staple feeder

[jackthejellydragon]

Hi I was wondering about a diet for my male veiled.Could I do silkies ,blacksoldier fly larvae and flies, and moths daily.then every few days I would add supers, waxworms, and hornworms. Can I feed the moths of waxworms, hornworms, and silkworms daily too? I plan to breed silkworms do you guys have any tips on care? I would rather do that because dealing with crickets is a pain. I know silkworms are low in fat, high in protein and calcium, and soft bodied and digestible but the reason why I ask this questions because I was wondering if he is going to need the exoskeleton of the crickets. I am eleven and my parents won't let me do roaches.

 

[jamest0o0]

Probably, but it kind of contradicts the gutloading advice regularly given here, as none of those gutload particularly well even though they are nutritious feeders.

 

[Hydra_cosplay]

Convince your parents the roaches aren't nasty big ones. They're more like small cute beetles lol. and if you put them in a feeder cup they won't get out cause they can't climb smooth surfaces. Much easier to breed to!

 

[jackthejellydragon]

so is there any way that I could feed him the gut load separately. He hand feeds pieces of veggies so I think I could feed him the gut load separately by hand.

 

[jamest0o0]

Chameleons probably don't have the capability to break down gutloads. The idea is that it gets partially broken down by the insect digesting it and then passed on to the chameleon. I imagine it would depend on the food as well. Maybe you could mix in some bee pollen, spirulina, and other things to your worms foods.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I would try to educate your folks about feeder roaches.

Any number of people here could tell you how the idea creeped them out at first, but after taking the plunge, they're just not your typical cockroach.

For example: Dubia roaches (one of the most common species of feeders) are one of the more nutritious staple feeders for many reptiles. They don't stink, make noise, fly, they can't climb slick surfaces, they're not terribly fast like American cockroaches, and they can't reproduce at room temperature. Also, IMO they look more like wood lice (roly-polies) than like roaches.

Dubias aren't the only species—there are several—but AFAIK, they're the least expensive and one of the easiest to raise on your own (though that's not mandatory).

If you happen to live in one of the states where Dubias are illegal (FL, CA, LA, HI) there are other species that are legal there.

 

[jackthejellydragon]

I live in Florida so I cannot have dubias. I know veiled are known to eat plants so why couldn't they be able to break it down in captivity.

 

[Hydra_cosplay]

There's a similar roach that are legal in Florida called discoid roaches. I use em and my veiled loves the heck outta them!

 

[jamest0o0]

I live in Florida so I cannot have dubias. I know veiled are known to eat plants so why couldn't they be able to break it down in captivity.

They eat plants likely for fiber+moisture and probably get very little to no nutritional content from them. They aren't designed to break down plant matter, even humans have trouble absorbing nutrients from raw veggies.

 

[jackthejellydragon]

They eat plants likely for fiber+moisture and probably get very little to no nutritional content from them. They aren't designed to break down plant matter, even humans have trouble absorbing nutrients from raw veggies.

ok I was just wondering why they could not

 

[jamest0o0]

Spirulina is said to be easily digested, so maybe dusting with that occasionally would help.

 

[jackthejellydragon]

just got the news.My mom says I can do roaches

 

[Hydra_cosplay]

just got the news.My mom says I can do roaches

Good deal! Get you some discoids and you'll be set!

 

[janjan20]

just got the news.My mom says I can do roaches

I live in Florida too and use to have a severe roach phobia and now I use discoids as a staple feeder. You won’t regret it! Lol?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

just got the news.My mom says I can do roaches

 

[jamest0o0]

I used to have a roach phobia as well, actually wasn't too crazy about any inverts and kind of judged people that would want to keep them for more than feeders.... now I have 40 colonies in my garage

 

[jackthejellydragon]

I used to have a roach phobia as well, actually wasn't too crazy about any inverts and kind of judged people that would want to keep them for more than feeders.... now I have 40 colonies in my garage

oh um ok at least your chameleon is happy

 

[PabloTheCham]

I would try to educate your folks about feeder roaches.

Any number of people here could tell you how the idea creeped them out at first, but after taking the plunge, they're just not your typical cockroach.

For example: Dubia roaches (one of the most common species of feeders) are one of the more nutritious staple feeders for many reptiles. They don't stink, make noise, fly, they can't climb slick surfaces, they're not terribly fast like American cockroaches, and they can't reproduce at room temperature. Also, IMO they look more like wood lice (roly-polies) than like roaches.
View attachment 275646View attachment 275645
Dubias aren't the only species—there are several—but AFAIK, they're the least expensive and one of the easiest to raise on your own (though that's not mandatory).

If you happen to live in one of the states where Dubias are illegal (FL, CA, LA, HI) there are other species that are legal there.

Dubias are illegal in CA??!!!!
Oh well.... ?

 

[MissSkittles]

I used to have a roach phobia as well, actually wasn't too crazy about any inverts and kind of judged people that would want to keep them for more than feeders.... now I have 40 colonies in my garage

WHAT?! No way! You with a roach phobia? That is insane.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Dubias are illegal in CA??!!!!
Oh well.... ?

That was my understanding, as Josh's won't ship them there.
OTOH, I see there is a vendor in Sacramento