Hermit crabs can eat small pieces of orange as an occasional treat. Oranges are acidic and sugary, so they should never be a main food. Offer a small slice or piece of the fruit now and then, remove leftovers within a day, and keep the staple diet a good commercial hermit crab food with protein, calcium and plenty of variety.
Benefits and Downsides
Oranges supply vitamin C, some fiber and water. Many hermit crabs like them. The downside is the acid and sugar: too much citrus can upset the stomach, and sweet leftovers spoil quickly in a warm, humid tank and attract mold and gnats.
How to Offer Orange Safely
- Choose organic if you can, or wash the fruit well. Hermit crabs are sensitive to pesticides.
- Peel or scrub the rind, and cut a piece about the size of your crab’s claw.
- Place it in a clean shallow dish, not directly on the substrate.
- Remove uneaten fruit after 12 to 24 hours.
- Offer citrus no more than once in a while, mixed in with other fresh foods.
What a Healthy Hermit Crab Diet Looks Like
- Staple: a commercial hermit crab food with no added dyes, copper sulfate or harmful preservatives.
- Protein: unseasoned cooked egg, plain cooked chicken or fish, or dried shrimp.
- Fresh foods: coconut, mango, apple, carrot, leafy greens and berries in small pieces.
- Calcium: cuttlebone or crushed oyster shell on the side.
- Water: both fresh (dechlorinated) and marine-salt (ocean-strength) water in shallow dishes, with a way for the crab to climb out.
Foods to Avoid
Skip salty or seasoned human food, processed snacks, anything with onion or garlic, and food that is moldy. Do not feed foods preserved with sulfites or other chemicals.
Bottom Line
A small piece of orange is a fine treat for hermit crabs a few times a month at most. Build the diet on balanced crab food and varied fresh options, and remove any fruit that is left behind. Other small-animal diet advice is in our guide on goji berries for chinchillas.
If your crab becomes lethargic or stops eating for several days, contact an exotic-pet veterinarian.
