Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i know i know, this is like the 4th one in 2 days

i got what most of you said you used (oatmeal, baby food flakes, non-fat powdered milk, wheat grain....and i'm working on getting the t-rex sandfire cricket gutload).

the mealies were going through it like crazy - but when i pulled them out of the fridge, they weren't moving until they were thawed. i understand that they hibernate when they're fridged....but for some reason i still thought that they'd eat!! i thaw 10 of them for an hour in a cup of the mixed feed for gutloading for melvin, then put them in the dish to eat! should i be leaving them OUTSIDE the refridgerator for 24 hours?? i hear they mutate faster when they're close to turning into a beetle... which is why i still kept them in a fridge. i'm leaving them out 2day to check results, but i'm so curious

aimee
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1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Melvin)
1.0 Black Lab / Pitbull mix (Mikey)
1.0 Blue Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)

Yes, you should be leaving them out for at least 24 hours. I would also add some fish flake food to the gutload mix. It's a great source of protein, and my mealworms seem to gobble that up first.

It's ok to leave them out of the fridge. It's not like they turn into beetles overnight. It takes weeks for them to pupate into the aliens, unless you happen to buy a batch of older mealworms.
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chickabowwow

3.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 3 eggs a' cookin'

That's my experience exactly. I've had mealies out for weeks, after which only a few turn into those white ones w/ the big heads- "aliens". I've not had any turn to beetles yet, but even if they do, I figure my girls would eat them up anyway!
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

Thanks again! I really appreciate it.. sorry if i'm already bugging you guys about those darn mealies! I just want my leo to be healthy & happy ^_^

aimee
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1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Melvin)
1.0 Black Lab / Pitbull mix (Mikey)
1.0 Blue Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)

np
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chickabowwow

3.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 3 eggs a' cookin'

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1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Melvin)
1.0 Black Lab / Pitbull mix (Mikey)
1.0 Blue Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)