Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Herpers,

Iam having some trouble with my crix recently and it was all going fine for about 3 months now the same thing has started again.I have a big Rubbermaid thats 15 or 20 gallon one of those anwyays I keep 250 2/3 crix in there and I have a little plstic container that I put my "Gutload".Now befor I get into the problem I have with my crix I would like to know if my gutload is ok.

When I first started out with my Lizards I just fed them crix that were from petsmart then I got more educated and slapped myself in the face for not gutloading them.So I searched around for a gutload recipe and I really couldnt find a good one.I found some that were good and free but you need to buy things your average oublix I dont think has like "Bee pollen" maybe they did but...I just decided to take my food processeor that I have a put a bunch of fruits and veggies in there.

Now I like to use a variety of fruits and veggies.I take alot of those baby carrots (AND YES I DO WASH EVERYTHING REALLY GOOD)becuase I heard carrots are really good for lizards and reptiles or at least I heard.So I take quite a bit of those baby carrots and put them in then I usually try to take at least one of every fruit and veggie I have.I take a orange and wash then I actually dont peel I just cut it and use the whole orange the skin and all i figure it is good for them but I could be wrong.Then that is what I usally put in but my gutload varies from what I have in my refrigrator(Now do you think this is ok or I should just stick to one gutload recipe?).

This week I put in a Kiwi(peeled of course)collard greens,kale,strawberrieds,squash,AVACODO(is this ok?)And I usually put more stuff in btu I cant really think of anything else.Sometimes I peel some potatos and put those in there.I dont usually put in celery I dotn know why but jsut dont.OK now I take all this stuff and I sort of blend it and it comes out to be this mush type of food it smells pretty decent but dosent look to good and It usually changes color becuase it depends on what I put in it of course.I take a little bit and put it in a seprate container where my "Gutload" crix are and I cant tell if they eat it or not becuase they dont go swarming towards it or anything u think they would.In my other container I just have some red potatos just so they have something befor they get gutloaded.

Now I have shared my recipe with you and I would definetley love to hear everyones feedback on it.WOULD YOU CHANGE ANYTHING?ADD ANYTHING?Also if you can please tell me your gutload and if its worked for you for making your reptiles nice a plump and what you put in it and everything and how you make it that would be helpful not jsut to me but many people when the look at this thread SO EVERYONE PLEASE POST YOUR RECIPES =) for the Herps

Ok my problem with my crix now.When my crix came on the day it looked like there was a little bit more than average btu I really didint mind I used thier egg carton the provided.ANd since I wasent have trouble with the smell and flies and everything i WAS PUtting the my gutload mush in the regular rubbermaid and I WASENT removing some and just gutloading those I was gutlaoding all of them and I put a paper towel that was wet for some water for them.But this time I did everything as usual and when I went to go get some crickets it smelled HORRIBLE and there were flies in it.So basically what I am asking is How do I keep my crickets from dying and the smell down and the flies out?I usually clean it and change the gutload every other day but I dunnno.Feel free to POST POST POST POST POST!! PLz dont forget to PosT!
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0.2.0 Leo Geckos

1.0.0 Collard Lizard

I have read that oranges, citrus in general, is not good for crix. I wouldn't use that.

The gutload recipe you are referring to with the bee pollen was developed by a group of cham breeders and I believe it is a great recipe. It is expensive but then I feel the lizards I am raising are worth it. No you can't get all of the ingredients at the local grocery but if you check the vitamin section you will find things like bee pollen and some of the other things. It is easier to go to a health food store and buy your ingredients there as they are already ground.

I don't think you need to puree the fruits & veggies for you crickets. They have pretty powerful jaws and will devour leaf lettuce in short order, can munch down a whole baby carrot pretty quickly as well. I don't give potatoes because I try to give the more nutitional veggies. I use leaf lettuce, not iceburg, summer squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, etc. I try to avoid the soft fruits and veggies as they break down too fast. I am also afraid that if your crix don't get some solid foods they may get ill. You aren't feeding anything but moisture filled foods. With these you don't need the water or wet paper towels.

What has happened is that you have created a very humid environment that encourages bacteria and fruit flys. In fact, the fruits & veggies, even though washed, contain the eggs of many of the insects that will help them to decompose. So belending them which starts the decomposition prosses quickly brings out the fruit flys and other creatures that will complete the breakdown process.

If you want to gutload and aren't willing or able to spend the money for the ingredients or for commercial gutload then you could crush dye-free koi pellets.

The site that has the recipe for gut load also has a list of preferred fruits & veggies. I would stick with the ones on the list. Put in what you think the crix can eat in a day and the next day remove any un-eaten portion and add fresh.
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

If I could just get the fruit flys out of my room! I would be a happy camper. I hate crix. But some of my frogs won't eat roaches. UGH.

>>I have read that oranges, citrus in general, is not good for crix. I wouldn't use that.
>>
>>The gutload recipe you are referring to with the bee pollen was developed by a group of cham breeders and I believe it is a great recipe. It is expensive but then I feel the lizards I am raising are worth it. No you can't get all of the ingredients at the local grocery but if you check the vitamin section you will find things like bee pollen and some of the other things. It is easier to go to a health food store and buy your ingredients there as they are already ground.
>>
>>I don't think you need to puree the fruits & veggies for you crickets. They have pretty powerful jaws and will devour leaf lettuce in short order, can munch down a whole baby carrot pretty quickly as well. I don't give potatoes because I try to give the more nutitional veggies. I use leaf lettuce, not iceburg, summer squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, etc. I try to avoid the soft fruits and veggies as they break down too fast. I am also afraid that if your crix don't get some solid foods they may get ill. You aren't feeding anything but moisture filled foods. With these you don't need the water or wet paper towels.
>>
>>What has happened is that you have created a very humid environment that encourages bacteria and fruit flys. In fact, the fruits & veggies, even though washed, contain the eggs of many of the insects that will help them to decompose. So belending them which starts the decomposition prosses quickly brings out the fruit flys and other creatures that will complete the breakdown process.
>>
>>If you want to gutload and aren't willing or able to spend the money for the ingredients or for commercial gutload then you could crush dye-free koi pellets.
>>
>>The site that has the recipe for gut load also has a list of preferred fruits & veggies. I would stick with the ones on the list. Put in what you think the crix can eat in a day and the next day remove any un-eaten portion and add fresh.
>>-----
>>Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
>>www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

The fruit flies are awfull! But, I have found a trick for cutting back on them. I keep high humidity animals so between the damp vivs and the insects they are just always going to be there to some degree. My husband is always complaining about them!

So, one day, in desparation, I put an apple core in a yogurt cup and then put one of those sticky roach traps that folds into a tube in the opening. The apple core attracted the fruit flies and many of them got stuck in the glue while entering & exiting through the trap. Mind you, this didn't get rid of all of them, but it helped!

Anytime I see a lot of nats in one of my tanks of babies I stick a small piece of fruit in a trap and stand it on end on top of the screen. This catches a few too!

I put these along my baseboards and have even caught a few spiders who crawled in to feed on the stray roach/crix that got trapped. I know that these traps can be a real hazard with reptile that happen to get loose but my guys all climb.

If anyone else has any suggestions for fruit fly control please share!
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

OOOOOhhhhh, good idea.
Since I live in upstate NY there is no such thing as a low humidity environ. Well, okay, in the winter. But we are in the hazy hot and humids and boy have the bugs kicked into getting on my nerves.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron