Tips on Feeding plz

[pfal26]

Tips on Feeding plz

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I kno crickets r the main diet, i have the question is how is the best way to powder them with calcium powder, i always had trouble with that for my tree frogs, the crickets always seemed to die soon. Or is gut loading a better way to make crickets nutricious and if so wat is best to feed the crickets for gut loading? And does any1 kno how to breed crickets or is that hastle where they be loose and about ur house?
I read also mealworms r good. I was told geckos eat them but mine has never seemed to eat them and just stick w/ the crickets. The mealworms i got were frozen. I was told from some1 who claims they kno alot about reptiles is that the mealworms come back to life after defrosted and they had some special way of feeding meal worms. they said the meal worms could come back to life in the stomach if not killed when chewed and eat a hole thru the stomach and kill a reptile. IS THIS TRUE?

well i was wondering wat r the easiest buggs etc.. to feed a cham, and where to get things such as fruit flies etc.. ive never seen a place to get them. ne 1 with tips of feeding id appreciate it thanks~

 

[westcoastchameleons]

I transfer my crix. from a paper bag that they come in to a plastic bag that i pour a little dust into and then shake well. this works fine.

 

[pfal26]

hmmm, i get crickets from petco and mine come in a plastic bag, wat i have done was put how many i was going to put into my tree frogs cage into a zip lock bag and sprinkle some powder and then get em out after shaking but it is so hard to get em out and not have ne extra powder

 

[Jason]

Tips on Feeding plz

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I kno crickets r the main diet, i have the question is how is the best way to powder them with calcium powder, i always had trouble with that for my tree frogs, the crickets always seemed to die soon. Or is gut loading a better way to make crickets nutricious and if so wat is best to feed the crickets for gut loading? And does any1 kno how to breed crickets or is that hastle where they be loose and about ur house?
I read also mealworms r good. I was told geckos eat them but mine has never seemed to eat them and just stick w/ the crickets. The mealworms i got were frozen. I was told from some1 who claims they kno alot about reptiles is that the mealworms come back to life after defrosted and they had some special way of feeding meal worms. they said the meal worms could come back to life in the stomach if not killed when chewed and eat a hole thru the stomach and kill a reptile. IS THIS TRUE?

well i was wondering wat r the easiest buggs etc.. to feed a cham, and where to get things such as fruit flies etc.. ive never seen a place to get them. ne 1 with tips of feeding id appreciate it thanks~

You can dust your feeders in a 32oz deli cup and not lose much of the powder during feeding.

Gutloading is a must. A quality gutload will cut down on the amount of supplemental vitamins that you would have to use. Keep in mind a quality gutload is not dog food, fish food or laying mash. There are some good gutloading and nutrition articles on www.chameleonnews.com as well as some posts on this forum discussing gutloading.

Mealworms will not eat through the stomach of animals. That is a myth that has managed to stay around for a long time, and it's usually from someone who "claims' that they know alot about reptiles. I have heard it at least once a year for almost 14 years. That being said mealworms aren't the best choice as a feeder, superworms are a far better choice and can be purchased in several sizes to fit most reptiles needs.

Chameleons should be fed a variety of insects; crickets, roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, house flies (cultured only), wax worms and their moths, grasshoppers, etc. All prey that is able to be gutloaded should be ad they should be allowed to feed for at least 24 hours prior to feeding. If you feed wild insects you must be 100% sure that the area you are collecting from is pesticide free.

You can breed crickets if you so desire, www.chameleonnews.com has an article on rearing crickets, but the noise and smell usually deter most people. I find it far easier to culture roaches and superworms for our collection.

Also, it might be a bit easier to read your posts without the "IM" speak. Just a suggestion.

 

[pfal26]

where can u get like house flies and grasshoppers, cuz i am not sure where i live is ahh dunno how to say it so will say chemical free lol. wat r the bugs that can be gutloaded?

thanks jason

 

[Jason]

house fliy pupae can be purchased from several sites, I prefer www.grubco.com. Grasshoppers cannot be purchased in the US. They are considered a pest species by APHIS and therefore cannot be shipped across state lines.

Most all feeders can be gutloaded to some extent. Silkworms and hornworms are sold with a premade food in most cases that does not allow for additional nutrients to be added, a few have added gutload to silkworm chow and it is working well for them but I'd be mindful of mold issues. Crickets, roaches, superworms and mealworms can be gutloaded with a dry gutload and provided moisture via fresh fruits and vegetables. House flies can be gutloaded with a nasty little paste, which I can give you a recipe to if you need it.

 

[pfal26]

thanks jason, so for gutloading, is there like a thing u buy called gutload that u feed the bugs...? i always thought u gave em fruit or something to gutload.

wat bugs r considered treats, wat r like the top 3 bugs ur cham should get rugularly?

 

[Jason]

Yes there are commercial gutloads that can be purchased. We sell at gutload at www.wildeyereptiles.com that people seem very happy with, you can read about it in this thread, https://www.chameleonforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1151

There are others avilable but I wouldn't truat most of them. www.cricketfood.com makes a good gutload and there is a DIY recipe at www.adcham.com.

Bugs that are high in fat like waxworms should be fed only as treats. I would recommend crickets, roaches and silkworms as the three main feeders but we feed all kinds of bugs on a regular basis.

 

[IvorySerpent]

We offer our Chameleons a variety of bugs....crickets of course, mealworms, superworms, silkworms, hornworms & Phoenixworms (recent find and they LOVE them!) we occasionaly offer them waxworms for a treat (2 or 3 twice a month). We have hybiscus plants and pothos in each of their enclosures as they enjoy munching on both plants.

IvorySerpent

 

[pfal26]

just a question. Which species of chams eat plants as well or do they all?

 

[Jason]

Ch. calayptratus are known to eat vegetation and there have been reports of F. pardalis and Ch. melleri consuming vegetation as well. There are a few other species which are poorly represented in the hobby that have been reported to consume vegetation

 

[387]

do they eat hibuscius

 

[Jordan]

Yes, they will eat the flowers and the leaves. If they start tearing up the plants to much you can get these veggie clips. They are made for iguana but work good for chameleons. They allow you to hang vegatables from the top of the cage. You can also offer flowers now and then. I feed my roses and hibicus flowers when I can get them. Watch where you get them from people like to spray them with pesticides. They love orchids. They consume these naturally. They are expensive.

A hibiscus is a good plant as they provide leaves and flowers that are both safe to eat. I have heard people complain that they do not do that great in low light situations such as a chameleon cage. I think placement of the plant will dictate how you feel about it in the long run. It is better in the long run to let them rest for part of the year. My friend rotates his timers in conjunction with the season changes. He runs 13 hours in the summer and brings in down to 11 hours in the winter. They seem to stay in a vegatation state during the winter months. You could also swap out plants if you run into this problem. A lot of chameleon owners find themselves doing this.

 

[Beth]

Rep-Cal Cricket Shaker

I want to give some rave reviews for a new product that we got in at Petsmart. It's a cricket shaker and it gives you a convenient way for applying calcium and minerals to your crickets without wasting any. It also gives a great way for feeding. It is a yellow cup that the bottom comes off where you put your powders in. This screws back onto the cup. The crickets go in the cup and the top is put on. You shake the crickets and all of the excess powder falls back into the bottom of the cup. Then you can either unscrew the cup and pour your crickets into the cage or you can put the tube in and the crickets can crawl out and make nice targets for your chameleons. This has made my life so much easier so I wanted to share it with everyone here.

 

[Jordan]

Wow, not only usefull but it looks pretty good to.