Superworms

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mylo

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Hi Guys!
My dragons name is Mylo and he is about 9 months old and I got him at 1 month old. Even from when I first got him, Mylo has always preferred veggies over feeders (strange right?) He eats 1-2 large portions every day of collard greens or dandelion greens with about 10ish crickets in each serving. I buy live crickets and gutload them each week but since I got him he always will only eat the dead crickets not any live ones. I've tried dubias but he does not digest them super well or enjoy them Superworms are the only other thing he will eat! I know they are not the best so i also use Nature Zone Bites for protein. Do you think its okay that including the other things he eats a few super worms almost daily? he is also very active.
Thanks!
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
I wouldn't recommend it right now, I would just try giving him some silkworms or Phoenix worms. Once he's an adult and his diet switches to 80%veggies and 20% protein, you can give him supers as a staple feeder as beardies only need it 1-3 times a week
 

mylo

Member
Original Poster
[quote="KeyBlu422 Thank you for the suggestions I will definitely try those! How many Silkworms/Phoenix worms do you recommend?
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
KeyBlu422":2n36qxp5 said:
I wouldn't recommend it right now, I would just try giving him some silkworms or Phoenix worms. Once he's an adult and his diet switches to 80%veggies and 20% protein, you can give him supers as a staple feeder as beardies only need it 1-3 times a week

BAD advice - superworms SHOULD NEVER BE A STAPLE , they are good as a weekly treat , and never more than 2 or 3 in a sitting.
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
Given the fact that he's probably still growing at a quick rate, I'd say you can get away with the "10-15 minutes then stop feeding rule" or you can do the x number of worms per inch of dragon but id go with the first. They are quite healthy feeders and become really wiggly when they experience temperatures like in your beardy's tank so he'll probably dig in. However, they can become expensive as even at their largest size they are a little bit smaller than adult crickets. However, you can't go wrong with them as they are basically no maintenance. Just stick them at room temperature for a couple weeks or put them in a wine cooler/fridge and they'll last even longer.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
mylo":vvnveh3z said:
KeyBlu422 Thank you for the suggestions I will definitely try those! How many Silkworms/Phoenix worms do you recommend?[/quote:vvnveh3z said:
My beardies at 9-12 months old were eating two meals of bugs per day , I swap to 1 insect meal per day for my dragon at about 1 year old and no sooner and stay on this , just reducing the amount of insects after they are 2 years old. See viewtopic.php?f=18&t=230705&hilit=wild+beardies+stomach+contents and viewtopic.php?f=18&t=236074.

Beardies ARE NOT IGUANAS , they are not vegetarians even in the wild.

I give mine 4 - 6 medium (1.5 - 2 inch long) silkworms each per day OR 2 - 3 large silkworms each day
(bare in mind a silkworm is very bulky and there is a lot of meat in a large silkworm .

1 medium (2/3 size) gutloaded cricket weights about 0.25g each
6x 30mm sml silks are 3.1g ==> 0.52g each
4x 40mm med silks are 5.3g ==> 1.325g each
a 2 inch long silkworm is 1.8g each
a large silkworm about 3in is 2.3g each

Even large size phoenix worms may be too small to be off interest to your juvenile beardie now.
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
According to claudiusx, a long time member of these forums, amongst others including myself, supers can be used as staples for adult beardies. Just not growing ones as they wouldn't be able to receive enough protein without getting too much fat.



Also, according to Azeah.com, protein is to be fed to adult beardies 2-3 times a week AT MOST.
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
Nobby, As OPPORTUNISTIC reptiles, they'll eat anything they can. considering my adult 5 year old beardy still takes interest in waxworms, which are only a bit bigger than the large Phoenix worms, I think his 9 months old beardy would still eat them. Also, as opportunistic feeders, they will may eat more protein than veggies as adults as that's all that may be available. Beardies die because the elements, parasites, etc and live shorter because of those reasons and because they are opportunistic and take what's available, not what is necessarily good for them. So, as pets, we should be giving them the diets they need as to prevent obesity and maximizing their lifespans, we can do that by giving them plenty of veggies as grown ups and some protein. And, considering you thought Dubia could carry pinworms and whatnot even though they don't and that you gave me no source as to why commercially available insect diets are bad, I don't think the whole "feeding advise" is your thing. I'm sorry if I come off rude but you should really do more research into things before deeming someone else's advice bad or wrong.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
KeyBlu422":2k1tr8ih said:
Nobby, As OPPORTUNISTIC reptiles, they'll eat anything they can. considering my adult 5 year old beardy still takes interest in waxworms, which are only a bit bigger than the large Phoenix worms, I think his 9 months old beardy would still eat them. Also, as opportunistic feeders, they will may eat more protein than veggies as adults as that's all that may be available. Beardies die because the elements, parasites, etc and live shorter because of those reasons and because they are opportunistic and take what's available, not what is necessarily good for them. So, as pets, we should be giving them the diets they need as to prevent obesity and maximizing their lifespans, we can do that by giving them plenty of veggies as grown ups and some protein. And, considering you thought Dubia could carry pinworms and whatnot even though they don't and that you gave me no source as to why commercially available insect diets are bad, I don't think the whole "feeding advise" is your thing. I'm sorry if I come off rude but you should really do more research into things before deeming someone else's advice bad or wrong.

All well and good for people who have never ever even been to Australia to say turn the dragon into a 90% vegetarian , however the observations of keepers here (in Australia) and anyone who has lived (not flashed through on a tourist visit) in the natural range of central bearded dragons (and of Rankins too) is as a rule a very warm and dry place with only very tough grasses and drought tolerant trees holding foliage for 320 days of the year , and often if a drought sets in (which is the rule rather than the exception) nearly all the vegetation dies except the hardiest grasses and trees so dragons do not have the opportunity to vegetation very often in the wild.
I try my best to replicate the kind of diet a wild dragon will have (ie mostly insects).

I think you are the one who needs to do some research rather , same applies to using superworms as a staple , that is setting up a dragon for fatty liver decease as well as impaction issues , and likely other health issues. So - you are offering bad advise to the OP (a Noob) in this matter.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Superworms should not be THE only staple insect but are not as bad as people think they are. Their fat content is not much more than that of the Phoenix/calci worms [ BSFL ] Look up the insect nutrition charts, and although they all vary a bit superworms are not listed as having extreme fat content.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjJsp7Bts3YAhWDqlMKHU8kBPwQFghFMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthereptilereport.com%2Fthe-most-complete-feeder-insect-nutrition-chart%2F&usg=AOvVaw1_9W4iAP2c_kRCOxPU_Pgw

And beardies have a very large range in Australia and probably have more access to vegetation in some parts than in others. In captivity lots of greens as well as insects should be offered to growing dragons, but to our mostly sedentary adults the insects should be cut way back. Obesity in beardies is very common and is no better for them than it is for us.
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
AHBD, thank you. Also, I don't use supers as the whole staple either, I give crickets and other sources of protein too.
 
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