Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I just bought 1000 2wk old crickets that got here this past Thursday and what hasn't been eaten by Giblet is now dead. I have calculated that my beardie ate about 150 in that time and the rest have died. Before hand, I had purchased 500 of the same size from the same place and none really died at all, and that lasted 2 weeks. It was kinda weird how they were all dying because it seemed like they were all getting brain damage or something, they just layed upside down and would only move if I touched them. Sometimes it was like they twitched as well. Anyway, I didn't change anything from how I kept them the first time. The only thing that I can think of is that they were in the same container as the 500 before. The container is a 38quart rubbermaid. I have a mesh opening in the top for ventalation as well and I fed them some greens and carrots jsut like before. Anyone have any ideas?

n/p
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TheClassyLizard

Crix need ALOT of surface space, or they'll feed off each other. I use 122 qt. plastic bins & use paper-type egg cartons. I also feed them plenty of greens & put in some fruit & a moist sponge for them to drink. They also have to be kept warm; I use a 60W household bulb in a metal dome for them, just like I use for my herps. Hope this may help!
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God Bless, Beardie Dreams, & Peace!
Pogoniacs

according to one of the crix suppliers ( i forget which, sorry), laying on their back means theyre dying of chemical exposure. the twitching seems like it could be that too. so perhaps you sprayed something different in your home (remeber it can diffuse through the air anywhere in your house) that was toxic to them. on the other hand, ive treated my snakes for mites with nix in the same room as my crix and didnt notice any disaster. go figure
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

....over crowded. If my math is correct, 38 quarts is about 10 gallons. A container that size is way too small for 1000 crix. That's probably why the 500 did OK in that size of a container but not twice that many. I keep 1000 crix in a 100 gallon rubbermaid. There is 6 cardboard "egg crates" on end for them to climb on & a big sponge for water. They are in our warm garage.
I made that mistake with my first 1000 order, too. Put them right in a 10 gallon aquarium & by the next morning all were piled on top of each other dead! big bummer
They could have also come in contact with a chemical but the over crowding definately played a role in their demise.
Sorry.

Sharla

Thanks guys, yeah, I'm starting to think I had an overcrowding problem. I really haven't used any kind of chemical so I can throw that possibility out. Looks like I'll be sticking to 500 crix orders until I can make room for something larger.

I had a similar problem and I believe it was caused by too much moisture. I've found that if I leave greens or potatoes in over night I wake up with them around the potatoes and dieing. I now use a dry food which I make myself, and just put in the potatoes or veggies during the day for a few hours. The feed I make is mostly cheerios 1cup, oat meal 1/2cup, beardie pellets 1/2 cup, little bit of Kitten Chow Brand (A brand without the red pieces) 1/2 cup, fish food 1/2 cup, about 2tbls of powdered non fat milk, and 1 teaspoon of the rep-cal calcium. I put all these ingredients into a blender or food processor and get it into almost a powder with a few lager pieces of pellets. Seems the pellets don't grind all the way down to easy. This has worked great for me for a long time, and the crickets I keep on this diet last a lot longer then a greens and veggie diet. Each night I take what I'm going to feed the next day and put them in a smaller container with the powder and a few pieces of greens and they are gut loaded and ready to go in the morning. The crickets just swarm all over the powder and really like it.
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Mystical Dragons