Stay away from Zoo-Med hermit crab food!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:46 pm

I just bought a jar of zoo-med hermie food and when I opened the lid I smelled a nasty fish and meat concoction. I looked at the ingredients and saw copper sulphate & ethoxyquin. 2 preservatives toxic to hermit crabs(mostly bad for molting).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:08 pm

I'm surprised. They usually offer a lot of good things and one of their packages I bought stated the humidity and temperature conditions needed for them to survive.

Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs · Post by **Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:57 pm

I have only found a few commercial foods that do not contain EQ or copper sulfate. Those are: Brine shrimp (petdiscounters.com), Zoo Med fruit salad, Zoo Med: Dried coconuts, bananas, carrots, and pumpkin, and the Zoo Med Crunchies which are just basically fish meal.

OIF_VET · Post by **OIF_VET** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:37 am

If I am looking for Hermie (Commercial) food...I always read the ingredients 1st. Saves me a Headache later...When I 1st started Keeping my "Lil Dudes"
I bought some commersial food..the pellets..not knowing about the EQ and Copper Sulfate...I used it once...it now sits in the Drawer...Unused.
In a Pinch, I will use it..but only if I dont have anything else to offer...which hasnt happened as yet...I try to keep something for them.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:38 pm

Actually, This is a good time to question the safety of some food I bought. It's Called FMR land hermit crab treat. Their main food has ethyoxiquin so I bought this instead. I continue to give them things like shrimp, carrots and things like as much as I can, but I can't always provide them that everyday. My commercial diet is blood worms, calci sand, and now, this stuff. It did not say it had it, but I had my doubts. Its mostly fruit, "sea salt", oats, and wheat germ. It did not state any preservatives or anything unnatural. I visited the site, and I was less than satisfied with their products. They sold tiny critter keepers as tanks, and painted crabs. It is strange because hermit-crabs.com is right there on links, yet they still sell bad sets. When I put it in there, they ate it all very quickly and it smells pretty natural, so My theories might be wrong. Can any of you tell me if it does have the stuff I fear it has?

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:09 am

There's a lot of debate about FMR foods. The general consensus seems to be that the "treat" (I'm pretty sure that's what you have) is fine, but the staple food should not be used much, because it contains bone meal, which can have high concentrations of heavy metals in it. My hermies just love FMR treat.