Gutloading Recipes

[twinklefingers]

Hello again -

I found this video
On how to make gutloading icecubes, kinda. Something that you could make once and have it last a whole month.

I have this resource: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/feeder-nutrition-gutloading.75/ which I will comb through in detail, but I am wondering a couple things:


1. Is this ice cube method a good deal? Looks great on the surface but maybe you have other experience?
2. Are there some ready-made recipes? I want like 2-3 recipes for cubes like these that I can rotate through every month. I want nicely formatted recipes, for easy grocery list. If they don't exist, I plan to make some

Thanks!

 

[JacksJill]

I don't use ice cube trays because of the freezer space but I do roll up baggies of frozen gut load and slice off frozen slivers as needed. You may lose a portion of some nutrients but it is still better than dry gut load or just using what is convenient. I try to vary the recipe by using different greens, veggies and small amount of fruit each time. ie. Mustard greens instead of dandelion, butternut instead of pumpkin, mango instead of papaya. Nobody knows what the ideal combo is so I vary things hoping to hit some of the high notes.

 

[SharpShooter]

Hello again -

I found this video
On how to make gutloading icecubes, kinda. Something that you could make once and have it last a whole month.

I have this resource: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/feeder-nutrition-gutloading.75/ which I will comb through in detail, but I am wondering a couple things:


1. Is this ice cube method a good deal? Looks great on the surface but maybe you have other experience?
2. Are there some ready-made recipes? I want like 2-3 recipes for cubes like these that I can rotate through every month. I want nicely formatted recipes, for easy grocery list. If they don't exist, I plan to make some

Thanks!

I have tried the frozen cube method but didn't like it for 2 reasons. 1st is how wet it was when thawed (ok, this could be my method at fault) and it then goes off pretty quickly.

2nd is that not all my feeders really went for it. Calci worms and roaches seemed to go for it but locust, cricket and morios didn't go for it.

I now just use all fresh ingerdients and change it out every 2 days. It's a faff but seems to work better for me.

 

[JacksJill]

I do have to put the frozen piece on a bit of paper towel in the feeders box to soak up the dampness. I like the convenience that I'm almost never out of gut load. It seem to be accepted by all my feeders even the snails.

 

[jamest0o0]

I have tried the frozen cube method but didn't like it for 2 reasons. 1st is how wet it was when thawed (ok, this could be my method at fault) and it then goes off pretty quickly.

2nd is that not all my feeders really went for it. Calci worms and roaches seemed to go for it but locust, cricket and morios didn't go for it.

I now just use all fresh ingerdients and change it out every 2 days. It's a faff but seems to work better for me.

Spread it out on paper towel or using something like agar? To make it stick together. I don't like to lose too much juice though because that's where all the nutrients are(another reason why boiling veggies is a bad idea). One can blanch too before storing in freezer to lock in some nutrients and keep longer.

IME, all of my feeders from crickets to snails love it. I add some dry ingredients to mine too. I just put it in a freezer bag. Switch up ingredients OP, no one size fits all, variety is your goal! I try to get mostly dark greens with a little mix of other colored food. Remember too, a lot of fruit skins can be blended too for added nutrition. For example, bananas or oranges... keep the peel on

 

[RyanBRZ]

I recently made my very first batch, using the above video for reference. I used the below trays that come with lids so you can stack them to save space in your freezer and they worked perfectly. I am going to just store them in these trays until I use them. To make better use of each cube (avoid molding/waste), I will probably thaw a cube out overnight and put 1/2 of the cube into the bin and keep the other half refrigerated until needed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GJQFYJM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For this batch I used mustard greens, mango, acorn squash, banana, avocado, bee pollen, table spoon of repashy bug burger, and a packet of unflavored gelatin (boiled into 3/4 cup water) to hold it together. I tested it out for the first time yesterday and my colony swarmed on it, ate 1/2 a cube in an hour or so. I just set up a smaller colony bin that I will use to gutload and then feed to my cham.

 

[jamest0o0]

I recently made my very first batch, using the above video for reference. I used the below trays that come with lids so you can stack them to save space in your freezer and they worked perfectly. I am going to just store them in these trays until I use them. To make better use of each cube (avoid molding/waste), I will probably thaw a cube out overnight and put 1/2 of the cube into the bin and keep the other half refrigerated until needed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GJQFYJM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For this batch I used mustard greens, mango, acorn squash, banana, avocado, bee pollen, table spoon of repashy bug burger, and a packet of unflavored gelatin (boiled into 3/4 cup water) to hold it together. I tested it out for the first time yesterday and my colony swarmed on it, ate 1/2 a cube in an hour or so. I just set up a smaller colony bin that I will use to gutload and then feed to my cham.

View attachment 243347 View attachment 243348

While I generally advocate for a large varied gutloading diet. One thing to leave off at all times is avocado. They are toxic to many animals including birds. People with beardies often warn against using it. A little bit shouldn't* be a cause to freak out, but I definitely wouldn't risk it. Also avocado goes bad fast, whether it's in the freezer or not. Doesn't make a good gutloading ingredient for a lot of reasons.

 

[RyanBRZ]

Thanks James, I did not know that. Is there a resource anywhere that has a list of acceptable/unacceptable fruits/veggies/etc?

 

[RyanBRZ]

Sadly I think I will be tossing this entire batch, I am finding that both avocado's and banana's are high in phosphorus, which is no good for chams. I need to do some research.

 

[jamest0o0]

Thanks James, I did not know that. Is there a resource anywhere that has a list of acceptable/unacceptable fruits/veggies/etc?

I think there is one somewhere on this site. There's a lot of lists online. Generally, just go for dark leafy greens, but make sure to mix them up. Then I like to add small amounts of things like sweet potato, berries, banana, orange, etc to add some flavor and a colors. Bee pollen is a multivitamin in itself so that's always good. Spirulina and kelp are also very nutritious.

 

[jamest0o0]

Sadly I think I will be tossing this entire batch, I am finding that both avocado's and banana's are high in phosphorus, which is no good for chams. I need to do some research.

Many things are high in phosphorus, this is corrected by supplementing calcium. Not too much of a concern. The thing in avocado to worry about is persin.

 

[jamest0o0]

I also add leaves and flowers from outside like mulberry, fig, moringa, grape, rose, hibiscus. Just make sure with these, that the species is edible.

 

[RyanBRZ]

Many things are high in phosphorus, this is corrected by supplementing calcium. Not too much of a concern. The thing in avocado to worry about is persin.

I was doing some searching on calcium the other day. I currently only use Repashy Calcium Plus Lo-D, which from what I read is considered a good daily supplement. Should I consider using a plain calcium supplement daily, and mixing in the Repashy maybe once a week/bi-weekly? Also considered picking up Sticky Tongue Farms miner-all indoor/outdoor

 

[Daesie11]

Thanks James, I did not know that. Is there a resource anywhere that has a list of acceptable/unacceptable fruits/veggies/etc?