Can't find the feeder thread I'm looking for

[Tortdad]

Another question from the new guy.... as said before I understand the lighting and humidity needs as I'm an expert tortoise keeper but this is my 1st insect eating reptile so what I need to know is how to properly care for feeder incets

I was looking for a thread like feeder incets for dummies or feeder incets 101. If you guys have something like that on this site please link me to it.

I saw those cricket keeper bins so I plan to get 1 or 2 of them. Can I mix crickets and roaches in the same keeper?

Can they be kept in the dark in the storage container compartment of my enclosure or do I need to provide feeders with lights and heat?

Since I know those fluckers orange cubes suck I plan on feeding my own guy load but what do I do for water for the feeders? I see flukers makes a gel water... any good?

Any and all advice you can give me about feeders would be very welcomed.

 

[etclement]

Just use things like apple or butternut squash for water. I would separate different species of feeder as well. The crickets would probably harass/ outcompete the slower dubia. Dubias like to be kept dark and hot.

 

[Tortdad]

Okay. 2 cricket feeders then

So apple and stuff process enough moisture, good to know.

Can crickets be kept in the dark too?

 

[Virgil1972]

Check out this list of blogs by sandrachameleon. She has a lot of feeder related blogs full of good information.

 

[Andee]

Do you plan to breed your own feeders at all? The keepers won't be large enough if you do. And you likely will be spending a lot of money every month if you don't either buy in bulk, or save some money by raising at least one feeder species.

 

[Tortdad]

I think I'd like to breed Dubai roaches and use them as the staple of the diet instead of crickets.


I don't think my wife will like how noisy and smelly crickets are so I was thinking of the breeding the roaches and just buying other worms to have some variety.

I saw some videos where people just use them plastic bins so I think I'll go that route over keepers

 

[Tortdad]

In the care sheets it just talks about crickets so I'm trying to find a list of approved other insects for them.

 

[jamest0o0]

I can help more in a little bit here, but I'd look into orange heads, dubia, bottleflies, soldier fly larvae, hornworms, silkworms, and butterworms for sure... a lot of Chams hate roaches, they love chasing crickets and stuff so if you can add in some for variety. Superworms are nice treats for d3/vitamin day IME

 

[Tortdad]

I'm going to start a dubia colony and use some of the different types of worms for verities. I wish I could find a few Cham owners in Houston to see if they raise there own bugs... then we could just swap with each other

 

[Andee]

I honestly recommend having at least two different gutloadable insects as part of your feeder routine. And I don't consider any worm (even supers gutloadable do to their digestive system)

 

[Virgil1972]

Dubia are really easy to raise. I used a Rubbermaid tub and a heating pad from walmart.

 

[Tortdad]

I honestly recommend having at least two different gutloadable insects as part of your feeder routine. And I don't consider any worm (even supers gutloadable do to their digestive system)

So what other gutloaded insect do you recommend? I really want to stay away from crickets if I can. I plan on using them a little but not as a staple. I've got plastic bins and a left over heat mat so the dubia should be easy

 

[etclement]

GBR or giant GBR are good

 

[Andee]

I do multiple types of roaches, giant canyon isopods, so yeah... a lot of different roach species offer different nutrients... there are a couple other things but they are usually hard to find in most places.

 

[jamest0o0]

Not to be argumentative lol, but GBR aren't really good for gutloading or as a staple. They easily escape and are small. They are nice for some variety and enrichment though.

Banded crickets make nice gutloadable staples and don't smell or make noise, plus they live longer. I'd get orange heads and dubia if you want 2 staples that aren't crickets.

Hornworms are great for variety, silkworms and butterworms are full of nutrition. Gutloading is important, but it's not everything. Every living thing is made up differently and offers different nutrients regardless of what they eat.

 

[jamest0o0]

I like bottleflies a lot along with blacksoldier fly larvae too btw. Bsfl are very gutloadable and don't need dusted. Bottleflies eat honey and bee pollen. Can dust them by throwing in fridge, they slow down. Pour calcium in and shake then let loose in cage.

 

[etclement]

I agree that GBR are too small for a staple, but they're amazing as a supplement for both the cham and the cham's brain as they fly, have erratic movements, and are bright green of course.

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh most definitely agree with that! Flying insects in general are great

 

[Andee]

Not to be argumentative lol, but GBR aren't really good for gutloading or as a staple. They easily escape and are small. They are nice for some variety and enrichment though.

Banded crickets make nice gutloadable staples and don't smell or make noise, plus they live longer. I'd get orange heads and dubia if you want 2 staples that aren't crickets.

Hornworms are great for variety, silkworms and butterworms are full of nutrition. Gutloading is important, but it's not everything. Every living thing is made up differently and offers different nutrients regardless of what they eat.

I agree that gutloading isn't everything, but it is hugely important in captive bred insects. They will not carry near the correct amount of nutrients that a wild caught will. And powdered supplements cannot replace a healthy gutload.

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh I agree @Andee! I just meant that's why variety is still key over just feeding a gutloaded staple and nothing else.