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Ants as food?????

crestygecko Aug 02, 2006 07:01 PM

hey all,

I recently had a small ant invasion due to some dead crix in a near by cresty tank. I always try to protect all my animlas from ants and anything else that has the potential to put seriuous harm on them. To my surprise the darts where eating all the ants that had craweled inside their habitat. There were not very many but the ones that did, did not make it out alive. I was wondering if ants can harm darts??? Can darts eat them as treats maybe?? do they have any sustanance at all??? anyone have an opinion on the matter???? Thanks in advance

cresty

Replies (3)

slapnutz Aug 03, 2006 11:18 AM

so i dont see the harm in eating them here...i prob woudlnt rely on it being a main staple but as a treat like you said should be fine.

phflame Aug 03, 2006 11:54 AM

Don't know which ones are good and which are bad, but I know that I have read that it does matter. So I wouldn't introduce ants on purpose, and would be careful about which kinds get into the tank.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

slaytonp Aug 07, 2006 07:34 PM

If your darts are eating them, they are obviously the right kind, so it would be O.K. to keep feeding them these particular ants. Some of the common household invaders, such as "sugar" ants--the tiny ones that make a trail to the sugar bowl in the kitchen, are usually enjoyed by darts, but they should always be fed with caution, simply because there is no consensus yet on just which temperate zone ants are accepted by darts as food and do them no harm as preditors, or uneaten colonizers of the soil. Too many may disrupt the plants and substrate in a small environment.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

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