What feeders do you use the most?

[rmichaelk]

Hi Everyone,
I am planning on using gut loaded crickets as the staple feeder for my 6 month old male panther chameleon. I am planning on supplementing this with maybe phoenix worms once a week and maybe wax worms a couple of times a month. Does this sound good or should I be adding more feeder insects to the list? If yes what are the best ones to use?

Does anyone here use lobster roaches? If yes do you use it as a treat or as a main diet?

Thank you.
Michael

 

[hallenhe]

Gutloaded crickets are my primary feeder, but I give treats about one feeding in four. I've never tried phoenix worms; waxworms are fatty but I use them sometimes (some people will say a couple times a month is too much; I've cut back, but used to use them once a week). When your cham's big enough and you know he gives his food a good chomp, superworms are reasonably nutritious, and mine have loved them. Lobster roaches can be a staple; I misguidedly got Dubias; the adults are too big for a panther, but mine will take some of the mid-sized ones on occasion. The lobsters are smaller, and if they're anything like the Dubias, they're easier and more "civilized" than crickets. Silkworms. Butterworms.
In addition to varying the feeders, I vary the gutload.

 

[jessica]

My list

Crickets
Dubia roaches
Silkworms
Superworms
BB Flies (Cultured)

I alternate crickets and roaches for staple diet.

I haven't used Phoenix worms and wax worms are blobs of fat lol
I plan on ordering hornworms next week.

 

[rmichaelk]

I was aware that wax worms are very fatty and was planning on using it sparingly. I use it with turtles that are sick to fatten them up.

Do you guys breed your roaches or do you buy them online? Any recommendations for a good site for roaches and crickets?

Oh and how do you guys store the crickets? Rubbermaid bins or one of those cricket keepers?

Yes I will be varying the gut load regularly.

Michael

 

[pssh]

Add some superworms, silkworms, and another feeder of your choice every now and then (or even often as far as silkworms go) and it'll be a pretty good diet.

I use dubias and crickets the most. I buy dubias from theroachranch.com and bulk crickets from lllreptile.com

 

[jessica]

I breed my roaches, I keep them in a colored plastic rubbermade on a heating pad and they produce rapidly. I bought mine from a forum member if your interested PM me.
Crickets I buy a few hundred at a time and I also keep them in a rubbermade.

I cut hole in the lid and put screen on it for the roaches and for the crickets I drilled TINY holes on the sides for air flow and again put screen on the top.

 

[Lizardlover]

On a daily basis my chameleons get superworms, a variety of roaches, and crickets all of which are gutloaded, but I also feed them silkworms, hornworms, and grasshoppers that I collect from a pesticide free field. On occasion I also feed non-noxious butterflies and moths.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hi Everyone,
I am planning on using gut loaded crickets as the staple feeder for my 6 month old male panther chameleon. I am planning on supplementing this with maybe phoenix worms once a week and maybe wax worms a couple of times a month. Does this sound good or should I be adding more feeder insects to the list? If yes what are the best ones to use?
Does anyone here use lobster roaches? If yes do you use it as a treat or as a main diet?
Thank you.
Michael

Hello
I recommend NOT having a "staple" but rather feed a variety of bugs, with no single bug making up more than a third of the chameleons diet.
Pheonix worms wont be big enough to interest your chameleon much longer. Waxworms should be avoided (they provide no nutritional value, just little sacks of fat). So along with gutloaded crickets, offer the roaches, silkworms, butterworms, superworms, cabbage loppers, stick insects, terrestrial isopods, etc. Here is a list of feeder options to consider: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html

To give you an idea of what I mean by variety, here's a chart showing the variety of bugs I've used over the summer/fall period: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...4-feeder-variety-quantity-chart-foodchart.jpg