Reptile & Amphibian Forums

yes it's alittle off topic. but i see alot more action in here(mailny because this is only place i visit!haha)

ok i FINALLY got some hatchlings about a week or 2 back. and i have read alot but can't seem to find or remember (took 2 monthts for first batch) how to feed them. i have some of the orange chunks i give the larger ones that i feed my beardies.

but i tried putting in some flukers farm cricket chow stuff... but it molded up. then i did a HUGE mistake.haha i read that the ones you use for breeding put some powdermilk with cat food for feeding them. well i put alittle powderedmilk. and man did that mold right up!haha

so i have a second batch... has to be 3,000 babies in this batch and i don't want moldy mess again. so i'm just looking for what to do? i tried putting in some greens in there. becasue i know that the biggest thing is dehydration so i'm really trying to keep plenty of thigns to hydrate them. but i'm alittle lost.

Thanks for all the help!
(sorry so long)

I use chick feed or laying mash. It is basically the same as the flukers cricket chow. You can buy a 20 pound bag at the feed store here for about 6 bucks. It has all the vitamins and minerals for a new born chick which is plenty for anything that eats a cricket. If you are getting mold it is too wet. I put about 1/4 inch of chick feed in the bottom of my container (20 gallon tank). I water with a sponge in a shallow bowl that I keep damp. Sometimes I throw in a carrot or piece of potato just for a treat. I have never expierenced mold since I started doing it this way, good luck
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"Why is it we treat the earth as if we have a spare in the trunk"

n sure if this is the best way but I blend oatmeal and dry dogfood(Protein) to feed my baby crickets. It never molds because it is dry. I use greens and carrots for moisture and sometimes cricket water bites. Make sure that your greens or moisture items are on the other side of the crix enclosure. I have bred crickets and raised them to 1/2 crix in about 4 weeks. If you want them to grow and hatch fast I would have them at about 90 degrees. Good luck!!
-Randy
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AlphaDragonZ
Coming Soon!!!
www.AlphaDragonZ.com

thank you both for the replies. i'll have to check the chicken feed out for sure sounds alot cheaper.

see i though i had to keep the dirt moist until all the eggs hatched. well i was misting the dirt... and in the over spray the other stuff got wet, so it molded.

ahh, the best way to do that is put some soil in some glad ware containers or small bowls at least 2 inches deep let the crickets lay their eggs in the bowls then take them out and put them in another tank or such. If you take two glad sandwhich bowls and flip one over and use one as a lid while it is in the adult crix cage with a one inch hole in each end it will hold moisture well plus give them room to lay since with the lid on they would only have 1/4 inch of room. You have to tape or pin it on the bottom bowl. When they start hatching them remove the top lid and they will be on the go. Kinda like a little terrarium inside the cage for an incubator. Good sterile potting soil will not mold easily. This way you are not getting moisture all over in the tank.
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"Why is it we treat the earth as if we have a spare in the trunk"

I would look into those water gel crystals. NOT the premade stuff. This website is the only one I have run across that sells these crystals for a good price. I'll put in a little link for them.
Water Gel Crystals

I feed mine mainly Kale & collard greens, a little bit at a time. Adding small amounts of fruit or other left overs once or twice a week. What you might want to check is the air circulation in the container that you are keeping them in. I use a large rubber maid tote(about 2-3 feet high) that has had most of the cover cut out of the middle and a piece of window screen duct taped to the center of the top, also I leave the egg cartoon that comes with the crickets in there to absorb extra moisture. Inbetween groups I clean out the tote with dish soap rinse well and and set it in the sun to dry. I order 5 to 3 thousand a week.