I love Phoenix Worms/BSFL, I have been feeding them to all of my dragons as their main, live, staple insects. I order 1,000 each month for around $23 shipped on www.dubiaroaches.com, they are the cheapest I've found, and www.symtonbsf.com is my back up. BSFL/Phoenix Worms are very nutritious for them, they contain a very high calcium content, and are also high in fluids.
A few BSFL tips: #1, always order only the size Large Phoenix Worms/BSFL, as if you order the size small or medium you'll be running through them like water. They are soft bodied, so it's not like feeding them crickets or roaches, where they must be always smaller than the space between their eyes, there is no risk of choking or impaction with BSFL. So always order size large, you'll save a small fortune. #2, always feed the darkest colored worms first, as they are the closest to turning, and more importantly, the darker they are, the higher their calcium content is. #3, DO NOT KEEP THEM IN THE FRIDGE, THEY'LL DIE!!! A lot of people find this out the hard way, lol. If you have a place that you can keep them that is cooler, like a basement or a garage, that's best. If not, just keep them at room temperature. #4, keep them in a substrate of either oatmeal, oatbran, or another similar type of edible bedding, no sawdust or wood chips, as they will eat the bedding, and you want them to eat only healthy things because you're feeding them to your dragon.
Also important, gut-load the BSFL with the same greens and veggies that you give to your dragon. Just throw in some pieces of collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, endive, arugula, swiss chard, or bok choy, and then also some pieces of squash (any types), bell peppers (any types), green beans, peas, pea pods, etc. Do this each morning, just toss in a few pieces of these, and then also keep either a couple large slices of apples or a potato in with them at all times as well. Make sure that you completely peel/skin the apple or potato, cut it into a few large slices, and then just throw them in and keep them in there until they start to turn, then replace them. You'll see holes through them, this is going to be the worm's source of constant hydration.
I keep my bulk BSFL in a plastic tub in my basement, which is between 55-60 degrees. This cool but not cold temperature slows them down considerably, but won't put them to sleep or kill them like the fridge will. Then I go down to basement with a smaller container and gather up the amount of them I need for that feeding, again, taking the DARKEST COLORED WORMS FIRST. Then I take only the number I need upstairs in the smaller container and run them quickly under warm water (not hot, lol) to wake them up and get them moving. Then I dust them in the calcium and/or multivitamins and then feed them. This is the best way to keep them if you can, because they'll keep the longest and won't turn into flies. I have 3 dragons currently, 2 that are over a year old, and then one that is 7 months old, so obviously he eats the most of them, with my year old girl right behind him. I buy 1,000 size large and this lasts me almost a month, I have auto shipment set up so that I get my new shipment the third week of each month so I don't run out.
With only 1 dragon (who by the way will be eating a ton of the BSFL each day once he gets under that T5 strength UVB tube, which is why I recommended size large only), I would order him probably between 200-300 size large BSFL/Phoenix Worms, which on www.dubiaroaches.com will only cost you around $15 shipped at most. That should last your guy a month, and that way you won't have too many and they won't turn.
I also supplement my BSFL with Superworms, giving all 3 of my guys 1-2 size medium/large Superworms each day total, during one of their daily feeding sessions. These not only fill them up and save on the BSFL, but they give them a good amount of fluid/hydration. My 7 month old still isn't eating a lot of greens/veggies, they typically don't until they are at least a year old, or even closer to 2 years old. I had a prior male that I got at about 2 months old and who lived just shy of 13 years old, and he didn't start eating a good amount of greens/veggies each day until he was about 2 years old. I always put their fresh salad of greens and veggies into their enclosures after their first live insect feeding session of the day, so they don't fill up on salad and ignore their live insect protein.
I'm of the school that still feeds their adult dragons live insects every single day along with their fresh daily salads. Some people choose to only feed their adult dragons live insects one, two, or three days a week, some only feed them live insects once every other week, but because in their natural environments they continue eating live insects every day, I do the same. They do eat a lot less insect protein as adults than as babies or juveniles, but they still get at least one live insect feeding every single day.
Also, I forgot, YOU STILL HAVE TO DUST THE PHOENIX WORMS/BSFL IN CALCIUM POWDER, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE VENDOR SAYS!!! Some BSFL/Phoenix Worm vendors actually state on their websites that the worms have a high enough calcium content that you "never have to dust them in calcium powder", but that's the best way to surely end up with a dragon suffering from MBD. What they don't say is that ONLY the worms that are very dark in color have a higher than average calcium content in comparison to other live feeder insects. So please, do not let the fact that you're feeding him BSFL change your calcium dusting schedule at all, especially since he's already suffering from severe MBD. He needs all of the insects from one of his live insect daily feeding sessions dusted in calcium powder. I'd do 3 days with vitamin D3, and 4 days without, then 3 with a multivitamin.
