new food

[Gwendalyn.brock]

I was thinking of buying the little piggy snack pack and some dubias from mulberry farms.Should I still feed her crickets along with dubias for variety or would it be better to switch her main feeder completely? Any recommendations are helpful.

 

[carol5208]

No you can feed both as they both offer different nutritional values. You may find her favoring one over the other though. It happens where they hold out for their favorite food! I would also add some soft bodied feeders like silkworms. They are very high in calcium and not fatty like alot of the worms are.

 

[JGuinan007]

I switched over to dubias and will never willingly go back to crickets again. Dubias don't smell dont chirp and I bought 200 and havn't had a single death yet, unlike when I would buy 50 crickets and at least 20 would die in the feeder cage. So anyway I recommend going solely with dubias as the staple (properly gut loaded of course) throwing in horn worms, Phoenix worms, Zophobas morio (Superworms /U.S., Kingworms /U.K., NOT SUPERMEALWORMS) and silk worms every now and again to mix it up or for treats.

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

No you can feed both as they both offer different nutritional values. You may find her favoring one over the other though. It happens where they hold out for their favorite food! I would also add some soft bodied feeders like silkworms. They are very high in calcium and not fatty like alot of the worms are.

I was looking at those too but they seem to be out at the moment. Do you know if coastal silk worms has good worms?

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

I switched over to dubias and will never willingly go back to crickets again. Dubias don't smell dont chirp and I bought 200 and havn't had a single death yet, unlike when I would buy 50 crickets and at least 20 would die in the feeder cage. So anyway I recommend going solely with dubias as the staple (properly gut loaded of course) throwing in horn worms, Phoenix worms, Zophobas morio (Superworms /U.S., Kingworms /U.K., NOT SUPERMEALWORMS) and silk worms every now and again to mix it up or for treats.

I was thinking about getting all my food online so I wouldn't have to make as many trios to the pet store.

 

[JGuinan007]

OH on occasion Wax worms or butter worms like a birthday or somethin theses are fatty they are good after egg laying too

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

OH on occasion Wax worms or butter worms like a birthday or somethin theses are fatty they are good after egg laying too

I was thinking that every few weeks I would give her some wax worms and since she's getting closer to gravid age I was thinking of putting wax worms on the feeder when she finishing egg laying. Is that enough time between wax worms?

 

[JGuinan007]

you actually want to kinda starve (not starve but def not fat maybe a lili lean but not boney) females (unless you want to breed them) so they don't lay too many eggs as it shortens their lives I would only feed them after egg laying or she looks too skinny

 

[NERVOUS]

I prefer Dubias over Crickets. As mentioned above, Dubias don't smell, don't make noise, don't eat each other, and don't die easily. I use Dubias as the primary feeder then rotate between Super worms, Horn worms, and Silk worms to keep things interesting for my Chameleon.

To be fair... On occasion, I will purchase Crickets when it's convenient. My Chameleon likes to chase them around the enclosure. That said, I limit the number of Crickets I purchase so I don't have to care for them any longer than absolutely necessary (to properly gut load, etc).

Just out of curiosity, have you considered starting a Dubia colony?

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

I prefer Dubias over Crickets. As mentioned above, Dubias don't smell, don't make noise, don't eat each other, and don't die easily. I use Dubias as the primary feeder then rotate between Super worms, Horn worms, and Silk worms to keep things interesting for my Chameleon.

To be fair... On occasion, I will purchase Crickets when it's convenient. My Chameleon likes to chase them around the enclosure. That said, I limit the number of Crickets I purchase so I don't have to care for them any longer than absolutely necessary (to properly gut load, etc).

Just out of curiosity, have you considered starting a Dubia colony?

I have thought about it but it seemed overwhelming and I am gone at least 8-10 hours a day Monday through friday and didn't think I would have time for it. How would I start a colony with the little time that I am home.

 

[nick barta]

First I would buy some of the size you want to feed to your chameleon, and make sure the chameleon will eat them; this may require a few days of hunger to encourage the chameleon to begin eating them.The key to raising Dubia is to do the setup correctly, and the right size for your needs. If you have time to put in orange slices or water crystals every other day or so, and keep a dry food in the container, it can work for you.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[NERVOUS]

I have thought about it but it seemed overwhelming and I am gone at least 8-10 hours a day Monday through friday and didn't think I would have time for it. How would I start a colony with the little time that I am home.

Oh, believe me... I wouldn't be starting a Dubia colony if it was time intensive.

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

First I would buy some of the size you want to feed to your chameleon, and make sure the chameleon will eat them; this may require a few days of hunger to encourage the chameleon to begin eating them.The key to raising Dubia is to do the setup correctly, and the right size for your needs. If you have time to put in orange slices or water crystals every other day or so, and keep a dry food in the container, it can work for you.

