How to keep bulk feeders alive?

[jducky18]

I'm doing tons of research before I buy my beardie, and I stumbled across starting a dubia colony, and I'm a huge fan of the cost/benefit analysis of those, but until I have a colony large enough to feed off of, I need to order some other feeder. My most likely option will be worms of some sort, because if I get crickets my two roommates will probably kick me out. My question then comes to, how the heck do you keep a bucket of a thousand+ worms alive? Is that even possible? I've clearly never had a pet, much less one that eats other live things, so any help would be nice. I've been scouring this site for information, but I came up a little short. Maybe someone can point me in the direction of another thread or even some personal experience?

 

[Claudiusx]

It all depends on the type of worm you are housing.

Any thoughts on which worm you'd prefer?

-Brandon

 

[Catalyst]

The care varies widely depending on the type of worm you're dealing with. Superworms live in a container with bedding made up of wheat bran and you can mix in other things (i.e. powdered milk) to pump up the nutritional value. Butterworms can be kept in the fridge (if memory serves me right), and silkworms are kept in a container on top of plastic webbing type stuff so their poo can fall through the holes and can only eat specialized food (I personally found silkworms a pain to keep, but that could have been just me). I think pheonix worms come in their own bedding and dont' require extra care but it's not one that I have much experience with.

 

[jducky18]

Any thoughts on which worm you'd prefer?

I'm looking for a worm that I can feed to my beardie every day until my dubia colony grows, one that's easy to care for, and preferably inexpensive (relatively, of course). So if anyone knows a worm that fits the bill and you happen to know the name of a supplier, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Matticus]

Phoenix worms are very easy to maintain. They come in their own bedding and containers. You just need to add a few drops of water to their bedding to keep them hydrated. They can be kept at room temperature. I switch between crickets and phoenix worms and always have both on hand. Phoenix worms can be fed as a staple food item.

 

[jducky18]

Thank you so much for your help. Do you use a particular site? How many do you recommend I buy at a time? There's a reptile expo near me at the end of this month, should I buy my feeders there, or before I get my beardie?