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Water Gel Crystals for Superworms/Crickets?

WhisQuila Dec 20, 2003 04:06 PM

Well i know Flukers, Cricket Bites, and a few others offer these for feeding crickets, superworm, mealworms, ect...

But they are way over priced at any petshops around here. So i'm wondering if the stuff people use for gardening would work too? or is it not good for the lizards that eat the feeder insects that hydrate using the "gardening" water crystals/gel.

If its not a good idea to use the gardening kind i'll just have to buy some crystals from WormMan instead.
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Later,
WhisQuila

Replies (6)

patricia sherman Dec 20, 2003 04:49 PM

>>The chemical name is: sodium polyacrylate. I'm not sure if it has any toxicity when ingested ...

http://www.camd.lsu.edu/msds/s/sodium_polyacrylate.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question207.htm
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar99/921040790.Ch.r.html
http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/search/S/sodium_polyacrylate.asp

"Google" will give you others.

I don't think that it is the best stuff to use for providing water for animals. I know that the crickets seem to do okay on it, since I've used it for them in the past; but I have some anxiety about whether or not it could irritate the bowels of their predators.
.
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tricia

LdyPayne Dec 20, 2003 10:11 PM

for crickets, I would recommend just using carrots, potato or orange slices instead of that wierd gel stuff. It's what I used from my crickets, never had any problems with fresh greens, carrots, orange slices or potatos, especially if changed every day.

Mothi Dec 21, 2003 01:08 AM

I use Moisture Munchies, which you can make with just water and agar agar. I have the recipe on my website and some variations I have tried. I sometimes like making it with fruit baby food, real fruits, and even veges. You can give them to your insects, rodents, and eat them yourself if you want. Though, when you use other ingredients other than just water and agar agar, I am not sure how long they stay good in the refrigerator. I usually use batches I make within a week or two. These Moisture Munchies don't turn into puddles of goo under heat. That is what I love about them.
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~ Juli ~
www.Polliwog-Design.com

WhisQuila Dec 21, 2003 05:58 PM

Thanks ya'll

I'm gonna shy away from the "garden variety" water crystals.
I'm gonna try those agar agar based moisture munchies.
I don't like using the carrots or potatoes for my super worms, although the crickets do fine with them.

For my supers i have a little dish filled with the hydro-gel-crystal-water thingies and the worms do great, plus i don't have to worry about it rotting and messing up my wheat and oat bran.
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Later,
WhisQuila

patricia sherman Dec 22, 2003 01:49 AM

I would think that they'd keep quite well, even if they're in the fridge over aweek. The gel should lock out all air, and act as a preservative to some extent. Cooked ingredients would certainly keep well, but raw would probably be less stable.

tricia

>>I use Moisture Munchies, which you can make with just water and agar agar. I have the recipe on my website and some variations I have tried. I sometimes like making it with fruit baby food, real fruits, and even veges. You can give them to your insects, rodents, and eat them yourself if you want. Though, when you use other ingredients other than just water and agar agar, I am not sure how long they stay good in the refrigerator. I usually use batches I make within a week or two. These Moisture Munchies don't turn into puddles of goo under heat. That is what I love about them.
>>-----
>>~ Juli ~
>>www.Polliwog-Design.com
>>
-----
tricia

athos_76 Dec 22, 2003 01:55 PM

I got a good deal on these little treats from Fluker's called Orange3 (cube) They smell just like orange, and have water content and are good food for the crix. My crickets love them, and I've seen a couple larger ones try to drag them off. They come in a nice size jar, and the jar is packed full of them. So far no problems with them
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