Gel beads vrs gel crystals

I ordered what I thought were gel crystals (irregular shaped pieces) for my new colony of dubia. But they are the balls/beads that people use in vases. A couple of descriptions of online products that seem the same say they can be used for insects.
Anyone know the difference other than one is round in shape?
Has anyone used them?

I haven't used the beads for feeding. I've only seen them marketed for floral arrangements as you mentioned. I would check the packaging to ensure that they are non-toxic before using them for a water source.

Was suggested to me that I use water crystals to provide moisture to my crickets.

Gave it some though but the chemist/chemical engineer in me got the better of me and I decided to check these thoroughly , the thing is the water is held in them by hydrogen bonding to crystalline material , to get the water the insect has to eat the hydrated crystals and the water is then released in their gut, some crystal will remain there until passed when it poos.

You are going to feed the insects to your reptile, insects contaminated with a potentially toxic compound.

I decided to stay with using carrot as my insect's source or water as well a choi greens. Safer.

Thank you good info. It seems odd to me too. I was told they need water crystals too but I then did some reading around and I've now got them on scraps, alphalfa and oats. It's seems to me when in doubt take the most natural route.
Can you do some science around the whole hydration through skin/vents thing too. Most people seem to be saying the hydration through vents/skin is a myth now but anecdotally it seems people feel it help with hydration...

King, maybe you can explain better (chemistry was not my strong suit)... I have read/been told that the polyacrilamide is non-toxic when fully reacted however it can degrade for various reasons or be from factories where it's not fully reacted and that the acrylamide monomer is what is neurotoxic. I've stopped using them in favor of fresh produce but its still unclear the true scope of the concern.

LizardOfOz":l2z1wz2l said:

Thank you good info. It seems odd to me too. I was told they need water crystals too but I then did some reading around and I've now got them on scraps, alphalfa and oats. It's seems to me when in doubt take the most natural route.
Can you do some science around the whole hydration through skin/vents thing too. Most people seem to be saying the hydration through vents/skin is a myth now but anecdotally it seems people feel it help with hydration...

Click to expand...

The problem with anecdotal evidence is that, as you say, it is often what people feel or think is happening, or an interpretation of events. It doesn't measure anything, doesn't consider other variables or possibilities. My grief with this topic is that there is not strong evidence to support it, to me it seems irresponsible to promote such things as viable and healthy. Often baths are a replacement for other water sources (dishes, drops on the nose, spritzing etc) which is risky IMO. I've no problem with them, and if they work (even by novel means like the thorny devil) even better.

This is a good post that makes an attempt to explain absorbing via the vent....
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/1031252-absoption-water-through-cloaca-vent.html

And a few links for skin....
http://www.mapoflife.org/topics/topic_339_Drinking-adaptations-in-desert-lizards/
https://books.google.com/books?id=7qnvCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA157&lpg=PA157&dq=reptile+absorb+water+through+skin&source=bl&ots=-QaXKPS91k&sig=pDA_sudAkB-zogA2bONdMOIaeEo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vz9fVcHnJZKWygT48IDYBQ&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=reptile%20absorb%20water%20through%20skin&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=cSvLBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA254&lpg=PA254&dq=reptile+absorb+water+through+skin&source=bl&ots=5MjOgYq6Mk&sig=GkxnAD40oNAQq5e-d14NoW2ayJE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XEBfVcnPCYadygTK_YLACw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=reptile%20absorb%20water%20through%20skin&f=false

Taterbug":1pd7b49u said:

King, maybe you can explain better (chemistry was not my strong suit)... I have read/been told that the polyacrilamide is non-toxic when fully reacted however it can degrade for various reasons or be from factories where it's not fully reacted and that the acrylamide monomer is what is neurotoxic. I've stopped using them in favor of fresh produce but its still unclear the true scope of the concern.

Click to expand...

Google is your friend when checking toxicity , I found a sheet that said it's toxic when ingested. (the lizards would be ingesting it in the crickets guts - not worth the risk IMO).
https://www.fishersci.ca/viewmsds.do?catNo=AC178042500

Is good stuff mixed with potting mix to keep the berry and fruit plants happy if you are slack like me and tend to forget to give them a regular drink in summer.