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Crickets vs roaches

Kpontius

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
76
My bearded dragon (approx 9 mo.) has always eaten crickets. Now that he is consuming larger crickets (3/4) I order 1000 online.
I keep them in a 10 gal tank and buy the cricket food and water. However I have to clean out daily because the crickets are dying off fast. Am I missing something?
Pets stores never mention feeding him roaches and he has never had them. Should I switch since he does eat his crickets?
P.S. and the smell of crickets is not welcoming!


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Eavlynn

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
978
Many of us feed roaches because of the same troubles you're having, they stink and they die off quickly, not to mention the insecent chirping. Roaches also have a higher meat to shell ratio, making them the best feeder by far. 1 large roach is the equivalent to 5-7 large crickets. Many members, myself included, have established our own roach colonies which saves tons of money in feeding costs in the long run.

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PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
Larger crickets are going to die off faster because they are at the end of their life cycle. I would also offer your crickets healthy salad items like the stems from the greens that you feed your bearded dragon. They provide water plus nutrition.
 

Kpontius

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
76
Thank you for this information. I wished I had found this site when he was first purchased!


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Kpontius

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
76
If I do not make a colony and just order the roaches, how many would you suggest I purchase?


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PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
You kinda have to figure out how big his appetite is. If he's never eaten dubia before, I would start out small to make sure he likes them. So I would order 100 to start. If he likes them, figure out how much you may possibly feed him in a months time. Dubia do last a long time if you care for them and keep them well fed and watered.
 

BrookeE

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
199
I got dubias for the first time last week. I only got 25 because I've never gotten them before. They freak me out. I got medium sized ones and they weren't that bad. As long as they stay shell side up, they kinda look like giant Roly Polys. I really really loved how easy they are to deal with because they cant jump around and they're pretty slow moving. Didnt stink like crickets and don't make a bunch of noise. My beardie loved them and i was extremely pleased with how long they stay alive. In 5 days, not a single one died. Whereas with crickets, no matter how hard i try, they die left and right. As long as i can keep them out of my moms sight, id like to start getting them.
What are the limitations of these things? I only have one beardie to feed, I don't feed her bugs every single day. How many would y'all recommend buying at one time?
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
I got dubias for the first time last week. I only got 25 because I've never gotten them before. They freak me out. I got medium sized ones and they weren't that bad. As long as they stay shell side up, they kinda look like giant Roly Polys. I really really loved how easy they are to deal with because they cant jump around and they're pretty slow moving. Didnt stink like crickets and don't make a bunch of noise. My beardie loved them and i was extremely pleased with how long they stay alive. In 5 days, not a single one died. Whereas with crickets, no matter how hard i try, they die left and right. As long as i can keep them out of my moms sight, id like to start getting them.
What are the limitations of these things? I only have one beardie to feed, I don't feed her bugs every single day. How many would y'all recommend buying at one time?


That's what I tell myself about dubia, that they are roly polys LOL! If anyone asks I tell them the same thing ;)

I think they say that 8 crickets is equal to 1 dubia so figure out how many crickets your beardie would eat and then buy the dubia according to that.
 
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