Starfish

[AwesomeHermit]

So, I got this starfish at a beach shop, and I licked it because I'm weird and nothing happened. Is it safe to put in the tank?

[aussieJJDude]

Id pass on it.... often its bleached which can still leave residue. Not to mention, in high humid environments they are prone to turn into a mushy pile quickly.

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[AwesomeHermit]

Ok. The mushy pile thing sounds gross LOL!

[Happyhermiehome]

What did it taste like?

If u want some ocean-y decor in your tank id suggest unbleached corals or sea urchin. They look neat and Crabs can eat them. they are a great calcium source

[GotButterflies]

Starfish are often preserved in alcohol. I'd refrain from using it.

[daws409]

Starfish are often preserved in alcohol. I'd refrain from using it.

But can't you get natural starfish? Like from a hermie food shop... You can get sand dollars and sea urchins.

Edit: I was the one who suggested starfish in their other post for extra calcium source. It's on the safe food list if it's untreated...

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[AwesomeHermit]

What did it taste like?

If u want some ocean-y decor in your tank id suggest unbleached corals or sea urchin. They look neat and Crabs can eat them. they are a great calcium source

LOL it tasted like what cuttlebone tasted like, but less fishy (yes, I tasted cuttlebone too to see if it was safe for the crabs because it was at the bird section) and what are those thingies with the purple an white colors and few big holes with thingies sticking out?

[GotButterflies]

Starfish are often preserved in alcohol. I'd refrain from using it.

But can't you get natural starfish? Like from a hermie food shop... You can get sand dollars and sea urchins.

Edit: I was the one who suggested starfish in their other post for extra calcium source. It's on the safe food list if it's untreated...

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Unless you have found the starfish & dried it yourself- I would refrain from providing it as a food source to your crabs.

Starfish are preserved many ways- but the cheapest most effective way to preserve them in their for lack of better terms “natural” (insert eye roll here) way, many companies use rubbing alcohol.




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[daws409]

Starfish are often preserved in alcohol. I'd refrain from using it.

But can't you get natural starfish? Like from a hermie food shop... You can get sand dollars and sea urchins.

Edit: I was the one who suggested starfish in their other post for extra calcium source. It's on the safe food list if it's untreated...

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Unless you have found the starfish & dried it yourself- I would refrain from providing it as a food source to your crabs.

Starfish are preserved many ways- but the cheapest most effective way to preserve them in their for lack of better terms “natural” (insert eye roll here) way, many companies use rubbing alcohol.

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That makes sense but why list these as hermit crab food if they are in fact unsafe to use. (Maybe its another hermit crab ploy) Guess you have to live near or visit the beach often to get the "good" sources...

These sites can be found on the resource page... Makes me wonder where they source their star fish from.

This is from HermiesKitchen on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/223831146/ ... -crab-food

And this is from SeaShellMart on etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/165587676/ ... -2-3-linka

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[AwesomeHermit]

Oh, this probably doesn't matter, but I have it more of a climb toy (don't worry, I have a LOT more) than a food source, but they probably would anyway.

[daws409]

Sorry @ GotButterflies... Wasn't trying to come off as a smart a, just curious!

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[GotButterflies]

But can't you get natural starfish? Like from a hermie food shop... You can get sand dollars and sea urchins.

Edit: I was the one who suggested starfish in their other post for extra calcium source. It's on the safe food list if it's untreated...

Sent from my VS835 using Tapatalk

Unless you have found the starfish & dried it yourself- I would refrain from providing it as a food source to your crabs.

Starfish are preserved many ways- but the cheapest most effective way to preserve them in their for lack of better terms “natural” (insert eye roll here) way, many companies use rubbing alcohol.

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That makes sense but why list these as hermit crab food if they are in fact unsafe to use. (Maybe its another hermit crab ploy) Guess you have to live near or visit the beach often to get the "good" sources...

These sites can be found on the resource page... Makes me wonder where they source their star fish from.

This is from HermiesKitchen on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/223831146/ ... -crab-food

And this is from SeaShellMart on etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/165587676/ ... -2-3-linka

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The one shop lists them as craft use. The other shop lists them as hermit crab food. Both of them could be purchasing them from the same vendor and selling them.

In my opinion, a lot of people get organic and natural mixed up. Or, they don’t understand the true meaning behind organic. This may or may not be the case. If it were me, I would ask that vendor where they come from. Preservatives can kill your hermits.

I have personally seen starfish dried “naturally”, and it’s sad. They are a living creature, and they curl their arms. Starfish dried without preservatives don’t look like perfect starfish. People wouldn’t want to use them for crafts, or have them as souvenirs.



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[GotButterflies]

Sorry @ GotButterflies... Wasn't trying to come off as a smart a, just curious!

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I didn’t take it that way at all! No worries


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[wodesorel]

I agree, anything that looks perfect or bleached should not be used. There are sea shell companies that call them all natural, but that doesn't mean they haven't been processed in an unsafe way before being imported. Better to be safe than sorry, and stick to stuff you know is safe. Most sea creatures would smell like dead animal for a long time, so if they are being sold they are going to be treated with something to make them nice to be around.

Unbleached sanddollars are a very ugly shade of grey. I am not sure if I ever seen those or unbleached starfish for sale. They are on the safe list for only when they have been collected and are known to not be treated.

Barnicles are normally okay as usually they have not been treated as they are hard shells. I have two from an adoption that came from HCP. I know they only carry and source safe items so I had no qualms using it.

[Happyhermiehome]

Oh, this probably doesn't matter, but I have it more of a climb toy (don't worry, I have a LOT more) than a food source, but they probably would anyway.

Even as a climbing toy they still will probably pick at it and eat it. I would not use it in the tank at all. I have a large chunk of unbleached untreated coral in my tank for climbing and they sit on it and pinch and eat it for hours at a time.

U could use it to make a neat craft for decoration near your tank. Like maybe in a shadow box on the wall or on ashelf.