Water crystal newbie...

maxttu

maxttu

New Member
I just picked up a bag from Home Depot. What now? How much do I use? Please and thanks!
aeffe065-ef20-cbb8.jpg
 
Obvious answer is ZERO in the enclosure.

For cricket watering, I would say a very small amount will do, and from the looks of the size of the bag, you will never run out.
 
Slug said:
Obvious answer is ZERO in the enclosure.

For cricket watering, I would say a very small amount will do, and from the looks of the size of the bag, you will never run out.
Click to expand...

Really? It's just 12oz. How much would a spoon full make? I have 1 Hisser tub and two Dubia tubs. Thx!

Also, what is the crystal to water ratio?? One spoon of crystals require how much water, etc??
 
maxttu should i get this? i have water crastals but nothing thats that size lol
 
A half tablespoon of dry crystals will make about a quart of wet crystals. At least, that's my rough guess. I would pick your container, put 1/2 tablespoon or a teaspoon of dry crystals in and fill it with water. If it doesn't absorb all the water, put a couple of dry crystals in, wait...

I didn't watch all of that video, but I will say that adding the nutrient to the water is a great idea, adding the food coloring isn't. It is fun. I'll admit, I've done it....but that really just translates into feeding your chameleon food coloring, which is probably not the best idea. Your crickets will not care if their water is not yellow. Heck, if they had higher brain function, they might be relieved their water is not yellow.

The crystals come in different sizes. I don't know how they are sized for garden use (mine came from a site that sells them for photography projects (they make great fake ice)). There is a concern about the water crystals getting consumed by chameleons which can cause death. If there's the least chance that your crystals will be in the cage, you might want to grind them to a fine dust. You can do that in a blender or a coffee grinder. If you do that, they will hydrate to "sludge". (maybe I should take a picture of mine). Not so pretty for a picture, but fine for hydrating your crickets and probably can't cause a blockage if ingested.
 
Elizadolots said:
A half tablespoon of dry crystals will make about a quart of wet crystals. At least, that's my rough guess. I would pick your container, put 1/2 tablespoon or a teaspoon of dry crystals in and fill it with water. If it doesn't absorb all the water, put a couple of dry crystals in, wait...

I didn't watch all of that video, but I will say that adding the nutrient to the water is a great idea, adding the food coloring isn't. It is fun. I'll admit, I've done it....but that really just translates into feeding your chameleon food coloring, which is probably not the best idea. Your crickets will not care if their water is not yellow. Heck, if they had higher brain function, they might be relieved their water is not yellow.

The crystals come in different sizes. I don't know how they are sized for garden use (mine came from a site that sells them for photography projects (they make great fake ice)). There is a concern about the water crystals getting consumed by chameleons which can cause death. If there's the least chance that your crystals will be in the cage, you might want to grind them to a fine dust. You can do that in a blender or a coffee grinder. If you do that, they will hydrate to "sludge". (maybe I should take a picture of mine). Not so pretty for a picture, but fine for hydrating your crickets and probably can't cause a blockage if ingested.
Click to expand...

Wow! Great stuff, Elizadolots! Thank you! The crystals would be used in the feeder tubs only. I lol'ed at the "higher brain function" bit! :) Thx again!
 
You're welcome....consider grinding it down to dust even if you aren't planning on it ever getting into the chameleon cage, because it sometimes does. Sometimes when you pull feeders out you get a bit of water crystal with them, particularly when it's dried out a bit. I always grind mine down before using it for the crickets (I keep the bulk big because you never know when you're going to have some great idea for something that requires big water crystals...).
 
Another question: how long will the crystals last once in the tub? Do you need to discard it after awhile or just keep adding as needed?
 
By "tub" I think you mean the cricket bin....I just toss more in as needed. If you mean the container the crystals are in, you want a container with a GREAT lid...something you can screw on tight...that will keep them from drying out so you can use them until they are gone, you can add water occasionally if they seem to be getting dry.
 
By the way, while we are on the topic of bins, check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdEfjuYREcM

I need to do this! We buy crickets at 250 at a time, and the smell is awful! I am considering doing this, plus adding to it a false bottom of screen to allow the cricket poo to fall through and then used as a fertilizer for our plants...unfortunately, we just got the 250 today, so that project will have to wait a while.
 
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