Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here is my issue, i buy 1000 crickets almost every week. I like to feed them fresh veggies for gutloading purposes. My problem is, how do i offer these veggies to the crickets. Right now their "food dish" is just a tupperware container (without the lid of course) inside their enclosure. The problem with that is, when the food starts to spoil i can't remove the veggies because there is like a million crickets all over them. I think the cost of buying a commercial gutload for that many crickets would just be too much. I tried offering less food and when they ran out i would just put more in. Unfortunately they just ate less of the reduced rations, and it still spoiled. What do i do? what do you do? GRRR stupid crickets. I'm leaning toward crix free!

K!LOS

Cut potatoes into quarters. 2 would probably do each week for the 1000 crix; that will get them thier moisture. Go to the feed store and get unmedicated chicken feed and put it in the corner of your cage in a pile. It is cheap and nutritious. Then when you get the new shipment in dump all contents of the cage including the crickets that are left ( i use a 55 gallon aquarium) and disinfect it good with bleach or something of that nature. (make sure you rinse it well if you use bleach) Then start over. I use this method and haven't had any problems. I think it is best to get rid of even the crickets that are left when each new shipment arrives. That way your cutting back on the risk of parasites in my opinion. Once a week, or at least once every two weeks, cleaning I feel is important for the cricket cage. Of course I may be doing something wrong so please anyone with a better idea?

Robert

i have been using a wet sponge for moisture. I will try the chicken feed though, as soon as i can get to the store that is.
Thanks

K!LOS

I have been told (by the folks at sticky tongue) that chicken feed is not the healthiest thing to gut load with. Don't know the particulars, could be the hormones. My recommendation is have a separate tub for the amount of crickets for one feeding. Fill that tub 3-4 hours before feeding time and gut load those crix with veggies. I use the vit-all gut load from sticky tongue that has vitamins in it too. Don't know why but it seems to make the crix more appetizing to my Beardies.
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

This Sticky farm "vit-all gutload"... is it ok to give this to crickets all the time (not only for gutloading)? To make them grow faster? Or is "vit-all gutload" to "strong"?

I gave my cricktes this gutloading and they loved it! I also give my crickets "fish food" and a slice of orange.

/Gunilla
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It is formulated as a gut load, I dont know how well it would work as a power food. It would also be rather costly. you might want to contact the manufacturer MinerAll@aol.com
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

The Ultimate Performance Supplement
Calf-Manna

Crude Protein
Min
25.00 %

Lysine
Min
1.4 %

Methionine
Min
0.3 %

Crude Fat
Min
3.0 %

Crude Fiber
Min
3.0 %

Crude Fiber
Max
6.00 %

Acid Detergent Fiber
Max
10.0 %

Calcium
Min
0.7 %

Calcium
Max
1.2 %

Phosphorus
Min
0.6 %

Salt
Min
0.5 %

Salt
Max
1.0 %

Sodium
Min
0.2 %

Sodium
Max
0.4 %

Copper
Min
15 ppm

Copper
Max
35 ppm

Selenium
Min
0.1 ppm

Zinc
Min
125 ppm

Vitamin A
Min
20,000 IU/lb
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com