Water Crystals?

[joelolly]

I was wondering if someone could tell me what they are exactly? I bought some Dubia roaches and didn't get any water crystals and I need some like today and I don't know where to get them or what to ask for exactly.

 

[EmJagsz]

If you don't have water crystals, you can use veggies or fruit. I feed my superworms and crickets chunks of apples and the end pieces of my beardie's salad.

 

[Little D]

Order your water crystals from theroachguy on here. I order 1 or 2 pounds at a time, then I have them for a while.

When you get them, they are little tiny white crystals. They have a water to crystal ratio that you mix them at, I believe I do mine - 8 cups of water and 3 teaspoons of crystals, then let them sit and by the end of the day, you will have a whole container of big water crystals that look like clear jelly.

 

[diggerdrake]

at your local garded center look for "Soil Moist" it is a little costlier than getting the same product in bulk

 

[Twobeardieguy]

6 teaspoons of crystals makes a gallon. :wink:

 

[romanfj]

If you buy them from a garden center, make sure the crystals aren't colored. This often indicates they have fertilizer mixed in them.

Specifically, the gels are polyacrylamide. This is a polymer refined from petroleum and is sort of like a plastic. It's very porous and will hold a lot of water.

Don't know if anyone out there is interested, but it's also used to make gel used for protein separations and an old-fashioned technique of DNA/RNA separation called gel electrophoresis. A sheet of gel is made and, using a low voltage electric current, the proteins or DNA/RNA fragments are pulled toward the other end of the gel based on their electrical charge. The pores that hold the water for insect lovers provide avenues of travel for the proteins. So, the more strongly attracted to the opposite electrical charge at the other end of the gel that the protein is, the faster the protein will make its way through the gel. Fast proteins are at the far end, slow proteins are at the near end. Add a little bit of stain and you will have a series of horizontal bands showing the proteins' locations. This is the film they put on the light box on CSI or Law and Order to show the person's DNA analysis.

Frank

 

[invictusrules]

Very, very cool!

 

[Fallencomrade2008]

haha, ive done that DNA thing before but i didn't make the connection between the gels.

 

[romanfj]

Yep. SDS-PAGE = SodiumDodecylSulfate PolyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Frank

 

[Triage]

I found some water crystals on Ebay and bought them. I can't remember the price, but I needed them ASAP.

 

[koiboydavid]

Good stuff Frank! I never made the connection. I remember having to tape gel boxes up to pour gels. I am getting old!

 

[hammerhead]

Some florists have them. They use them in cut flowers, avoiding a spill. Not sure if they sell them, but may give you some if you ask.

 

[cjhicks]

at your local garded center look for "Soil Moist" it is a little costlier than getting the same product in bulk

I use the same product too...