The Importance of Vitamin C for Crabs

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:48 am

Today, one of my blog visitors told me that vitamin C kills hermit crabs by making the crabs' limbs get immobile and making the tip of the legs rot. I do not think this is true, because almost all of fruits and veggies have vitamin C's in them. I know they need vitamin C, but I don't know the exact reason why they need vitamin C. I would like to tell the visitor why vitamin C is not harmful and hermit crabs actually need them. Can some of you tell me why they need vitamin C? Thanks!By the way, Happy Easter!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:59 am

Vitamin D aids in Ca2+ absorbtion. Vitamin C has other important biological roles.At least in humans.. Vitamin C acts as a strong reducing agent, antioxidant, and a cofactor for synthesis of many important chemicals. It acts as an electron donor for a variety of enzymes. Defficiency in humans causes scurvy.. which you can google if you like

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:35 pm

They get lots of vitamin C in the wild through citrus fruits and other goodies - they need it for a healthy immune system.I have never heard of vitamin C causing leg rot and immobile limbs. That sounds more like a bacterial infection than anything if this person has actually witnessed it in their tank.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:08 pm

quote:Originally posted by Miek:Vitamin D aids in Ca2+ absorbtion. Vitamin C has other important biological roles.At least in humans.. Vitamin C acts as a strong reducing agent, antioxidant, and a cofactor for synthesis of many important chemicals. It acts as an electron donor for a variety of enzymes. Defficiency in humans causes scurvy.. which you can google if you like Given that we get different diseases than your common hermit crab, the positive "repelling" effect may be still pending. All vitamins are important, does this person not know how cellular (and for that matter general) biology works?

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:37 pm

I think that this is probably a warped version of the "citrus fruits are bad for crabs"-myth. It was thought for a long time that citrus fruits were not suitable for crabs, because of the citrus acid (said to soften their shell) and maybe other reasons that I can't remember right now. But none of them were true and crabs can eat citrus fruits just fine, many wild crabs have access to them and they make up a part of their diet.Since some people think that Vitamin C = citrus, that may be the reason why this person said that vitamin C is bad.Here's a link that talks about vitamin C and it's importance for fish and crustaceans (page 161 and following):http://books.google.de/books?i...t&resnum=4#PPA162,M1