what ARE water crystals made of ? do they eat them too ?

[little leaf]

what are these things? I am not really sure how they work- I know you add water- but is the crix/roach's just drinking off these, or do they also eat them , and if they are eating them, then are our chams also eating them ? (threw the feeders? ) it seems I go threw alot of these things- where are they going ? I never see any dried up - they are just " gone"

 

[Miacane]

Great thread to start! I looked this up after reading. This conversation has taken place on the TheFrog.org

So what I am finding is....

Polyacrylamide copolymer is a polymer that retains water. Second ingredient in most cubes like Flukers. It simply holds in the water and and nutriens that have been added.

One of thier memebers potsed "i don't let my crickets go anywhere NEAR any of the "water crystals" unless they are in that little pillow. Having seen pics from necropsy of what some of that gel ingested did to a couple of lizards... OMG When dry, small particals can cling to the cricket, and when ingested it can draw moisture from the animal... and the result is a horrifying version of giving rice to birds!"


Another said that cubes have been used in the feeder industry for years.

I would like to hear or find out more on this.......

Good topic

 

[little leaf]

well, I had never used them before, but got in some HUGE roach colonies, and the guy told me to water them w/ those- but I am finding that I am NOT finding them by the next day - so I wondered if they are eating them- I am not so sure that is something I want my chams to eat- I was going to use them on the crix until I noticed the roaches are ( or not?? ) eating it -

 

[crocky]

I use these and have for a long while. Mine tend to last a couple of days in a few bins EXCEPT my breeding colony which is gone each night. Mostly though I think this is because I have a ceramic heat emitter over part of their holding bin.
But even if there were any left over in a couple of days I clean them out especially in my cric bin as they are such nasty little boogers. My rock dishes always stay clean but I still clean them out if they last over a couple of days.

 

[little leaf]

I use these and have for a long while. Mine tend to last a couple of days in a few bins EXCEPT my breeding colony which is gone each night. Mostly though I think this is because I have a ceramic heat emitter over part of their holding bin.
But even if there were any left over in a couple of days I clean them out especially in my cric bin as they are such nasty little boogers. My rock dishes always stay clean but I still clean them out if they last over a couple of days.

so are they eating them ? all my bins (roaches and crix) are heated- I guess I am not getting this- they hold water - this I know- lol and drink off of it- but I am confused as to if they EAT it - it is like jello ? is the stuff you get at like Home dept the same stuff- I am getting low on it, but was not sure if I wanted to keep using it - not knowing what it is - or if they are eating it-

 

[crocky]

Hmmm, not 100% on that. I never really thought about it. I just know they are gone, but now you have me wondering too

 

[little leaf]

Hmmm, not 100% on that. I never really thought about it. I just know they are gone, but now you have me wondering too

LOL - i know- right - where are these things going ???

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Yes they do eat them. In my case usually not much of them, and shrinkage accounts for their disappearance a lot. But to drink from them they do nibble too. Some people prefer to use only fruits and veggies as hydration sources for that reason. But they have been used in great volume for many years by many people so I'm not convinced they are harmful when consumed by crickets (I don't do roaches) in such low amounts, so I continue to use them personally. But the more fresh greens they have the less they go to the crystals so I don't think mine eat very much.

 

[little leaf]

my roaches seem to eat many of them- I put a whole pile in, and they are gone- but the chams only eat about 3 roaches - so that is not much I have not used them on my crix yet- but that was what I was wondering, if both the crix and roaches were eating them, then i fed both- would they be getting to much water gel stuff- but I also fed alot of veg to the feeders - the roaches are just big eaters I guess - lol
thanks for the help on this everyone

 

[Kate]

I got some orange coloured ones from reptile shop. Don't know what brand as I was given them to try out. Put them in the roach container and it took me a few mins to work out what these tiny orange balls were. Roach poo!! So yes they did what them.

 

[little leaf]

I got some orange coloured ones from reptile shop. Don't know what brand as I was given them to try out. Put them in the roach container and it took me a few mins to work out what these tiny orange balls were. Roach poo!! So yes they did what them.

LOL - thats funny- i never saw a roach poo- but I guess they do too ~