water absorbing crystals and food coloring

Draqula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 3, 2012
Messages
7
i can't seem to find any info about the water absorbing crystals and food coloring and wether or not it is dangerous to feed to feeder crickets that will be eaten by the tarantula, can it harm the tarantula in any way? (i used black food coloring in the gallon of distilled water before adding the polymer water absorbing crystals)
 

twentyeggs

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
113
I don't think you are going to get a very educated answer here. First you would need to know exactly what is in that food coloring. then you would need to know if its possible for the chemical to be absorbed and transferred unbroken into the cricket, then you would need to know if the chemical would again be absorbed and unbroken in the digestive tract of a tarantula, then you would need to know if that chemical would have any adverse effect on the tarantula... unless you know all these processes, you will not know the answer... and I doubt anyone has done a study on black food coloring dye and tarantulas via cricket water crystals.
 

Draqula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 3, 2012
Messages
7
i added food coloring just for looks, when i bought cricket quencher from the pet store, it came as the same exact thing as the water absorbing crystals, except its blue, i read online that you could use food coloring in the water to color the gels, i just wanted black crystals instead of blue, an i knew food coloring was harmless to humans. someone had mentioned to me after i colored them that theres probably something in the food coloring thatll kill the spider, i don't think i will use it. but ty anyway
 

hamhock 74

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
333
The water gel I get at pet store is dyed blue and I've used for feeder crickets for years without any problems.
 

twentyeggs

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
113
every color uses a different mineral/chemical/ect.. blue could be safe while black could be dangerous.

Green is sometimes made from seaweed, while orange is made from seeds, red could be made from carmine (do you know what carmine is? well its made from insects being boiled in ammonia, yes you ate that as a kid) ammonia safe for Ts? i doubt it. brown food coloring is usually made from carmalized sugar, who knows what black food coloring is made up of.. carbon? cancer? actually, im pretty sure black food coloring comes from squid ink. blue food coloring used to be made from coal tar..... freaking coal tar... tar.... TAR....!!!! ok? its not anymore, i think its some synthetic junk now... but TAR...

so why is it ok for us to eat food coloring? well because its in tiny tiny little amounts and the FDA says its ok, they guess... now while the "dose" of food coloring is tolerable in us large humans do you think that same but gargantuan amount compared to the relative size of a tarantula will be the same? im sure you heard you mom say don't eat too much food coloring.. well there is a reason that little piece of advice has trickled down, the first people to use food coloring probably knew what it was made of and decided not to remind everyone who was eating their tasty little treats what made it that color, just not to eat so much of it "because its not good for you" thus, knowledge deficit for the younger generations...

so to reference your question, is black squid ink ok for your T? well... again, i don't know if squid ink and a tarantula have even been in the same mile radius let alone a full blown study!

=]

your guess is as good as mine.
 
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