Thickening a gutload

[ollygatorsnapper]

hey everybody i have prolly a dumb question to you veteran cham owners out there. i knew i would prolly run into this problem, so i thought i would ask your opinions on the topic.

i just purchased Silverdusk's ambanja pair and he sent me a dubia colony (first time i have ever seen these little creatures) to go with them. i have had veileds in the past so i was used to the more "hardy" chameleons that veileds tend to be viewed as so... i have never made a homemade gutload.

i puree'd tomatoes, carrots, turnips, apples, grapes, bananas, pares, squash, and strawberries. now what can i do to thicken this puree to a kind of paste. i thought of flour, but thats all i can think of at the moment. ANY IDEAS??!!

Thanx

 

[jessica]

I believe tomatoes are toxic.

 

[Silverdusk]

Greg, be sure to stop using the tomatoes before you begin using them as feeders for the Chams. I'd recommend baby food, baby rice, cream of wheat as fillers. Just keep in mind that the one thing Dubias are bad with, is mold. So get it out before it molds on ya!

Dan

 

[ollygatorsnapper]

o crap! i had no idea tomatoes are toxic, i have half a tomato in a little over 50 ozs, is that going to make or break the gut load?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I would recommend instant mashed potatoes, or else boiled "fresh" potatoes

 

[pssh]

I thought it was just the actual plant, not the fruit! If you can feed the fruit to hornworms and still feed them off, I think it's fine. Just make sure there is no stems or anything!

If you add some more greens (collard, kale,endive, dandelions,etc.) it usually thickens it up to a nice extra thick smoothy texture. Add some dry gutload to the mix and now it's super thick!

 

[Silverdusk]

Well, you aren't feeding these guys off right now, so you're fine. Just be sure to stop a good month with the Tomatoes before you start feeding the Dubias off.

 

[ollygatorsnapper]

cool cool, i'll prolly be done with with the gutload within a week or two so the next one i will improvise. thanx for lettin me know, like i said i'm new to gutload so i thought it was a good idea to ask questions, thanx guys!

 

[KingJulien]

Cornmeal, oats, and wheat germ would all absorb some of the water. Once the mixture gets too thick for the blender to still churn, I throw it in a bowl and add these. It thickens if you give it some time.

 

[Syn]

I believe tomatoes are toxic.

I thought it was just the leaves?

Some people try food dehydrators to get things a little less... moist.

 

[Silverdusk]

Not sure about the fruit themselves, better to be safe than sorry.

Here's a link to answer some questions about the toxicity of Tomatoes

Are Tomatoes Toxic to Reptiles?

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=40185

 

[Syn]

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=40185

I don't see a reference to reptiles in that article?

 

[Texas Ranger]

I would think the previous owner gutloaded them with something. Did you ask him what he used?

 

[Silverdusk]

I don't see a reference to reptiles in that article?

Syn, the first link was for fun only. "Let me Google that for you" brings up a number of references. After a little reading it seems the fruit is not as toxic as the leaves and stems, but it's all ratio driven. A tomato to a Human or a large dog is not harmful, but to certain insects and smaller animals the alkaloids can be deadly. <-- that was noted from the second link.

Tomatoes and potatoes are in the Nightshade family. With so many other beneficial vegetables and food sources available, why even take the chance?

 

[jessica]

I thought it was just the leaves?

Lol lots of confusion on this topic, I have never found evidence on which part if any are toxic.

It's also an experiment I don't wish to conduct

 

[Elizadolots]

If you are freezing your gutload in "cubes" for future use, be sure to thaw them on a paper towel. That will help keep the moisture content down. Also, consider feeding your wet gutload in a separate container to those who've been selected for feeding and use a drier gutload for the main group.

 

[Syn]

Syn, the first link was for fun only. "Let me Google that for you" brings up a number of references. After a little reading it seems the fruit is not as toxic as the leaves and stems, but it's all ratio driven. A tomato to a Human or a large dog is not harmful, but to certain insects and smaller animals the alkaloids can be deadly. <-- that was noted from the second link.

Tomatoes and potatoes are in the Nightshade family. With so many other beneficial vegetables and food sources available, why even take the chance?

I wasn't referring to the LMGTFY link, but thanks for the clarification. I had thought there was a reference to reptiles in your link and was wondering if it was an accident.

 

[chamkid0288]

is sticky toungs farms gut load any good??