A few BSFL tips: #1, always order only the size Large Phoenix Worms/BSFL, as if you order the size small or medium you'll be running through them like water. They are soft bodied, so it's not like feeding them crickets or roaches, where they must be always smaller than the space between their eyes, there is no risk of choking or impaction with BSFL. So always order size large, you'll save a small fortune. #2, always feed the darkest colored worms first, as they are the closest to turning, and more importantly, the darker they are, the higher their calcium content is. #3, DO NOT KEEP THEM IN THE FRIDGE, THEY'LL DIE!!! A lot of people find this out the hard way, lol. If you have a place that you can keep them that is cooler, like a basement or a garage, that's best. If not, just keep them at room temperature. #4, keep them in a substrate of either oatmeal, oatbran, or another similar type of edible bedding, no sawdust or wood chips, as they will eat the bedding, and you want them to eat only healthy things because you're feeding them to your dragon.
Also important, gut-load the BSFL with the same greens and veggies that you give to your dragon. Just throw in some pieces of collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, endive, arugula, swiss chard, or bok choy, and then also some pieces of squash (any types), bell peppers (any types), green beans, peas, pea pods, etc. Do this each morning, just toss in a few pieces of these, and then also keep either a couple large slices of apples or a potato in with them at all times as well. Make sure that you completely peel/skin the apple or potato, cut it into a few large slices, and then just throw them in and keep them in there until they start to turn, then replace them. You'll see holes through them, this is going to be the worm's source of constant hydration.
I keep my bulk BSFL in a plastic tub in my basement, which is between 55-60 degrees. This cool but not cold temperature slows them down considerably, but won't put them to sleep or kill them like the fridge will. Then I go down to basement with a smaller container and gather up the amount of them I need for that feeding, again, taking the DARKEST COLORED WORMS FIRST. Then I take only the number I need upstairs in the smaller container and run them quickly under warm water (not hot, lol) to wake them up and get them moving. Then I dust them in the calcium and/or multivitamins and then feed them. This is the best way to keep them if you can, because they'll keep the longest and won't turn into flies. I have 3 dragons currently, 2 that are over a year old, and then one that is 7 months old, so obviously he eats the most of them, with my year old girl right behind him. I buy 1,000 size large and this lasts me almost a month, I have auto shipment set up so that I get my new shipment the third week of each month so I don't run out.
With only 1 dragon (who by the way will be eating a ton of the BSFL each day once he gets under that T5 strength UVB tube, which is why I recommended size large only), I would order him probably between 200-300 size large BSFL/Phoenix Worms, which on www.dubiaroaches.com will only cost you around $15 shipped at most. That should last your guy a month, and that way you won't have too many and they won't turn.
I also supplement my BSFL with Superworms, giving all 3 of my guys 1-2 size medium/large Superworms each day total, during one of their daily feeding sessions. These not only fill them up and save on the BSFL, but they give them a good amount of fluid/hydration. My 7 month old still isn't eating a lot of greens/veggies, they typically don't until they are at least a year old, or even closer to 2 years old. I had a prior male that I got at about 2 months old and who lived just shy of 13 years old, and he didn't start eating a good amount of greens/veggies each day until he was about 2 years old. I always put their fresh salad of greens and veggies into their enclosures after their first live insect feeding session of the day, so they don't fill up on salad and ignore their live insect protein.
I'm of the school that still feeds their adult dragons live insects every single day along with their fresh daily salads. Some people choose to only feed their adult dragons live insects one, two, or three days a week, some only feed them live insects once every other week, but because in their natural environments they continue eating live insects every day, I do the same. They do eat a lot less insect protein as adults than as babies or juveniles, but they still get at least one live insect feeding every single day.
Also, I forgot, YOU STILL HAVE TO DUST THE PHOENIX WORMS/BSFL IN CALCIUM POWDER, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE VENDOR SAYS!!! Some BSFL/Phoenix Worm vendors actually state on their websites that the worms have a high enough calcium content that you "never have to dust them in calcium powder", but that's the best way to surely end up with a dragon suffering from MBD. What they don't say is that ONLY the worms that are very dark in color have a higher than average calcium content in comparison to other live feeder insects. So please, do not let the fact that you're feeding him BSFL change your calcium dusting schedule at all, especially since he's already suffering from severe MBD. He needs all of the insects from one of his live insect daily feeding sessions dusted in calcium powder. I'd do 3 days with vitamin D3, and 4 days without, then 3 with a multivitamin.
He must be feeling quite a bit better now.
