HBH Variety Bites

[Switchblade_Brigade]

I just switched to HBH Variety Bites after I discovered the food I used to use, FMR, had copper sulfate in it, yuck! Well, anyway it says on the container that it is all natural and I see no copper sulfate, ethoxyquin, propylene glycol, or cobalt carbonate, or cobalt proteinate on the ingredients. It seems really nutritious and I was wondering if anyone knew of anything that is bad in it and if I would be better off just using FMR.

Here's the ingredients

Shrimp Meal, Coconut Flakes, Red Wheat, White Wheat, Oats, Rye, Barley Sunflower, Fish Meal, Krill Meal, Wheat Germ, Wheat Flour, Soy Flour, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Spirulina, Squid Meal, Brine Shrimp, Fish Oil, Zucchini, Beet, Carrot, Spinach, Salt, Wheat Starch, Wheat Gluten, Brewers Yeast, Garlic Powder, Soy Lecithin, Amorphous Silicon Dioxide, Citric Acid, Natural Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Rosemary Extract, L-Abscorbyl-2 Polyphosate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin A Acetate, Choline Chloride, a-Tocopheryl Acetate (source of vitamin E), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Biotin, Pyridoxine HCI, Folic Acid,d-Activated Animal Sterol (source pf vitamin D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Iron Proteinate.

[Kyxoan]

I only use fresh foods with my crabs but that is just personal preferance. I have read that all commercial foods are bad for crabs but i am not sure about the variety bites... If they were killing crabs though i doubt they would stay on the market so i don't know. Fresh food just seems alot easier to do so i stuck with that no worries then because i know exactly whats going in the tank!

[vckums]

It contains salt which is harmful to hermit crabs. Unfortunately it shouldnt be used.

[Switchblade_Brigade]

I heard that only iodized salt is bad for hermies, I'll do some research to see if it is iodized. Thanks for pointing that out.

[silver616]

HBH Variety Bites aren't any better than any other commercial food. I recommend not using any commercial "hermit crab" foods. The only "commercial" foods I use are Hykari BioPure Freeze-Dried brine shrimp, plankton, daphnia, and tubifex worms or Top Fin Freeze-Dried large medley.

[vckums]

It also mentions a preservative. Sea salt is what you want to use, no table salt of any kind.

[Switchblade_Brigade]

Dang, no matter how hard I try I just can't find any commercial food that is beneficial to my crabs. I know it is best to make your own food, but don't have the resources or the knowledge to do so.

[HermitPaws]

Just use the food list:Safe Food List

[Kyxoan]

Yea theres really no "making" of food. If you buy a carrot to eat for dinner, give them a piece. If you are eating a tropical fresh fruit give them some. If you cook eggs give them some shell. Yada yada they can eat almost anything but check the safe food list to be sure.

[dancinhermielover]

ANother thing I noticed is that is said Rosemary extract, and rosemary is a natural insect repellant, which means it is harmful to hermies.