How many Phoenix Worms and Super Worms should I feed?

[Pkron17]

Hi. My Bearded Dragon, Dobby, is almost a year old, around 16 inches head to the tip of his tail, and quite the voracious eater. He seems to be a bottomless pit. I have transitioned him over to super worms from crickets, but I have read that Super worms and Phoenix worms are a good combination to feed. I have been feeding him 6-8 Super worms per day as well as a salad of mustard greens and carrots almost every day. I am planning on ordering phoenix worms either today or tomorrow (Any website recommendations?). About how many of each type of worm would you recommend to feed to him? Thanks for your help!

 

[CooperDragon]

I would limit super worms to a treat due to their relatively high fat content. Phoenix worms/black soldier fly larvae are a healthy option as are silk worms when they are in season. I get both of those from lindas gone buggie in Florida. Phoenix Worms are small so you may wind up going through a lot of them (which is OK) so I'd have something else like dubia roaches available from time to time to add variety.

Since he's approaching a year old he will be starting to transition to mainly veges anyway so I'd put most of the focus on building nice salads with a rotating selection of veges every day and try to focus him on that. Once he's used to eating salads regularly slowly back off on the bugs to every other day and then every third day etc over several months until he's on about 80% salads overall. I like mixing in green beans, different kinds of squash, bell peppers, etc with collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, bok choy, mustard greens, depending on what you can get fresh in the store at the time. This is a good list to reference for ideas http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Offering as much of a variety as possible will be best for a healthy diet.

 

[Pkron17]

I would limit super worms to a treat due to their relatively high fat content. Phoenix worms/black soldier fly larvae are a healthy option as are silk worms when they are in season. I get both of those from lindas gone buggie in Florida. Phoenix Worms are small so you may wind up going through a lot of them (which is OK) so I'd have something else like dubia roaches available from time to time to add variety.

Since he's approaching a year old he will be starting to transition to mainly veges anyway so I'd put most of the focus on building nice salads with a rotating selection of veges every day and try to focus him on that. Once he's used to eating salads regularly slowly back off on the bugs to every other day and then every third day etc over several months until he's on about 80% salads overall. I like mixing in green beans, different kinds of squash, bell peppers, etc with collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, bok choy, mustard greens, depending on what you can get fresh in the store at the time. This is a good list to reference for ideas http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Offering as much of a variety as possible will be best for a healthy diet.

I'm only seventeen, and my mom won't let me have roaches in the house no matter how much I ask. How small are phoenix worms that I would go through them so quickly? I am also planning on making different salads soon. What is silkworm season? Also, by treat, how often are you meaning for superworms? Thanks for the help!

 

[CooperDragon]

That's OK about the roaches. Just offer as much variety as you can based on what you're allowed to have. Silkworms are usually available in summer but are hard to find in the winter. Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) are maybe the length of a dime. A big dragon can go through dozens of them at once so it's best to order them at around 500 at a time or so. As far as supers go, I wouldn't offer more than 4 or 5 in a sitting because it's common for dragons to over eat and throw them up. I'd limit them to a handful a week but thats just my opinion, not a rule by any means. I would put most of your focus on creative salads at this point. I've found that if you break down the greens into hand size pieces after washing them right when you get them, you can put them into a ziploc with a piece of paper towel and pull the air out. They'll last that way in the fridge for a week or two easily. With squash, just put some foil around the cut end and you can keep slicing pieces off for quite a while. Those are also stored in the fridge. The nice part is that the veges tend to be pretty cheap and you can share them =).

 

[kingofnobbys]

That's OK about the roaches. Just offer as much variety as you can based on what you're allowed to have. Silkworms are usually available in summer but are hard to find in the winter. Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) are maybe the length of a dime. A big dragon can go through dozens of them at once so it's best to order them at around 500 at a time or so. As far as supers go, I wouldn't offer more than 4 or 5 in a sitting because it's common for dragons to over eat and throw them up. I'd limit them to a handful a week but thats just my opinion, not a rule by any means. I would put most of your focus on creative salads at this point. I've found that if you break down the greens into hand size pieces after washing them right when you get them, you can put them into a ziploc with a piece of paper towel and pull the air out. They'll last that way in the fridge for a week or two easily. With squash, just put some foil around the cut end and you can keep slicing pieces off for quite a while. Those are also stored in the fridge. The nice part is that the veges tend to be pretty cheap and you can share them =).

Rex never gets more than 4 superworms in a sitting. She'd eat more , but that's her quota and she only gets them as a treat , maybe 2 times a week.

 

[Pkron17]

That's OK about the roaches. Just offer as much variety as you can based on what you're allowed to have. Silkworms are usually available in summer but are hard to find in the winter. Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) are maybe the length of a dime. A big dragon can go through dozens of them at once so it's best to order them at around 500 at a time or so. As far as supers go, I wouldn't offer more than 4 or 5 in a sitting because it's common for dragons to over eat and throw them up. I'd limit them to a handful a week but thats just my opinion, not a rule by any means. I would put most of your focus on creative salads at this point. I've found that if you break down the greens into hand size pieces after washing them right when you get them, you can put them into a ziploc with a piece of paper towel and pull the air out. They'll last that way in the fridge for a week or two easily. With squash, just put some foil around the cut end and you can keep slicing pieces off for quite a while. Those are also stored in the fridge. The nice part is that the veges tend to be pretty cheap and you can share them =).

Rex never gets more than 4 superworms in a sitting. She'd eat more , but that's her quota and she only gets them as a treat , maybe 2 times a week.

May I ask Rex's age and size and what is his eating schedule?