Crickets dying

[xBryce]

I bought a couple hundred medium sized crickets from a reptile store for 7 dollars and about 150 have died within 4-5 days.

Glass tank
65-70 degrees Fahrenheit
Flukers orange cube for food and water
They have egg crates in the tank
A bowl of dirt for the crickets to lay eggs in (for the few bigger crickets)
And that's about it

 

[CooperDragon]

The medium size should last a couple few weeks I'd imagine. I've found that they prefer warmer temperatures. If you could provide them with an overhead ceramic heat emitter to bump the temps into the 70s or 80s they might fare a bit better. I've also found that they seem to do better eating fresh veg scraps for food and hydration rather than the cricket food. I haven't tried breeding crickets so I can't provide much comment on that. I used cardboard tubes stacked up for their housing when I kept them and it worked well.

 

[xBryce]

Yes I think the food dried out too quickly and not enough got water because I put a dish of water with cotton balls and they were all over it, I'll start to use veggie scraps from my beardies diet I got an extra heat bulb lying around and put it on top with a uvb just to give them a daylight and nighttime cycle I also put reptile carpet in because I had extra just to give them more grip walking around I hope they will be doing fine now, thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

Sounds good. That should help. The reptile carpet might get pretty filthy. If you find that it needs washing too frequently you could try wood chips like what is used for guinea pigs. It's pretty cheap and easily disposable. It provides some grip and also keeps the tank smelling a little bit nicer from what I've found.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I bought a couple hundred medium sized crickets from a reptile store for 7 dollars and about 150 have died within 4-5 days.

Glass tank
65-70 degrees Fahrenheit
Flukers orange cube for food and water <<<< ditch that rubbish , I feed my crickets fresh buk choi greens , fresh chunks of carrot and dry RepCal adult beardie pellets.
They have egg crates in the tank
A bowl of dirt for the crickets to lay eggs in (for the few bigger crickets)
And that's about it

I check my crickets every 2 or 3 days in summer and replace then greens and carrot and maybe top up the pellets if needed (I find the crickets like the pellets much more than beardies ever have-so I only buy the pellets for the crickets now). I remove all sick or dead crickets as soon as I spot them.

Breeding - never bothered - but believe people have had success using coir peet ( this stuff has been suggested --- https://www.bunnings.com.au/brunnings-9l-coir-power-coir-peat-brick_p3023170 )