Must all food given to hermit crabs be organic?

[hermitshell]

I have been feeding my crabs commercial bird seed(without perservatives at all), sun dried shrimp, fish food and organic food(e.g. organic jam from ikea) Now, I am having a problem with my budget as these foods are all costly...... Is it okay if i used normal/ unorganic foods such as carrots after washing them in dechlorinated water? I'm actually not sure myself, I couldnt find any articles about this. I have also never given my hermit crabs any unorganic food ever since my first hermie died of eating unorganic carrots R.I.P. Big claw

[Wai]

Not 'must', but some crabbers do so on the assumption that organic foods are less potentially harmful than non-organic foods. It is similar to how people insist taking so-called 'natural' or herbal medicine as they believe that 'natural' means 'safe'. HIV and poison ivy occur in nature too, yet they are not safe. I don't know how the carrots from your area are treated, but I doubt your hermit crab died due to the carrots. Hermit crabs are very fragile, so it could have been due to a wide range of reasons, including stress.

[ladybug15057]

I agree with Wai, and do not know how or what is used in your country to treat your foods to prevent pests from damaging the crops.
But here in the U.S. things are getting a bit 'off' when organic is mentioned anyway. Our government has poked their nose into organic farming, which now some of the pesticides used on organic foods are not much better than the regular ole foods. (even a couple online sites that claim to sell organic foods and products are NOT actually organic)
http://crabstreetjournal.com/xoops/modu ... 60&forum=7

Give them a good washing, (tap water is fine for that) and a good dechlor water rinse. Try to peel the outside of the fruits/veggies off and offer them.