Cricket and Superworm Gut load

[nepoez]

Hi All,

If your monitor is going to primarily eat crickets and superworms, what should you feed them? There's a Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet Feeder Cricket Foods: Fluker's High-Calcium Cricket Diet (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6466)

Will that work? The link shows the ingredients when you click "More info"

I've read so many threads about the importance of gut loading, but never found an exact definition of how to do it.

[smy_749]

You already asked this at the bottom of the other thread

[RyanReptile]

This will probably work will make sure though to also provide a source of moisture too fruits and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, etc... Work well or you can use commercial bought water gel.

[Squirtle]

In order to gut load your feeders, you just simply feed them. :cool:

[Pirarucu]

You simply feed them a lot of extra nutritious food the night before you feed them off. I've actually heard that fish food is a great thing to gutload them with..

[smy_749]

I use fish food for my roaches, along with other fruits and crushed up dry dog food occasionally but it sort of makes them smell.

[nepoez]

I didn't feel just feeding them fruits and veggies is enough the night before because it would be like feeding your lizard fruits and veggies. Anyone done a staple diet for more than a year of crickets/supers and have proven the nutritional value?

[smy_749]

I didn't feel just feeding them fruits and veggies is enough the night before because it would be like feeding your lizard fruits and veggies. Anyone done a staple diet for more than a year of crickets/supers and have proven the nutritional value?


Like was suggested already, you can try fish food. the nutritional value of it is written on the back of the container so its pretty easy to figure out. I use aqueon tropical flakes, the back says : 41% crude protein, 7% fat, 3% fiber, 8% moisture and 1% phosphorus. And the container is like...5 dollars. It also says "added vitamins and minerals" but I dont know what that really means ...

[jarich]

No, fish food is not a good gut load, specifically for the reason just stated above. Most of them have very high amounts of phosphorous. One of the already present shortcomings of insects is the poor Ca:P ratios, which this will skew in the wrong direction. The biggest thing you are seeking to change with gut loading is this ratio, and therefore things high in calcium. Other than that, its just an extra opportunity to add a balanced diet to your insects. Check out the fruits and veg listed for other reptiles as a balanced diet, like bearded dragons or iguanas. Thats your best bet for gut loading your insects.

[smy_749]

No, fish food is not a good gut load, specifically for the reason just stated above. Most of them have very high amounts of phosphorous. One of the already present shortcomings of insects is the poor Ca:P ratios, which this will skew in the wrong direction. The biggest thing you are seeking to change with gut loading is this ratio, and therefore things high in calcium. Other than that, its just an extra opportunity to add a balanced diet to your insects. Check out the fruits and veg listed for other reptiles as a balanced diet, like bearded dragons or iguanas. Thats your best bet for gut loading your insects.

1% is alot? What is something that you can gutload with which specifically targets calcium? What about just dusting your feed with calcium dust? Does that work?

[jarich]

When you are talking about 1% of the total of the food, yes it is.

Dusting the food you give the insects does definitely help, especially with certain insects like mealworms where you can just mix it straight into the wheat bran at a very high percentage. The best though is to make sure you are feeding a good variety of high calcium fruits and vegetables like those listed for bearded dragons, and also to add calcium to their dry feed mixes.

[Terranaut]

I feed my insects apples ,oranges, sweet potato,bananas and dandelion stalks. My beardies and geckos seem very healthy.
Why complicate it. Feed the bugs whats healthy for you. I would not use fish food. I hear it's formulated for....fish:).
Sorry. Had too ;)

[Pirarucu]

Thanks for the info guys, I figured as much.