What are good feeder insects?

[AdamWTF]

Okay so I figured this would be best to post just so I know really. I'm sure most people who will reply to this will have been reading my other thread so should be aware of my situation atm. However I am just wondering for when he does have a full appetite whats the best feeders to give?

I do have around 100 odd crickets atm in an old fish tank left to do as they please but lets face it they stink... :') I'm happy to keep them and keep using them as his main diet if that's best ofc but what other things could he happily eat and most likely would? I know mealworms are no good, also for the people who don't know he's only 4-5weeks old atm.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yup. I was there, and now here.

Locust, dubia roaches, brown crickets, and silk worms if you can find them.
These are your UK staple insect feeders.

I have several links for these, just say the word.

In the States we use:
Roaches, crickets, super worms (moria sp- however, most don't feel comfortable feeding to dragons under a certain length), silk worms.

In addition, as semi staples you have:
Phoenix worms and Horn worms.

Hope that helps out !
Janie

 

[AdamWTF]

Okay I've looked a bit into these Dubai roaches do you happen to know a good UK supplier? Also from how old could he have them? Personally I HATE crickets... The sooner he could be on something like that the better to me I think :') aha. I would plan to breed them ofc. Luckily that is and will be an option for me. Any information on all this would be awesome.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Adam.. I fed all mine from time of arrival.. 8 weeks on up on those dubias... Yes I have several uk sources, and several state side sources.

UK:
http://www.roachshop.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=6

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=94&products_id=1086

http://www.roachcolony.co.uk/

Those should get you started!
Hope that helps out !
Janie

 

[AdamWTF]

I know what I'm getting! ^_^ aha Thanks a lot.

 

[crypticdragons]

Okay I've looked a bit into these Dubai roaches do you happen to know a good UK supplier? Also from how old could he have them? Personally I HATE crickets... The sooner he could be on something like that the better to me I think :') aha. I would plan to breed them ofc. Luckily that is and will be an option for me. Any information on all this would be awesome.

Dubia roaches are similar to crix in sizes. You have the tinyest tiny nymphs up to the honking 1.5 inch adults. So their entire life it can be used as a perfect feeder. They are superbly easy to keep, cant climb, cant fly, and do not smell in the least. I am sure janie will get you all setup with their housing and what not but I just wanted to point out that they are AWESOME

 

[zebraflavencs]

I can give great starter set up suggestions.. Feeding, water sources too.
These are in my opinion, the best staple feeders for many reptiles. I only keep two different species at this date, but plan on others.. finding their way to me. And those roaches !
Janie

 

[AdamWTF]

Well I'm gonna try buying a small amount to start see how cookie takes to them... If he enjoys them I'm deffo gonna be buying some more. I'll prolly just get a small colony, two of the websites you stated seem to sell them as that for only £50 and I can't see making a setup costing too much. In the long run I believe it will save me a lot so it's well worth it. I'm also thinking about maybe getting my younger brother a lizard for his birthday so it won't just be feeding mine.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Then you are looking, if this is a dragon too, at a setup starting with at least 500.
Young dragons tend to put away loooots of insects on a daily basis.. So, if you are able to start out with 500, and leave them to their "work" for 2-3 months, you should easily have a viable colony you can feed from.

Hope that helps out !
Janie

 

[Shoulon]

Could you post a detailed way to start up a colony? like what kind of cage, food, way to give them water, maybe a way to feed them so I dont need to powder coat them to feed to my beardie?

 

[staylor]

Could you post a detailed way to start up a colony? like what kind of cage, food, way to give them water, maybe a way to feed them so I dont need to powder coat them to feed to my beardie?

Beardies will always need calcium powder. When they are adults it should get sprinkled on their salad as well as coated on feeders. Calcium deficiencies is a major problem with captive lizards.

 

[Shoulon]

My beardy is about two Months. Would getting a batch of like 150-200 Dubia's a good start on a colony now? (iknow I cant feed them out as son as I get them.)

 

[Craiger]

It would be a good start. I started with 100....but didn't feed off the colony for several months. The more you get at start-up, the faster the colony gets built. So I guess it's up to you as to how soon you want to be able to feed them to your beardie(s).

 

[AdamWTF]

Well I dunno where your from Shoulon but if it's the UK I got told a good site. http://www.roachcolony.co.uk/ It's got a detailed tutorial on making a suitable enclosure for your roaches and then it even sells small, medium and large starter colony's. If you don't want to make your own enclosure for them he sells them on the site too, exactly the same as the ones he uses to breed his roach's for sale.

The starter kit I'm getting is as follows;

Small x 150
Medium/Large x 125
Adult Females x 20
Adult Males x 10

That's the small one. Hope that helps. As for the 'roach hotel' as he calls it, I'm going to make my own I do believe I could do it myself for a cheaper price really.

 

[Shoulon]

Thanks for the info Adam. I live in Los Angeles, California. I would like to get a kit so I can start feeding out of it ASAP. could you or someone possibly list what I should order?

 

[AdamWTF]

Well going by the roach colony website this is what he uses and why;

1x Tote Bin (2foot x 1foot) - Big box basically to hold your roach's, the plastic must NOT be clear as in you can see through it. Needs to be dark inside, like pitch black.

Wire Mesh - Cut a hole out the top of the box and use this to cover it, won't break easy and it allows ventilation into the box and stops escape.

Egg Cartons - Basically used as the nesting area if you like, should be familiar with these same as with crickets etc really.

1x 20W Heat Mat (17 inches x 11 inches) - Decent size mat for the box size above. Needs to be nice and warm inside for them, very humid.

2x Plastic Bowl - one for food one for water crystals.

20g Aqua Crystals - a lot better than using water cause your roach's wont drown... also these work well with the heat inside to make it very humid.

Basically taken all this information from the website I said so yeah. Should be fine.

 

[Shoulon]

Well I meant what should I buy as in the colony... not the misc stuff.

 

[AdamWTF]

Ahh I see I see, okay sorry. Well again referring to the roach colony website he considers;

a small colony -

Small x 150
Medium/Large x 125
Adult Females x 20
Adult Males x 10

a medium colony -

Small x 350
Medium x 200
Adult Females x 35
Adult Males x 15

and a large colony -

Small x 650
Medium x 300
Adult Females x 50
Adult Males x 25

that all ofc being the start off figures. Hope it helped.

 

[Shoulon]

Would either of the small or medium setups be concidered a right away source of feeder? ( mean like after 2-3weeks )

 

[zebraflavencs]

For your little guy... he could easily mow through 1000 "eye" sized dubias in a week.
Been there. Times 3.
If you want an instant feed from colony, then you would want several thousands... yes thousands of the nymphs, as well as adult pairs to maintain that level of reproduction...
My suggestion ?
Continue to feed with the crix, however do get as large of a "mixed" colony as you can afford. Get the roaches all set up, and nip out a hand full every couple of days, so he gets the "taste". Let the majority reproduce, and grow to their maturity, and start the cycle over again... In around 3 months, 5 at most... you should have enough to keep "Pooper" well fed.
I actually started my first colony, the week my first two hatched.
I added around 300 correct sized nymphs the week before they arrived.

Hope that helps out !
Janie