Newb here....dumb questions?

[ChameleonTherapy]

So, I am pre-gaming everything possible before my chameleon arrives in a few weeks. I've learned a lot on the forum and chameleon academy so far about gut-loading and feeders, enclosures and the like, but I have some really mundane process questions with feeding.

1) So, from what I've gathered so far, most but not all feeders should be gut-loaded. I'm trying to get a general consensus of which need gut-loading. If anyone could provide a list that would be awesome.

2) I understand gut-loading should start happening 48-hours before you feed your critter. My baby will be almost 3 months old when he gets here (ambilobe panther). Hopefully I will have a week's notice before the ship date so I can get my feeders and start gut-loading. If I am not interested in breeding feeders (mainly because I need to get more comfortable handling bugs first, because, well, ewww!), what quantities should my first order be, if I am interested in variety? I have a local herp shop that has a wide variety, but I don't want to be running back and forth to the store several times a week. Ideallly, Id like to make an order weekly, or semi-monthly, or monthly. Which is best ordering schedule to maximize keeping the bugs alive long enough to feed my baby and minimizing cost? Note: I have a small dorm refrigerator I can store them in to slow growth, if necessary.

3) Assuming I get answers to step 2, can you know just throw all your feeders in a separate container from their homes and gutload all at once? Seems like this would require adding more and more feeders for the next day 4 days from now, then the next, and then the next, and so forth. I feel dumb, but I cant wrap my head around this. Or, can you just toss veggies in each feeder's container and just keep adding gut-load food as it disappears?

4) Can I get away with not feeding crickets to my cham? I have a bioactive enclosure and am not thrilled with the idea of trying to track down getaway crickets inside or outside it, or the noise.

 

[xxcham]

hi!
i would go check out neptunethechameleons video on gutloading ( )! i know that you don’t have to feed crickets to your cham. it’s just one of the options of a bug that chameleons can eat but there are many other options of bugs you can feed your chameleon and some have even more nutrition and are better for ur cham!
i’m not sure if this video answers all your questions but the video is really helpful so i recommend watching! good luck with your chameleon!

 

[Beman]

So, I am pre-gaming everything possible before my chameleon arrives in a few weeks. I've learned a lot on the forum and chameleon academy so far about gut-loading and feeders, enclosures and the like, but I have some really mundane process questions with feeding.

1) So, from what I've gathered so far, most but not all feeders should be gut-loaded. I'm trying to get a general consensus of which need gut-loading. If anyone could provide a list that would be awesome.

2) I understand gut-loading should start happening 48-hours before you feed your critter. My baby will be almost 3 months old when he gets here (ambilobe panther). Hopefully I will have a week's notice before the ship date so I can get my feeders and start gut-loading. If I am not interested in breeding feeders (mainly because I need to get more comfortable handling bugs first, because, well, ewww!), what quantities should my first order be, if I am interested in variety? I have a local herp shop that has a wide variety, but I don't want to be running back and forth to the store several times a week. Ideallly, Id like to make an order weekly, or semi-monthly, or monthly. Which is best ordering schedule to maximize keeping the bugs alive long enough to feed my baby and minimizing cost? Note: I have a small dorm refrigerator I can store them in to slow growth, if necessary.

3) Assuming I get answers to step 2, can you know just throw all your feeders in a separate container from their homes and gutload all at once? Seems like this would require adding more and more feeders for the next day 4 days from now, then the next, and then the next, and so forth. I feel dumb, but I cant wrap my head around this. Or, can you just toss veggies in each feeder's container and just keep adding gut-load food as it disappears?

4) Can I get away with not feeding crickets to my cham? I have a bioactive enclosure and am not thrilled with the idea of trying to track down getaway crickets inside or outside it, or the noise.

Hey there sooooo..
1. hornworms and silkworms eat their own special chow. BSFL, black soldier flies, and blue bottle flies do not need to be gutloaded. You will be gutloading crickets and any type of roach you use. I always gutload no matter what. Then it does not matter what feeders I pull from bins because I know they are all gutloaded.

2. So at 3 months I would be feeding 15 ish feeders a day.... Take that and multiple by 30 day = 450 feeders total needed in a month. Then take what your going to buy and divide out so you know how many of each you need. I order every 2 weeks, but my supplier is delayed 2 weeks on shipping. So I make sure I have enough to get through a full month and then about an extra week so that if I have die offs I am still good. I get the 2 week old cricket size which should work for your 3 month old but I would ask the breeder what size he is eating to make sure. They honestly do not make noise until they are full adults.

3. I gutload everyday for my feeders. Take out the old and put in new each morning. This ensures that they are always well fed and you can pull what you need. Takes the mental math out of it as well.

4. I would suggest using a feeder run and not free ranging feeders. With bio active they are just going to get into your substrate. While you can get away with not feeding crickets it is also very expensive to feed for the first year of their life so crickets are the cheapest thing you can feed. I feed my baby half crickets and half dubia and then a few BSFL, BSF, and a hornworm each day.

 

[ChameleonTherapy]

Hey there sooooo..
1. hornworms and silkworms eat their own special chow. BSFL, black soldier flies, and blue bottle flies do not need to be gutloaded. You will be gutloading crickets and any type of roach you use. I always gutload no matter what. Then it does not matter what feeders I pull from bins because I know they are all gutloaded.

2. So at 3 months I would be feeding 15 ish feeders a day.... Take that and multiple by 30 day = 450 feeders total needed in a month. Then take what your going to buy and divide out so you know how many of each you need. I order every 2 weeks, but my supplier is delayed 2 weeks on shipping. So I make sure I have enough to get through a full month and then about an extra week so that if I have die offs I am still good. I get the 2 week old cricket size which should work for your 3 month old but I would ask the breeder what size he is eating to make sure. They honestly do not make noise until they are full adults.

3. I gutload everyday for my feeders. Take out the old and put in new each morning. This ensures that they are always well fed and you can pull what you need. Takes the mental math out of it as well.

4. I would suggest using a feeder run and not free ranging feeders. With bio active they are just going to get into your substrate. While you can get away with not feeding crickets it is also very expensive to feed for the first year of their life so crickets are the cheapest thing you can feed. I feed my baby half crickets and half dubia and then a few BSFL, BSF, and a hornworm each day.

Thats exactly what I needed Beman! Thanks

 

[MissSkittles]

@ChameleonTherapy You’ve surely heard it said that the only stupid questions are the ones that aren’t asked? It is truth!