Silkworm help!

[joshuadh2310]

So i am going to start feeding my 4 month old cham silkworms and dubia roaches as well everyday and get rid of the cricket all together as crickets just stink and die too fast. but i dont know what the difference in the silkworms are like zebra, pink,green,black,zebra yellow, or just normal. im going to be buying from coastal silkworms and just wanted to know the difference in them before i purchase.

 

[jamest0o0]

I got mine from lindasgonebuggie and she had it listed that zebras are resistant to bacteria and virus', basically they have better immune systems. Nutritiously i believe they're all the same, but not 100% sure.

As far as the ones i got(zebra) i had no idea what i was doing with them the first time. I was pretty careless, tossed them around, forgot to clean them, etc. I only had like 3-4 out of 50 or so die on me. I'd not recommend that, next time i'm going to be more careful, but they seemed pretty hardy to me.

 

[Peachypink]

@Remkon has an excellent thread on keeping silks. I've used this method with great success after having tried and failed several times before.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/silkworms-care.153416/

 

[joshuadh2310]

Thanks guys I'll check it out

 

[Andee]

Zebras do have a higher immune system compared to whites. South American hybrid strains have an even higher immunity. The colors mean they have been fed colored chow to change their color.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Zebras do have a higher immune system compared to whites. South American hybrid strains have an even higher immunity. The colors mean they have been fed colored chow to change their color.

I believe you meant "South African"?

 

[Andee]

Yes I can't remember... I think I typed this on my phone... I am pretty sure I put african... why it would change a correct word only the confusing world of Auto-Correct knows XD

 

[joshuadh2310]

okay i got zebras from coastal silkworms so try and alternate with dubious as an everyday feeder do i still powder the silkworms and dubious in calcium and vitamins ?

 

[Andee]

I don't powder my silkworms at all, but I also offer a lot more gutloadable feeders than just dubias

 

[joshuadh2310]

I don't powder my silkworms at all, but I also offer a lot more gutloadable feeders than just dubias

like for instance?

 

[Andee]

two different species of roaches, isopods, crickets on occasion, and superworms.

 

[joshuadh2310]

i have super worms too i guess i forgot to mention that. but i was thinking about getting another species of roaches maybe the orange heads? but i wanted to see if she was interested in the dubious first. i plan on getting one of thos feeder cups to put in the middle of both of my cages that im preping for so maybe i should get some orange heads going too? and what isopods?

 

[Andee]

Isopods are wood lice, I prefer not using the ones that would be actually rollie-pollies and roll up into a complete ball.

 

[joshuadh2310]

wood lice huh. not sure iv ever even heard of it

 

[Mtnlaurel]

There are so many kinds of isopods. Which ones are you raising?? Are they super tiny?

 

[Andee]

Giant Canyon Isopods. They move fast, and grow the largest regularly.

 

[joshuadh2310]

well my girl is 4 months old so i have to try to be small

 

[Andee]

wood lice don't get huge anyways even full grown (which it can take three years for giant canyons to get full grown) the female isopods of that subspecies, (which is the largest of the genders) don't get any larger than an inch? or so? The babies are born as tiny white specks, I often mistake them for mites when I have an explosion of babies and then they start growing, I can easily can sizes for hatchlings to adult panthers from a good isopod culture.

 

[joshuadh2310]

oh awsome maybe ill get one of those colony started anyone on here sell them? also im looking to get cleaning crews for my coaches?

 

[Andee]

If they are dubias or ones with no substrate I denfinitely recommend a combo of lesser mealworms and peanut beetles, I think Nick Barra has them available.