CHEERS!

Nick

So I care for them quite similar to how I am with the crickets. What is the correct setup for dubias?

 

[gotwqqd]

I'll be ordering both silkworms and dubias this week. Having a crack at raising them.
West coast roaches for, you guessed it... The dubias. Coastal for silkworms.
Hopefully they don't outgrow the chameleon.

 

[JGuinan007]

First I would buy some of the size you want to feed to your chameleon, and make sure the chameleon will eat them; this may require a few days of hunger to encourage the chameleon to begin eating them.The key to raising Dubia is to do the setup correctly, and the right size for your needs. If you have time to put in orange slices or water crystals every other day or so, and keep a dry food in the container, it can work for you.

CHEERS!

Nick

I was wondering why orange peels? I give mine fresh Dandy lion leaves every other day and a lil cap of water with a soaked sea sponge in it. oh and some crack too

 

[nick barta]

It is easy to slice an orange to the right thickness to have it eaten before it dries out. With the breeding heat I run, the pulp is gone in 1-2 days, all you will have left is the rinds, hard as a rock. Oranges are available year round, and supply water and nutrients. You can use the sponge for water, I just like addressing both hydration and nutrients together. Dandelion leaves are a GREAT nutrient source, but not available year around where I am. Nothing like Cricket Crack or Bug Buffet for a first class gut load.
Another trick to keeping humidity up in 90 degree temperatures is to throw water crystals in. The humidity is key for successful molting and also supplements when you miss a day of oranges/water in the cup.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Andie]

It is easy to slice an orange to the right thickness to have it eaten before it dries out. With the breeding heat I run, the pulp is gone in 1-2 days, all you will have left is the rinds, hard as a rock. Oranges are available year round, and supply water and nutrients. You can use the sponge for water, I just like addressing both hydration and nutrients together. Dandelion leaves are a GREAT nutrient source, but not available year around where I am. Nothing like Cricket Crack or Bug Buffet for a first class gut load.
Another trick to keeping humidity up in 90 degree temperatures is to throw water crystals in. The humidity is key for successful molting and also supplements when you miss a day of oranges/water in the cup.

CHEERS!

Nick

Nick,
What do you keep your dubias in? And what heat source do you use to achieve 90 degrees?!

 

[nick barta]

I use plastic non-opaque containers and cut ventilation in the lid. 10 gallon for 500 or so, 20 gallon for more. I cover the ventilation with a cloth to keep Dubias and Discoids in the dark. 3/4 of the container is egg crates that are just low enough to not have adults reaching the lid, in the open area, 2 very shallow plastic lids to lay the oranges and other wet food on. I make a roach chow that is cheap but alfalfa and protein based and to put about 1/2 inch in the bottom, the nymphs dig into it.

For heat I have been using a heat cord, but have to put plexiglass between the cord and the surface to avoid fires and damage, and also the plastic bottoms can slowly burn through. My project for January is to move them into my new Roach Motel, I have a closet where I will use indirect heat.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Andie]

I use plastic non-opaque containers and cut ventilation in the lid. 10 gallon for 500 or so, 20 gallon for more. I cover the ventilation with a cloth to keep Dubias and Discoids in the dark. 3/4 of the container is egg crates that are just low enough to not have adults reaching the lid, in the open area, 2 very shallow plastic lids to lay the oranges and other wet food on. I make a roach chow that is cheap but alfalfa and protein based and to put about 1/2 inch in the bottom, the nymphs dig into it.

For heat I have been using a heat cord, but have to put plexiglass between the cord and the surface to avoid fires and damage, and also the plastic bottoms can slowly burn through. My project for January is to move them into my new Roach Motel, I have a closet where I will use indirect heat.

CHEERS!

Nick

Wow. Any chance you can post a pic of this contraption? what is the roach chow made of?
I've always wondered, Nick....how many chams & other species do you personally have?

 

[nick barta]

Because I have several colonies of roaches I mix alfalfa powder and unmedicated chicken mash. I grind up the mash as it is in 1/8-inch pieces, but I leave some full size for nymphs burying. It is cheap enough to feed them and be a substrate. They also get Bug Burger and Cricket Crack, but typically on my weekend feeding, and it is limited due to the cost for large colonies.
The closet will be started probably the end of the month and will take some tweaking to get it right I am sure!

My collection of chameleons is down to 2 panthers, a red bar and a blue bar, both males. At one time I had M A N Y more! My interest in chameleons is on-going, as we are always learning. Feeders are challenging to figure out, and I really enjoy that part of the hobby. I tend to like to offer what is hard to find to chameleon and other reptile keepers.