Is it possible to go through 1000 crickets in a month with one chameleon?

[happiness]

I ordered 1000 crickets on 12/4/2013 and am now seeing small dwindling numbers of crickets left! It was nice to be able to knock one part of an egg carton and enough crickets would fall into the cup to feed my chameleon, now I have to search and dig through my bin for crickets. I'd say less than 100 are left. Everyday I would usually feed my chameleon around 15 crickets, sometimes I'd give her about 5-10 more in that day.. None of the crickets were dead when I received the shipment. Possible shortage?

Has anyone else had this problem?

If I calculated 25 crickets for 30 days, it would still only be 750 even though I didn't feed my chameleon that much every single day.

Next shipment I am going to write down the amounts of each feeding to see.. A shipment of superworms is going to be headed my way on Monday so I'm hoping the next 1000crickets won't run out as quickly.. I am hoping to breed them.

 

[fuzzhc]

Probably not. Also many of them will
Out likely die off lol

 

[sandrachameleon]

how many crickets you go through will depend on size of cricket and type/age of chameleon.

a 3 month old veiled will eat more quantity than an 3 year old panther.

it also depends on what else you are feeding the chameleon (hopefully you are not only offering crickets)

crickets only live about 6 weeks, so maybe some of yours just died? or ate each other if not well fed?

the only times I've gone through a thousand crickets in one month was when I was feeding more than a half dozen chameleons, and even then not commonly.

 

[misshissingroaches]

Wow. Well in my experience you have to try crickets several times in different enclosures. they die in about 1 week in the wrong enclosure. and u may not be find little decaying bodies because live crickets will eat the dead ones because they are cannibalistic. (to properly nourish crickets feed them Flukers cricket water gel/cricket food.)

Sincerely,
Miss Hiss

 

[Ninkylou]

Wow. Well in my experience you have to try crickets several times in different enclosures. they die in about 1 week in the wrong enclosure. and u may not be find little decaying bodies because live crickets will eat the dead ones because they are cannibalistic. (to properly nourish crickets feed them Flukers cricket water gel/cricket food.)

Sincerely,
Miss Hiss

With all due respect, Flukers gel and food are not sufficient to feed and gut load crickets or any other feeder for that matter

The really need to be fed fresh fruit and vegetables (which can supply your hydration) and if you want a commercial dry gut load.

There are some great posts on supplementation and how to make your own dry gut load, but if using commercial gut loads I would stick to some of the more boutique brands like Repashy, or Cricket Crack. For water I buy my water crystals when I buy roaches and make it myself. Much cheaper and I can make as much as I will use in a week.

I really think Flukers is overpriced and does not provide adequate nutrition. Your Chameleons are what you feed them.

 

[jrath]

Yes, I think they do short you sometimes. I've order boxes of 1000 before and gone through them so fast that I swear that there was no way there could have been more than 500 shipped. Although today I opened a box of 500 and there has to be at least 1000 in the box. I guess the only thing you can really do is count them if the order looks short when you get it.

 

[happiness]

how many crickets you go through will depend on size of cricket and type/age of chameleon.

a 3 month old veiled will eat more quantity than an 3 year old panther.

it also depends on what else you are feeding the chameleon (hopefully you are not only offering crickets)

crickets only live about 6 weeks, so maybe some of yours just died? or ate each other if not well fed?

the only times I've gone through a thousand crickets in one month was when I was feeding more than a half dozen chameleons, and even then not commonly.

My chameleon is probably a year old maybe almost a year? I do offer her a few dubia roaches here and there but I'm very limited on babies and I'm still waiting for the dubia adults to have babies.. and I've given a few mealworms as treats but sadly, I've fed her mostly crickets. I'm working on getting other feeders though.
None of the crickets I purchased (I purchased 1/4 size) have made it to adult size yet. I did receive one adult size cricket in my 1000 order and boy was it big!! I actually haven't seen it in a while.. and None of my other crickets had reached that size..

I purchased 500 crickets on ebay and they were dying off left and right, i bought these from somewhere else and I didn't really notice any..Maybe they are eating the dead ones before I get to see them? If the big adult one that came with the order is gone then that may be what is happening.


@Jrath, how would you suggest counting them? My only thought is to count them as I feed them off to my chameleon.. but really, what can you do if they did short you? Contact them and complain and hope they'll send you more crickets when you should have had them already? xD Must be really nice to order 500 and receive 1000!

I feed my crickets carrots, lettuce, bug burger, apple when I have it, the fluker's quencher cubes and sometimes water crystals (just in case they need it)
And they are housed in a 18 gallon tub, I cut both sides out and placed in screening and the lid has a screen too. Lots of eggs cartons and they always have food.

 

[sandrachameleon]

(to properly nourish crickets feed them Flukers cricket water gel/cricket food.)

I would provide different advice. The Flukers product is NOT a good way to "nourish" crickets that will be fed to chameleons.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Yes, I think they do short you sometimes. I've order boxes of 1000 before and gone through them so fast that I swear that there was no way there could have been more than 500 shipped. Although today I opened a box of 500 and there has to be at least 1000 in the box. I guess the only thing you can really do is count them if the order looks short when you get it.

Easier to weigh them than to count them.

 

[sandrachameleon]

perhaps the way you are "housing" the crickets is contributing to deaths. they need ventilation, space, and adequate food, and the bin needs to be cleaned regularly.

 

[Norcal55]

Like others have stated it does depend on the age of your Cham.

Where are you getting your crickets and do you know what type of crickets they are?

I have found that the Banded Crickets are very active and more hardy than others.

Crickets go quick for sure!

