HBH Salt Response

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:18 pm

I emailed HBH and inquired about the use of iodine in their salt. I got three replies back

1st one:
Courtney,
We use sea salt, there is NO iodine in it. We have tried two different
kinds of sea salt, one with added trace minerals and one that is human
grade. No iodine is in either one. We will be happy to refund your
money, please let us know what you paid and where to send the check.
I do not know where he got his information. It is not normal table salt.
Thanks
Frank

2nd one:
Courtney,
By the way, the only thing we add to the sea salt is calcium carbonate.
Thanks
Frank

3rd one:
Please log on to the Hermit Crab Association and reply to the post. HBH
uses sea salt, not table salt, non iodized, and adds only calcium
carbonate. We don't even have any table salt in the building (except on
the lunch table in salt shakers). We have pallets of sea salt and lots
of calcium carbonate.
This is the truth. Come visit us and see.
I have also checked our computerized formulas to see if anyone has been
sneaking in table salt, or ordering table salt, or holding table salt in
inventory. No.
Thanks

Frank

What do you think?

brandi9976 · Post by **brandi9976** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:16 am

it's not the iodine that's the problem...
I'd email him back and ask if the salt they use has any anti caking agents in it. that's what is bad for the crabs in regular salt.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:58 am

Hmmm, I was under the impression that Calcium Carbonate was not water soluble... is there white stuff floating in your HBH?

Does your bottle list ingredients?

If it is what she says it is... only sea salt and calcium carbonate then I think it is ok to use.

But if it is:

Hermit Crab Salt by HBH for soaking and bathing

Ingredients: sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide

Then it is NOT ok to use.

And YES, please ask about any anti caking agents... ask for specific ingredients since he has the formula right in front of him.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:55 pm

I emailed him back. I have the HBH Hermit Crab Salt for soaking and bathing. I am planning on getting a refund.

**Edit**
Here is the reply I got:
Courtney,
Anticaking elements are clay, sodium aluminosilicate or magnesium
carbonate. We didn't have anticaking property salt in the original
highly mineralized sea salt, and the salt went hard in areas with high
humidity. So we now use sea salt with anticaking properties. The
anticaking properties in this sea salt is a very small insignificant
amount of magnesium carbonate. We add significant amounts of calcium
carbonate to ensure that our hermit crabs maximize their calcium
adsorption.
Hope that helps.
Frank

Hermie Lover · Post by **Hermie Lover** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:06 pm

At least this Frank guy is VERY helpful, and sounds like he cares about your concerns.

I am curious to hear more about this.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:57 am

Why do they say there is no iodine in their product when the label says it has potassium iodide? KI. One potassium atom bonded to one iodine atom.

They say they don't use table salt. Sure, they may use sea salt, but they have all the ingredients in their product that make table salt. I mean, I wouldn't say that I wasn't selling dough if my ingredients were flour, salt, water, and yeast.

And the <i>only</i> use for it being in there is as a dietary supplement or to treat fungal infections, so I would be pretty suspicious because it has no purpose being in a product for making hermit crab water.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:46 am

I'm trying to find out about the magnesium carbonate... but it makes me wonder what else they add in insignificant amount that they will tell us about if we ask the question directly...

I wonder about the calcium... I was under the impression that calcium carbonate was not water soluable... So, I wonder if he is certian that it is calcium carbonate and not something else.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:20 pm

First of all, I am DEFINITELY getting a refund. I went and bought a bag of Oceanic Sea Salt. Hermie Lover- I agree. He is very helpful and at least he is honest. Aaaamory-you have a good point. It has the ingredients used to make table salt. I'm sure it has sea salt, but there is probably table salt mixed in. Featherscrabs- I don't know if you want to email them and ask them that, or if you want me to. That's a great question! Who knows what else they add in there?

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:16 pm

Well, "table salt" is just sea salt with anti-caking agents and (usually) iodine added. I suppose some of it is mined from the earth, but most salt is taken from the ocean.

I don't trust the anti-caking agents they admittedly add to the product. We don't know what effect they may have on the hermies over the long term.

I tested the product, and during the test period, my hermies were very dissatisfied. The water was cloudy (I assume from the undissolved calcium carbonate), and started to smell bad after a couple days of being mixed. I doubt the hermies can absorb the calcium from this product, it's just not the best way to get calcium to them.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:08 pm

I heard back from Chestersmom... she said she has posted about the anti caking agents ... in the water section... I will look for it. She gave me a link to the one on Crab Street Journel but I have to get a membership before I see it. But she what she did say is that Magnesium Carbonate is a corrosive mineral used to stabilize iodine (!)... I'll get the CSJ link up and try to find the one here for you guys to look at but I might not get to all of that tonight. If someone finds it first please go ahead and post the link -- because you can't read the CSJ unless you are a member there.

CSJ link; http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/module ... pic&t=3947

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:41 pm

:roll: hit quote instead of edit... sigh.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:24 am

Can you list the ingredients on your bottle? Below is Chestersmoms response to me asking her about the product...

"Ingredients List:
Ingredients: sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide

Besides having the WRONG type of calcium, it is normal table salt (sodium chloride/ potassium iodide), and they have thrown in the highly corrosive magnesium chloride to keep the iodine stablized...you know we avoid using table salt...I would like to see the research these schmucks did on their product! While iodine is required by all living things, the natural form comes into a hermit crabs diet by spirulina! This product can cause over toxification from iodine, which results in a crab not being able to harden after a molt!!!!! The only type of calcium a crab can process is Calcium carbonate, and it is NOT water soluble ever! Any water based product that says it has calcium in it, is in the wrong form for land hermit crabs!
----------------------------------------------

the above I copied from my post in your thread link Featherscrabs...

I bolded the listed ingredients...there may no longer be iodine in the HBH product BUT there is magnesium chloride...and they use the WRONG form of Calcium...Calcium chloride isyhe water soluable form but not the right one.... land hermit crabs need CALCIUM carbonate... which is not listed on their product... that was the labelling right off their bottle... at CSJ I think there is an image of the product... so again...I implore you that HBH is not clear on their product! unless they have changed it...and then all you have to do is ask to see their product ingredient listing... if it is different from what is bolded and enlarged above, then we will need to review the product... "

Can you also ask if they have changed the product and for a complete ingredient list? Then I'll take that to Sue and have her look at it.