gracilaria parvispora

Bladderwrack (Gracilaria changgi or Fucus vesiculosis)

Sugarwrack (Laminaria saccharina)

All sea vegetables are members of the algae family.

The chemical protectant properties alone should make natural sea weed a welcome addition to any crabitat. With heavy metal poisoning being one of the suspected main causes of shell disease, offering your crabs foods that can help them excrete toxins should help them live a longer, healthier life.

I recommend only organically prepared seaweeds. Any that have been prepared with anything other than sea salt are suspect. The best quality sea vegetables should have no additives whatsoever.

I offer my crabs kelp powder, spirulina powder, nori, dulse, sea palm and wakame on a regular basis, and am considering adding a few more for variety.

Food for thought.