I switched to ordering crickets from Ghanns about a year ago and can say I have absolutely no die off. I had to start splitting orders to smaller crickets so I could let them grow a bit before the life cycle ended

 

[misshissingroaches]

With all due respect, Flukers gel and food are not sufficient to feed and gut load crickets or any other feeder for that matter

The really need to be fed fresh fruit and vegetables (which can supply your hydration) and if you want a commercial dry gut load.

There are some great posts on supplementation and how to make your own dry gut load, but if using commercial gut loads I would stick to some of the more boutique brands like Repashy, or Cricket Crack. For water I buy my water crystals when I buy roaches and make it myself. Much cheaper and I can make as much as I will use in a week.

I really think Flukers is overpriced and does not provide adequate nutrition. Your Chameleons are what you feed them.

well I really trust Flukers and I think it is valid. but I add in fruit sometimes. but I guess everyones entitled 2 their own opinion. (cricket crack! lol!)

 

[misshissingroaches]

I would provide different advice. The Flukers product is NOT a good way to "nourish" crickets that will be fed to chameleons.

gawd you don't have to be so harsh and strait forward! be like ninkylou and be polite and give reasoning for your opinion.

 

[Lathis]

Haha, Sandrachameleon knows her stuff inside and out. Have you checked out her nutrition blogs? Best info on lizard nutrition you can probably get anywhere. She shares so much info with us here, and for sure she's here to help us mortals struggle through

 

[happiness]

Like others have stated it does depend on the age of your Cham.

Where are you getting your crickets and do you know what type of crickets they are?

I have found that the Banded Crickets are very active and more hardy than others.

Crickets go quick for sure!

I switched to ordering crickets from Ghanns about a year ago and can say I have absolutely no die off. I had to start splitting orders to smaller crickets so I could let them grow a bit before the life cycle ended

The 1000 I bought were from Ghanns. They seem VERY hardy! Like I said earlier, the ones I bought from someone off ebay had many dead upon arrival and many were dying off each week using the same 18 gallon tub.
If I can't find the huge adult cricket that was in the 1k group of 1/4 size crickets then they are probably eating eachother. I was hoping the 1000 order would last to where the crickets would become adults from 1/4 size and I could breed them but it looks like I'll have to just buy some more. I just can't believe I used 1000 in a month. Especially when I feed my chameleon average 15-20 crickets a day.

@hissy do they actually hiss?

Here are pictures of my cricket setup.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

well I really trust Flukers and I think it is valid. but I add in fruit sometimes. but I guess everyones entitled 2 their own opinion. (cricket crack! lol!)

The Flukers products are all crap honestly. Their phosphorus content is too high thus rending the calcium in them ineffective as the phosphorus will inhibit calcium absorption.

 

[sandrachameleon]

gawd you don't have to be so harsh and strait forward! be like ninkylou and be polite and give reasoning for your opinion.

Sorry you found my opinion harsh. that was not my intent. I merely wanted to disagree with any recommendation for Flukers. I prefer straight forward, direct and succinct myself over wordy and subtle, and I dont always have time to type multiple paragraphs, especially when the information is readily available with a quick search on this forum.

The reason it is crap IMHO is due to the ingredients. Its adequate for keeping crickets alive, but not recommended as a gutload towards providing nutrition for chameleons.

Here's a couple links to more information on the subject which will hopefully shed more light on where I come by this (common) opinion of the product as opposed to good gutloading:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/847-commercial-gutloads.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/659-green-leafy-goodness-gutloading.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/823-august-2013-dry-gutload-mix.html

 

[exoherppy]

Just to check, do you have a lid to cover the top?

The 1000 I bought were from Ghanns. They seem VERY hardy! Like I said earlier, the ones I bought from someone off ebay had many dead upon arrival and many were dying off each week using the same 18 gallon tub.
If I can't find the huge adult cricket that was in the 1k group of 1/4 size crickets then they are probably eating eachother. I was hoping the 1000 order would last to where the crickets would become adults from 1/4 size and I could breed them but it looks like I'll have to just buy some more. I just can't believe I used 1000 in a month. Especially when I feed my chameleon average 15-20 crickets a day.

@hissy do they actually hiss?

Here are pictures of my cricket setup.

 

[happiness]

Just to check, do you have a lid to cover the top?

Yes ^^ And tape around the sides, though one side is a bit loose and the crickets climb up it.

I'm thinking its possible that they ate eachother.. I had my only heating pad set up where 50% went under my dubia setup and like 15% went under my cricket tub. The center of the heating pad was getting wasted x_x!

A LOT of the crickets would go into this long papertowel roll and sit there. The first time I cleaned the tub, I looked inside the papertowel roll and I saw millions of antennas.

I wanted the crickets to have SOME warmth but it might of in the end cost me, so now I have the whole heating pad under the dubia cage (hoping that'll help speed them up in mating!)

 

[exoherppy]

I would recommend more egg crates for space.

In my case, I had to clear many dead crickets every day, it was such a chore. They stopped dying when I don't cover with the lid. Btw, my lid does have a big ventilation hole with a screen mesh cover.

Yes ^^ And tape around the sides, though one side is a bit loose and the crickets climb up it.

I'm thinking its possible that they ate eachother.. I had my only heating pad set up where 50% went under my dubia setup and like 15% went under my cricket tub. The center of the heating pad was getting wasted x_x!

A LOT of the crickets would go into this long papertowel roll and sit there. The first time I cleaned the tub, I looked inside the papertowel roll and I saw millions of antennas.

I wanted the crickets to have SOME warmth but it might of in the end cost me, so now I have the whole heating pad under the dubia cage (hoping that'll help speed them up in mating!)