HCP isn't as wonderful as everyone thinks

[KellyCrabbieLove]

I'd be willing to bet that any contamination was in one of the products that isn't directly theirs (like the CCC stuff mentioned; several of their foods are now being supplied by other companies & even crabbers-there's a particular "brand" that I & a few friends were the original guinea pigs for before she took them to HCP)

The contamination was in their food of the month in March. Irish Stew. One of the ones they personally make. Trust me. I wish you were right.


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[wodesorel]

My crabs have grown up on their mineral powder as I keep it in my tanks at all times & I have to say I wish I could replicate & sell it myself,hh.

I've received it with adoptions and I'm 99% sure it's montmorillonite or bentonite clay. It's what I've been buying and giving to mine instead.

[megmaholm]

I've received it with adoptions and I'm 99% sure it's montmorillonite or bentonite clay. It's what I've been buying and giving to mine instead.

Really? The way they describe it as a "proprietary blend of natural minerals and elements" made me think it's a mix they made up on their own. Now I'm intrigued!

[SachOfSCP]

I've received it with adoptions and I'm 99% sure it's montmorillonite or bentonite clay. It's what I've been buying and giving to mine instead.

Some day I'll find the old label from the product when they actually listed the ingredients (they then claimed someone copied it so they stopped listing the ingredients). Also...I have no idea what those things you said are, lmso.

[fantasybookworm]

I've received it with adoptions and I'm 99% sure it's montmorillonite or bentonite clay. It's what I've been buying and giving to mine instead.

I've been wondering if that's what it was!! I have some montmorillonite clay that I bought for my dog a while back (and haven't really used anyway) and was thinking about offering some to the crabs. Well, guess I won't have to worry about ordering more mineral blend from HCP, I'll just give them the clay instead. Glad to have a good use for it! They really do like it, they raid the supplements dish with the worm castings, mineral supplement, & calcium powder way more often than they touch their food dish...frustrating, but I guess at least they're eating something.

[wodesorel]

Montmorillonite clay is one of those things that is part of the natural pet food movement and is used as a "detox" in humans. I don't really buy into all of that, but at it's base it's calcium with about 60 other trace minerals and elements. Animals use clay licks in nature all the time for minerals, so it made sense to me. I use a high quality human grade montmorillonite from the health food store for my guys, and I honestly can't tell the difference between that and HCP. There may be, and they may mix theirs with calcium powder or something similar, but if you wet the both down they both act like normal clay when they dry.

[SachOfSCP]

@fantasybookworm that's exactly what I always used to do; HCP castings, crushed oyster & mineral powder. Since starting my store I get my castings elsewhere & a oyster shell powder (as opposed to HCP's chunkier blend) too since I can source 2 of the 3 cheaper on wholesale for myself & the crabs.

@wodesorel does the "whatever you said" clay (hh) make sparkly poop like the HCP stuff does?

[soilentgringa]

I have nothing intelligent to add, I just find the idea of glittery/sparkly crab poop to be highly amusing. #lowbrowthursdayatmyplace

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[wodesorel]

I never noticed sparkly poop from either?

[meg_and_the_zoo]

I have nothing intelligent to add, I just find the idea of glittery/sparkly crab poop to be highly amusing. #lowbrowthursdayatmyplace

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I'm glad you chimed in with that lmao I was envisioning Team Edward hermit crabs all glittery


Zoo mom of 3 cats, a dog, a fish and 4 crabs (Balla, Spot, Twitch & Big Shug)

[kornchaser]

Too sick to do direct quoting so will thrown in what I can remember in response to the last few replies.

No kidding, my slight (lol) OCD is fun when it come to quoting or different coding/texting!!

What you said about the farmers letting the jade snails get bigger makes perfect sense Wode; I just hadn't heard that & always wondered about the gap myself.
...
I think with the better care info available now, people's crabs are growing bigger & that also makes the available shell sizes harder to come by; there's a range of what's become the average size that is literally always sold out in the wholesalers & so yeah when the sellers have to pay $4 each sell even ordering wholesale it doesn't leave us options on having competitive pricing & still making a profit.
...
...

It all makes sense :/

All in all, when you compare HCP to pet stores & LHC.....they're the bees' knees

Seems like it, comparing and reading other forums.


Mommy of 12 PP babies - Baby, Toby, Sid, Matty, Junior, Kaylee, Aries, Adrian, Turbo, Flower, Boo and Freckles.
RIP Octavius

[Crabinski]

I'm glad you chimed in with that lmao I was envisioning Team Edward hermit crabs all glittery

[IBlab crab]

Some day I'll find the old label from the product when they actually listed the ingredients (they then claimed someone copied it so they stopped listing the ingredients). Also...I have no idea what those things you said are, lmso.

Why would you want to do that?HCP has been a good company to most of us and provides a good service.Most of the crab supply stores do not stay in business very long and I hope they stay around.If they stopped printing ingredients it was for good reason,so it would not be copied.Maybe send it in a pm if you are so set on going against their whishes but please do not post it.

[soilentgringa]

Why would you want to do that?HCP has been a good company to most of us and provides a good service.Most of the crab supply stores do not stay in business very long and I hope they stay around.If they stopped printing ingredients it was for good reason,so it would not be copied.Maybe send it in a pm if you are so set on going against their whishes but please do not post it.

I am all for proprietary information being kept private and all that but if I have the ability to say...make my own taco seasoning in bulk for a fraction of what it would cost to buy the little individual packets, I'm going to save the money and do it myself. Sach posting the components of a mix isn't going to harm HCP's business. For people who have a large amount of crabs it just makes more sense to DIY your stuff in bulk. If you have a couple of crabs then buy the prepackaged mix. It's a matter of personal choice.

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[wodesorel]

I'm not sure they ever did put it on the label - the earliest topic I could find here about it was from 2009 and it looks like it was still new at the time since everyone talked about getting free samples to try. It was proprietary information even back then: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=71354