Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few shipments ago I tried some commercial gutload. They're these "all in one" orange cubes from Flukers Farms. Has anyone else tried them? I experienced higher cricket death rates when I use it, and others have as well. They're moist, so they're getting hydration... I can't figure out any reason for them causing higher death rates.

f*uker's has a habit of not doing things quite right...

Personally, I've been using the gutload from www.cricketfood.com for well over a year now, and we rarely have any crickets dying off... They'll literally last us months - or they would if they didn't get fed off, heh...
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Axe
The Reptile Rooms

the gel dried out, crickets still eat it and it swells in their stomachs..... or at least that is what we think is going on.

There has been at least one death reported also in a dragon who was fed cricket that ate this, in that case they think that the dried gel was either eaten or picked up on the crickets and once they hit the stomach rehydrated and impacted the dragon. The owner of that dragon said the pathology showed a mass blocking the stomach that appeared to be crickets and brown goo. They did not get a breakdown of what it was, so it is really hard to say this was definitely it.

I would never trust any Fluker products anyway, their history with reptiles is not very impressive

It's alot cheaper and easier to just feed your crickets the exact same food you feed your dragons (minus insects). Put in the same greens you feed your dragon in with the crickets, add some sliced carrots, or potato's or orange for moisture. The dry gutload you can buy is good as well, or you can make your own. One recipie I used was from the following site:

http://www.geocities.com/borderviewdragons/

Just click on the cricket caresheet on the left hand menu.

I have never used the all in one foods and also avoid flukers. The way I gutload is with non medicated egg layer mash chicken feed. it is $0.18/lb. looks like all the gutloads out there has virtually the same breakdown for nutrition wise. Only downside is it has corn that crickets dont eat so you have to mix it up every 3rd day or so. I love using the stuff. For hydration I use "Nature's Zone" cricket water. But with any of the gel products you must be careful. For as Cheri mentioned if a dried crystal gets in the beardie container and a dragon eats it it will rehydrate and kill the dragon. No questions asked. The stuff expands by I say a factor of 100 easily. I have lost 2 baby dragons to that last year (I found the cricket gell in their intestines myself) so it is a real risk. I imagine the food has about the same risk. So care must be taken that the gel doesn't escape its container or get on the tubes.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com