Crickets unhealthy after 1 week of keeping

[Albula]

500 1/2" crickets in a 10 gallon aquarium with egg crates vertically. Fed dry gutload bulk of wheat bran. Fed collard greens everyday as wet load. Crickets I get are healthy when I get them but after a week of being in the 10 gallon aquarium they become very unhealthy and I get alot of dead. After dusting and putting them in my chameleons cage, they just lay on the bottom of the cage and twitch around, they do not climb the screen.

Got a spackling knife and cleaned out the poop and dead after 1 week. Should I do it sooner? Are water crystals that imperative or will the wet gutload be sufficient? Any Ideas how to make 500 crickets last longer in a 10 gallon tank? Thanks

 

[jannb]

I recommend cleaning every other day. Your crickets could also have the cricket virus. They die off fast if they have that no matter what you do and allot of the cricket farms here in the US have the virus.

 

[Decadancin]

I only use fresh veggies for hydrating crickets. I don't like to use the crystals. They tend to get moldy and attract flies, etc. You will need to clean at least every few days(more is better), and change out any food often.

 

[Albula]

Thanks for the help. Next batch I'll clean the tank more often. If that doesn't work I might try and switch to banded crickets instead of Acheta crickets. Thanks

 

[Lancecham]

What is the temperature the crickets are kept at?

 

[absolutbill]

Thanks for the help. Next batch I'll clean the tank more often. If that doesn't work I might try and switch to banded crickets instead of Acheta crickets. Thanks

Careful with the banded crickets - those suckers can jump like you wouldn't believe!!! I learned that the hard way, but my cats had fun chasing them...

 

[CarlC]

I use Rubbermaid totes. They are really easy to clean and I don't worry about breaking glass.

Carl