Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

[plum]

Wow. The crickets really like the oatmeal I gave them.. When I put it in the cage some started eating pretty quick.

[★Raystar★]

I put either corn flakes or cardboard for them to eat!
My crickets wish they could have oat meal!

[plum]

Is that all you're feeding them? If so, you need to give 'em some more variety, what they eat is going into your lizards, ya know. Mine get oatmeal, broccoli, carrot, cucumber, leftover crested gecko diet, and they'll be getting some fruit soon, namely banana and apple.

[GrumpyCinnamonster]

Thanks!!

I kind of regret getting Dustin from the pet store..
I was looking at the lizards and there are at least 10 in a 5 gallon tank, the leos had 2 tiny crickets and the beardies only had fruit no live insects. They looked so bored... 9: I think they should sell each pet in an individual pre-set up tank, so it's ready to go.

A lot of people get their first pets from a pet store, or a pet store becomes their only option if there are no local breeders or breeders willing to ship. Don't feel bad, Dustin was your first lizard(right?). Now you have more experience, so you can get your next lizard(or any pet) from a rescue or responsible breeder, if you ever decide you want more lizards/pets. Also, not all pet stores are as bad as some. In general you want to avoid pet store animals, but if a pet store is your only option, then the ones that breed their own stock tend to be better choices. Large stores that rely on factory sized breeding mills, like Petco and Petsmart, have really poor quality animals, and are not generally kind to their animals.
Animals aren't meant to be in pet stores forever. If all goes well, then they will spend very little time there before going onto their new homes, which will hopefully have everything set up for them. 10 in a 5 gallon is quite a bit if the leos are adults though. Food wise, it's possible they ate their live food before you got there(a lot of stores prefer to feed before opening and after closing, so that they don't block customers from seeing the animals). Having crickets in their tank all the time is dangerous for the animals, especially young lizards. I think it's amazing that they gave the beardies fruit, because a lot of pet stores only feed crickets or mealworms. In general though, the small enclosures, and poor diet only become a big problem when the animals spend weeks or months waiting for forever homes. All of that said, I'm personally against selling animals in stores, other than those intended to be food for other animals(feeder mice, crickets, etc). Honestly though, there are a lot of breeders out there that are just as bad as some of the pet stores, so you have to be careful and ask questions. I'm just learning this, because I'm in the process of getting a bird from a breeder. All my other animals have come to me from shelters or they were no longer wanted by previous owners.

Wow. The crickets really like the oatmeal I gave them.. When I put it in the cage some started eating pretty quick.

I don't have crickets at the moment, but when I do have them I love to feed rolled oats. It's always so silly to see them all grab a piece and carry it around the bin as they munch on it. Oats are my personal favorite food, so I buy lots of them. LOTS. I've always got plenty to share with the inverts, and it's cheap in bulk.

Is that all you're feeding them? If so, you need to give 'em some more variety, what they eat is going into your lizards, ya know. Mine get oatmeal, broccoli, carrot, cucumber, leftover crested gecko diet, and they'll be getting some fruit soon, namely banana and apple.

Couldn't agree more. What goes into the live food, goes into your reptile. Cardboard is fine for crickets to live on, but not suitable for their diet. Corn flakes aren't nutritious either and high in processed sugar and preservatives. Fresh vegetables and fruit are the best, and plain uncooked oat meal is a good filler/bulker. If it's a money concern that makes you give them cornflakes and cardboard, then let me clarify that crickets eat very little. I always buy organic fruit and veg, and it still costs me maybe $2 a week to feed about 2500 crickets when I have them, because most veggies are cheap. You can also give them scraps to cut back on costs. Cut the crust off your bread? Give it to the crickets instead of tossing it. Chopped up a cucumber or carrot to eat? Give the stump end to the crickets. Peeled an an apple? Throw the skins in the cricket bin rather than the trash bin. Bruised banana or wilted lettuce? Once again, the crickets don't mind so give it to them. Just make sure the produce isn't rotten or contaminated with chemical pesticides.

[Koiley]

Usually I buy small amounts of crickets and just dump them in the cage, and they're mostly gone the next morning.

It's really hard for me to get them out of their little cricket container..so they go from the petstore bag right into the cage.

[Ash!]

Thanks!!

I kind of regret getting Dustin from the pet store..
I was looking at the lizards and there are at least 10 in a 5 gallon tank, the leos had 2 tiny crickets and the beardies only had fruit no live insects. They looked so bored... 9: I think they should sell each pet in an individual pre-set up tank, so it's ready to go.

If you sell Dustin. I need my tank back. That thing was about 20 bucks.

[Crum]

Why would I sell him. That's terrible! I love him.

[GrumpyCinnamonster]

Usually I buy small amounts of crickets and just dump them in the cage, and they're mostly gone the next morning.

It's really hard for me to get them out of their little cricket container..so they go from the petstore bag right into the cage.

Your crickets are nutritionally very poor compared to what they could be. Not only should you be gut loading, but you should also be dusting before feeding. It's very cheap and easy to make a cricket box. In fact you'll save a LOT of money in the long run by buying bulk and housing the crickets. You lizard will also be much healthier.

http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/weblog/archives/000258.html
Now, the person that wrote this article uses pre-made products for nutrition and water. I personally stay away from those, and stick to organic produce and plain grains. It's more nutritious, because it's fresh, and I know there are no nasty chemicals or preservatives going into my dragons.

When I keep crickets, it's in a standard 10 gallon tank with a zilla fresh air screen top. 3/4 of the tank is stacked with egg crate and toilet paper/paper towel rolls, and the rest is of space has jar lids for their food and water. If they are on the top, a quick tap knocks them off, and I can easily reach in without any escaping. When it's time to remove some for feeding I just grab one of the toilet paper/paper towel rolls and shake it into a jar/cup that I've put dusting powder into. I put my hand or a lid on the top, give them a quick shake that's not too hard, and let them crawl out into the feeding bin with my dragon. My dragoons get 15 minutes in the feeding bin with the feeders. If they don't eat them in that time, then they go back to their tanks. It's not safe to be leaving live food in your tank overnight. To be safe, I don't even feed live food in my tanks, unless it's worms, because I use tongs to hand them to the dragons one at a time.

[Koiley]

I dust them with calcium before putting them in. ^^
I do have a cricket house but it's awkward to get in and out..
We're in the process of moving so I can't get anything really elaborate at the moment..I may look into it after we relocate. :)

On a side note..I was talking to this man at the petstore while buying crickets and mealworms..He bought his young son two leopard geckos at different times. He said they both died..and one, the son held it by the tail and it fell off..I felt bad for the geckos...I gave him a talk about proper care. XD

[plum]

My crickets are in a sterilite tub that's about the length and width of a 10 gallon, but half the height. I don't think I've had any escapes. Honey, my gecko, isn't really interested in live food, I'm just keeping them to raise and then possible sell them, so I don't really bother with trying to get them out or dusting. They still get fed decent food, though.