Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking of raising my own mealworms. Do you just keep them all in the same tub and dig out the larvae when needed and then just let them do their thing and keep them clean and fed? I was thinking of using cornmeal and baby rice cereal as substrate and potato as moisture. I know you can use rolled oats too. What is the best and most nutritional?

>>I am thinking of raising my own mealworms. Do you just keep them all in the same tub and dig out the larvae when needed and then just let them do their thing and keep them clean and fed? I was thinking of using cornmeal and baby rice cereal as substrate and potato as moisture. I know you can use rolled oats too. What is the best and most nutritional?
>>

First of all its really not worth it if you only have one gecko/lizard I made that mistake a long time ago but now that I breed beardies and leos it works its very easy if you need any Specifics just give me a holler.

The pet store that I purchase from does'nt use substrate.. can I just toss them in a container with a vented lid and keep them that way in the fridge, or do I need to add something? will they even still feed in the fridge?

As a substrate to put in the tub with the mealworms, I strongly suggest using Pro Gut Load from Cody at ProGeckos.com I've used it for the past 4 months on my mealworms and I love it!

Another this I noticed, is your gecko is on wood chips, personally, I would change the substrate to either tile or paper towel. Both are easier to clean and are more beneficial to the gecko
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MK Geckos
Your Source for Leopard Geckos!

They will neither feed, pupate, nor breed in the fridge. The fridge is used to keep their metobolic rates down, so they won't do any of these things. That's also how they can keep them for so long without them dieing.

If I gut load them first, will they still be okay in the fridge? I only have the one gecko. Will gut loading them before putting them in the fride work? How long should I gut load them for? Do I need to gut load them?

Gut loading is the act of feeding the insects healthy foods of which you would like some of the nutrients to pass onto your gecko. Yes, they will be okay if you gut load them before the fridge. It'd would be better still to take them out for a day once a week and let them eat up over night, instead of just leaving them in the fridge forever. If you let this feeding frenzy happen, you will have them survive longer. You don't necessarily need to "gut load" them, but you will need to feed them, as any other animal, or they will die.

i'll do that.. thanks for the advice..