Reptile & Amphibian Forums

for those of you using pellets to replace crix, what are the cost comparisons? how much pellets do they eat?

Thanks
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

from my limited experience I would say that pellets are better. I have to pay a handful for crickets at the pet store I go to. Pellets can range form 3 to 6 dollars for one container woch lasts me 1-2 weeks. the main thng is finding the brand your beardie likes. Good luck!

I pay $100 for 11,000 crix (just under a penny each). I go through about 3000 a day plus worms and roaches and a whole lot of greens (they get lots of variety).

So I am wondering if I would save any money with pellets.

thanks

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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

I guess the “Pellet People” are getting off easy. I have three adults and they *might* go through a pound a month, depending on how much waste I want to have. I got little one’s to feed now that I got a clutch that hatched and I am sure that I will be going through way more now. So, for three adult dragons and about 20 week olds, I will be spending about $5-$6 a month on pellets alone, maybe more as I am still testing out the amount to give at one time. I still feed greens and also Supers for the adults and mini-mealworms for the little one’s.

I read from one site that they where going through about 30k crickets each month until they switched to pellets, now they go through less then a 5 pound bag a month. I would say to give it a shot and see how you do with them.

As for saving money on pellets instead of crickets, that would be a definite YES!

Rep-Cal all the way...

Good luck,
Steve

BTW ~ I use juvenile pellets for all my dragons as they are easier to pick up when wet.

np

Most people do soak the pellets before feeding them. 20 min in hot water is usually good for my dragons. I have heard some people leave a bowl in the tank with un-soaked pellets for their dragons all the time. I feel that they would be too hard not to soak them first. Rep-Cal is the best and even my 4-day-old dragon likes to chow on them.

Steve

what kind of growth are yall getting on pellets? both of these guys are about 5 months old........smaller one is actually a few days older. the larger one is big for his age though, but you get the idea. anyway, the small one was raised on pellets and the larger one on crix.......are these results typical??

thanks
kevin

Hmmm tough one to comment on but........

I have a 14 month old female here that never seemed to gain weight or grow until I did away with crix and started on the pellets. She gained on average 10 - 15 grams per week for 2 months after that and about 1 1/2 inches to her length.

I have some 2 week old babies that hatched out around 3 1/2 - 4 inches and they are now between 5 1/2 and 6 inches in total length.

I would say the growth is good.

>>what kind of growth are yall getting on pellets? both of these guys are about 5 months old........smaller one is actually a few days older. the larger one is big for his age though, but you get the idea. anyway, the small one was raised on pellets and the larger one on crix.......are these results typical??
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>>thanks
>>kevin
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

Kevin, that other dragon you have is simply awesome!

Now, as for the growth with the pellets. Keeper male was not the largest of the clutch, he was average. Tank on the other hand, would not have nearly as much difference as the two you posted do. I am guessing that the one you have in that pic is of large size like Tank was? He is huge for any 5 month old dragon.
I have seen quite large growth spurts between 4 & 6 months with the pellets. That's as far as I've gotten so I can't testify for anything older but what I'm told is that they catch up by 1 yr.

I can't see the slower growth being anything but better for them. It is strongly believed that "power feeding" in the snake world can shorten the life span of a snake and take a toll on the first year or two of egg production. I find it very easy to think that the same could play true for dragons.

The way I see it, crickets to young dragons are like cookies are to kids.
I guarantee, my kids would gladly eat more cookies than greens any day. And I also guarantee they would be larger than the kid who wasn't offered all those calories. Would it make them healthier? I don't think so.
(this is a rough comparison but you get my point)
To top it off, You hear all the time about how "my dragon won't eat its greens but he ate 30 crickets this morning". lol No wonder it won't eat it's greens, it has tasty snacks to keep it full all day. (back to the kids with cookie comparison)

Well, I think that sums up my thoughts on the crickets.

Later.
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Joel R

Coming Soon!
www.SpikesAndScales.com

thanks........maybe i'll combine crix & pellets and see how that works. He's an awesome little dragon, at first i was just worried that i had a runt. what brand of pellets we're you feeding him?

thanks
kevin

Sheesh! I haven't sat down and figured it out penny for penny, but I buy my pellets in 5 pound bags and it seems to last forever! LOL

Currently feeding 5 adults, 2 sub adults and 17 two week old babies.

The babies get it soaked twice daily and the adults / sub adults have a dish of dry pellets all the time in their cages.

The last time I bought pellets was at least 3 months ago and I bought three 5 pound bags and I still have one entire bag unopened in the freezer and 1/4 of another bag which is in use currently.

>>for those of you using pellets to replace crix, what are the cost comparisons? how much pellets do they eat?
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>>Thanks
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>>Bennett
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>>www.beardiedragon.com
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

np
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

www.reptiledirect.com

It is less than $13.00 for juvi 5 pound bag if you buy 3 or more at one time. That is the reason I buy 3 bags every order. It also combines and saves on the shipping in the long run.

>>np
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>>Bennett
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>>www.beardiedragon.com
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

I can't seem to find the juvi pellets in the 5 pound bags at www.reptiledirect.com. I hope I'm just looking in the wrong place and that they still sell them.

Thanks,
Veronica

Here is the link that will take you right there:

http://www.reptiledirect.com/product.asp?0=222&1=250&3=193

I will have some at the show if you are just looking to try them out. Just find me and I am sure that I can make you a deal on some
Steve

I'd love to try them out. I can't seem to find them locally in the pet stores. I'll get some from you at the show and if I like them I will definately get some from ReptileDirect. Thanks for the link - I just didn't see it for some reason.

I'll be at the show Saturday between 11 and 1. See you there!

Veronica

first time feeding pellets and a bunch of them ran over and started eating right away ignoring their regular greens and going for the pellets. It took 4 oz of pellets just as a topping to all the babies food bowls. I am guessing it would probably take at least double that for one meal.

How much do they eat (pellet wise that is)?

thanks for responding
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

I couldn't realy say how much they eat.... I use one of my daughter's tea set cups as a scoop lol

If I had to venture a guess, the babies are eating 6 - 10 pellets each per day and also all they can eat greens. But that is a guess since they are all fed together.

I only buy the juvi pellets.

>>first time feeding pellets and a bunch of them ran over and started eating right away ignoring their regular greens and going for the pellets. It took 4 oz of pellets just as a topping to all the babies food bowls. I am guessing it would probably take at least double that for one meal.
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>>How much do they eat (pellet wise that is)?
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>>thanks for responding
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>>Bennett
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>>www.beardiedragon.com
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com