High Calcium Cricket Diet enough???

[vrjrww626]

I currently feed our feeder crickets and dubia roaches Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet and Fluker's Cricket Quencher with calcium. Is this enough calcium for my bearded dragon (we've had him for a month and he's 9" long)? Or do I also need to dust his food with calcium powder?

 

[Taterbug]

Unfortunately the flukers products are not high calcium enough for you to not need to dust your crickets. Their labeling is misleading in my opinion. There are some products and recipes for making Gutloading that is high enough in calcium, I don't use this method so I can't recommend one personally. Most of us find dust to be easier.

This study suggests t-Rex and timberline brands may be suitable. http://www.timberlinefisheries.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/finke%20et%20al_2005_evaluation%20of%20four%20dry%20commercial%20gut%20loading%20products%20for%20improving%20the%20calcium%20content%20of%20crickets.pdf

There are other papers out there (zoos and such sometimes use diet instead of dusting) that could help you formulate your own chow if you are up to putting the effort into it.

 

[vrjrww626]

Thanks so much for the info. Our little guy seems very healthy, despite the fact I was mistaken about the calcium. I've just ordered calcium and will start it in two days.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I am not familiar with Flukers' stuff, but I doubt it's adequate.

Looking at inredients of the Cricket Quencher - it's has plastic in it (Polyacrylamide Copolymer), the crickets eat it to get the calcium and moisture, the lizard eats the crickets who are loaded up with Polyacrylamide Copolymer , this can't have good long term health effects. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole , anymore than other artificial wetting agents to give moisture to crickets.

Give the crickets bits of carrot and high calcium leafy greens - it'll be better for your lizard.

Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet .... probably OK as an insect SUPPLIMENT in addition to fresh leafy greens (high calcium content) , carrot and other vegetables , but being so fine , it likely soaks up the filth and humidity. I use Repcal Adult Bearded Dragon pellets to feed my crickets , and to supplement my mealworms and superworms. They go into the cricket holding tubs straight out of the bottle and they stay solid, even when they soften as they become "stale", but the crickets still eat them so I use them until they've all been eaten. I agree with Tater, you will still have to dust the bugs with Calcium powder to ensure your lizard get's sufficient dietary calcium.

 

[Taterbug]

The gel cubes are not really good sources of calcium or nutrients either. http://www.timberlinefisheries.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/finke%20et%20al_2004_evaluation%20of%20various%20calcium-fortified%20high%20moisture%20commerical%20products%20for%20improving%20the%20calcium%20content%20of%20crickets.pdf

I don't use the water gels for the same reason as nobby. Polyacrylamide copolymer is a non-toxic substance but the acrylamide monomer used to make it and that it may decay into is a nerotoxin and carcinogen. There's not much good information about how much monomer is present in the gels used for insect food or how it impacts the food chain.

 

[vrjrww626]

I am actually almost exclusively feeding dubia roaches now. I'm assuming the same applies for their food/water needs???

 

[Taterbug]

I am actually almost exclusively feeding dubia roaches now. I'm assuming the same applies for their food/water needs???

For basic Gutloading and water - yep.

There aren't any studies on Gutloading roaches for calcium which is another reason I prefer to dust them.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Feed them greens that are rich in calcium and you'll essentially be gut loading with stuff that's naturally good, nutritious and enriching the calcium content of the bug, AND you wont need to put water or anhydrous polymers that have water bonded to their structure by hydrogen bonding m, the insects will get all the water they need from the greens and root vegs (such as carrot).

You will also need to dust the insects with calcium powder too, no matter how they are gut loaded.