dubia vs cricket
- Thread starter Arnold
- Start date
I feed my Dubai in a bowl. They can not climb and keeps them in one spot and somewhere where they can't hide. Like them cause they easy to breed an don't smell like crickets do. Also one roach is about 6-7 crickets. I feed mine roaches, worms, veg. Like to give a little variety mine gets bored with the same stuff day in and day out.
Bush baby
Avid Member
I've posted this here before, so ill repost it here:
I personally think that crickets are superior to roaches.
Here's why:
Gut load
1) I've noticed that even after crickets are brought home after being purchased and you dump them into a container in order to gut load them, they immediately start feeding on whatever food item you have set aside for them. In other words, they seem un-phased by the 'trauma' of being scoop up from their current home (the pet store) transported via plastic bag for as long as several hours, shaken around, then dumped into a completely different environment. It's as though they are programmed to feed, no matter what. This is what makes them superior to roaches. Roaches, i've found, take time to settle in before they will feed. Crickets are eating machines which makes for the perfect gut load vehicle.
Free-range
2) I free-range, so after i've gut loaded my crickets in a separate container, i dust them and empty about a dozen of them into my chams enclosure. I do this because most of the chams i've had rarely cup feed. I leave a small amount of food, for the ones my cham doesn't eat immediately, in the cage bottom, so the crix won't nibble on my cham at night. You cannot free-range roaches because they are great at hiding, and are nocturnal, un-like crickets who are both active during the day when your cham will see them and at night.
Movement
3) Crickets are far more lively during the day when your cham will see them. Even if you cup feed, roaches tend to crawl into a corner or one side of the cup and remain still. Not good for predator who's feeding response is based on it's preys movement.
Impaction
4) I've notice that when i feed my chams crickets as the primary part of their diet, they have a bowel movement everyday, whereas when i've fed them roaches, it's gone from them defecating daily, to every other day, to sometimes once a week. From this i must conclude that a roach must be much harder for a chameleon to digest. I've even had to treat some of my past chams for impaction (using oil) when i had them on a roach diet. The situation remedied itself when i switched back from roaches to crickets.
Those are the reasons why i personally don't use roaches. I'll give them to my cham once in a while; but as i just stated, i've found crix just have more attributes that benefit the chameleon itself, as opposed to roaches, who seem to be a popular feeder not so much because they benefit the chameleon itself but because it's better for the owner, i.e they're cleaner, make less noise, produce less smell, etc…
…to each his/her own.
I personally think that crickets are superior to roaches.
Here's why:
Gut load
1) I've noticed that even after crickets are brought home after being purchased and you dump them into a container in order to gut load them, they immediately start feeding on whatever food item you have set aside for them. In other words, they seem un-phased by the 'trauma' of being scoop up from their current home (the pet store) transported via plastic bag for as long as several hours, shaken around, then dumped into a completely different environment. It's as though they are programmed to feed, no matter what. This is what makes them superior to roaches. Roaches, i've found, take time to settle in before they will feed. Crickets are eating machines which makes for the perfect gut load vehicle.
Free-range
2) I free-range, so after i've gut loaded my crickets in a separate container, i dust them and empty about a dozen of them into my chams enclosure. I do this because most of the chams i've had rarely cup feed. I leave a small amount of food, for the ones my cham doesn't eat immediately, in the cage bottom, so the crix won't nibble on my cham at night. You cannot free-range roaches because they are great at hiding, and are nocturnal, un-like crickets who are both active during the day when your cham will see them and at night.
Movement
3) Crickets are far more lively during the day when your cham will see them. Even if you cup feed, roaches tend to crawl into a corner or one side of the cup and remain still. Not good for predator who's feeding response is based on it's preys movement.
Impaction
4) I've notice that when i feed my chams crickets as the primary part of their diet, they have a bowel movement everyday, whereas when i've fed them roaches, it's gone from them defecating daily, to every other day, to sometimes once a week. From this i must conclude that a roach must be much harder for a chameleon to digest. I've even had to treat some of my past chams for impaction (using oil) when i had them on a roach diet. The situation remedied itself when i switched back from roaches to crickets.
Those are the reasons why i personally don't use roaches. I'll give them to my cham once in a while; but as i just stated, i've found crix just have more attributes that benefit the chameleon itself, as opposed to roaches, who seem to be a popular feeder not so much because they benefit the chameleon itself but because it's better for the owner, i.e they're cleaner, make less noise, produce less smell, etc…
…to each his/her own.
Masked Gecko
Member
You don't mean give them 2 roaches to replace 12 crickets do you lol. Yes roaches have more protein than crickets, but there are some picky chameleons that like more movement and that's why I like crickets. I use both, so I'm not sure I helped with your decision haha
You don't mean give them 2 roaches to replace 12 crickets do you lol. Yes roaches have more protein than crickets, but there are some picky chameleons that like more movement and that's why I like crickets. I use both, so I'm not sure I helped with your decision haha
I breed crickets roaches and a bunch of stuff. I use variety so I don't run into issues. I just know some people prefer roaches for reasons I listed. It all break down to where you live, what you can order, and what your Cham likes. To be honest variety is best. But just answering his question.
Brassaxe
New Member
I've had much more luck and success with Dubia beetles. I feed my roaches tons of dried fruits, fresh fruits, oats, plain instant potatoes, dandelions, powdered algae, astaxanthin, flax seed, etc etc etc.. Never had a problem raising beetles.
This group has been around for several years now with no major issues, and really no minor issues either.
But crickets on the other hand. I hate raising crickets.
Anyway, here is my simple way of feeding my cham beetles. Its just a stick glued into a tiny tiny cat/dog bowl with holes drilled in the bottom.
This group has been around for several years now with no major issues, and really no minor issues either.
But crickets on the other hand. I hate raising crickets.
Anyway, here is my simple way of feeding my cham beetles. Its just a stick glued into a tiny tiny cat/dog bowl with holes drilled in the bottom.
Blink
New Member
Honestly, as previously mentioned, variety is important. Why make a decision between them when you can just have both? . Thing about roaches though, is that chameleons (mine in particular it seems) aren't as fond of them as crickets. It's their lack of movement. I love the dog bowl idea, by the way. I might try that.
. Thing about roaches though, is that chameleons (mine in particular it seems) aren't as fond of them as crickets. It's their lack of movement. I love the dog bowl idea, by the way. I might try that.
Brassaxe
New Member
The stick should have a wide base that sits flat in the dish with no places for them to hide under. The bowl should also be a lighter color than the stick so they prefer the darker stick. Also I put about 10 Dubia beetles in there total per day. I find they kind of rouse each other up and one or two always ends up walking up and down the stick. My chameleon will still eat them out of the bottom, she doesn't seem to care where they are.
My Dubia beetles for the carpet cham are about a half inch long and the bowl is about 4" in diameter. If you're using sub-adults or adults just make sure the height of the bowl is probably 2x higher than the beetles.
I've also used small plastic pasta strainer bowls with a stick laid across the top.
