HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I recall Crabber85 saying that crabs are reluctant to eat food they have smelled in the tank for more than 24 hours. So I am going to microwave a piece of frozen "seafood medly" in olive oil and see if they like it better than raw.Tomorrow I will microwave the fish in organic honey.I would like to note that my previous experiments with lobster were invalid because it is so hot were I live that the crabs were inactive. Now that the temperature is 78 in the tank, they're not sulking anymore.

Interesting! I will eagerly wait for the results!

Yeah it's been known in the crabbing and scientific communities for several years now that hermitcrabs don't do well on pelleted/flake food diets where they only get the commercial food and nothing else and after a series of reports and so on it was found that hermitcrabs are biologically preprogrammed to avoid foods that they have previously smelled for twenty four to forty eight hours to assure that they eat a wide variety of foods as a hermitcrab who only eats one food for extended periods of time will be unhealthy and subject to illness and early death.I'm also interested in seeing how the crabs take the food with a different topping/dressing.

The experiment is not going smoothly.Azazul went down for a molt. Hellboy is in another tank and he hasn't responded to the honey/fish.I'll keep trying because it sounds like a good idea but I can't prove anything this time.I realize that making the same food smell different seems to defeat the point of having a variety. But it might come in handy at times: Sometimes the crabs don't eat for a day or two and a whole tray of interesting stuff might have to be thrown out just because it smells familiar.This is a challenge because I would be suspicious about anything aromatic that occurs in nature. Anything in the spice rack might be poison in moderate quantities.I'm thinking about oils, like olive, canola, etc. And also some things like celery that might smell alot different if they were put in a blender. Soy? Different beans?

Please don't microwave it! The microwave damages cells in the food and changes their structure. They won't be able to absorb the vitamins if you microwave it.

@Keg, please continue to update us as negative results are still results.

@crabber85 Will do.@NickB Is there a simple way to explain how microwaving is different than any other heating? I will research this today. My current understanding is that microwaves are a non-ionizing form of radiation (in other words, a wave, rather than a packet of energy like x-rays). When these waves pass by an atom, it makes the electrons in the atom speed up. By speeding up, they temporarily become hotter and sometimes pop up to a higher/wider electron orbit/shell, which is what causes expansion in heated objects.That's as much as I can understand. But I don't see how that would cause physical change to the nutrients that's different from other forms of heating. I mean, once it cooled down, it would be normal again except softer due to wear and tear or maybe drier from water loss. I also recall that frying (i.e. char-broiling, like they do at burger king) turns some organic material to burnt carbon and can be more cancer causing than other forms of heating method. It also makes it taste better. But I can see how that would be bad, in a sense.

It uses friction that it creates with water molecules which causes them to changes their structure and damages things like cells that have water in them. I'm not sure exactly how it makes the vitamins and nutrients less accessible. But all the studies show that microwaved food is unhealthy.

A lot of us microwAve stuff. Eggs, fish, popcorn, and other stuff. I have been doing it since 2009 haven't seen any I'll effects on my crabs..maybe cooking their food in plastic containers might not be healthy? we make sure we use their water when cooking foods. People don't use cast iron pans. Crabs do at times will go on hunger strikes. Their way of saying hey I don't like this! My crabs are not big on fish, the only meat they eat is poultry. If given Apple's or bananas they will choose Apple and like the yellow over red every time. Every crab is so different! You might find a food they like today as n d next month they won't touch it!

The side affects are things like bad blood profiles and problems with muscles forming. You can do it. But it isn't as healthy

You can't say for fact that it has effects on crab muscles, there has been no study or proof has there? I think except for boiling eggs it is suggested that we bake in the oven or zap it in the microwave. I am 50 years old my kids are 27 and23, been using microwaves since they first came out in the 70s.that's slot of years my family have used microwaves..we have no problems? Just saying...people have their beliefs.

I didnt have time to read it all but this article seems to have some compelling information including studies cited. None of it relates to HC but to human use of microwaves. It certainly is something I will be researching more indepth when I have time.

Thank you for the article Geranium. I haven't done my own studying yet. But so far, I'm skeptical.1) As far as "hot spots" in the food, this has been largely solved by microwaves which have a rotating tray. Otherwise, yes, I can see how it would be a problem.2) Packaging problems are common to all foods except raw, unpackaged food.3)Microwave leakage? I happen to have a microwave detector (available online). Unfortunately I am not very good at knowing what it is trying to say. But it doesn't beep unless I get very close or try to microwave spring water. So I don't do that.4)As for microwaves being banned in Russia, here is a forum that examines why. They encompass the topic nicely:http://boards.straightdope.com...wthread.php?t=6522735) Bio-photons? It shows up in wikipedia under "psudo-science." The phrase "disastrously horrid article" is used.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ABiophoton6) This is what I would consider a credible article on the subject:http://ehealthmd.com/content/m...-facts#axzz2l7liByxi

@Keg, I've got a basic understanding of physics and am familiar with the way microwaves are built and tested in the US and there is absolutely no way that the machines themselves are leaking microwave particles as the doors and the inner compartments are designed to stop this.Now if you have a machine that has a loose door then there might be some leakage from around the seal the door is supposed to create and most manufactures recommend replacing the machine at that point for safety reasons anyway..I've not read or heard any legitimate proof that microwaves present a risk via the food that is prepared in them or through leakage if properly sealed.@Geranium, the person behind the website you linked to is known for being a fear-monger and for spreading non-truths to create panic so I don't put any stock in what the guy has to stay as 99% of his statements are false...It was interesting reading none the less.

The microWAVES themselves are not dangerous. It's what it does to the water (and subsequently the cells) that's the problem. It is simply not as healthy as "normally" cooked food. It isn't actively degrading your body (or your crabs). It has just lost some quality.