Crickets fed at pet store

[Amuna1225]

Hey guys,
So I went to the reptile store today to pick up some crickets for Sparty, and I saw some fruits and veggies inside the cricket's tanks. They have 3 different tanks for 3 different sizes. So I asked them if/what they fed them. She responded they feed them a variety of fruits coated in a multivitamin. I asked if it included vitamin A and it's the same multivitamin that I use to cover the feeders for Sparty. This would also explain why the crickets don't touch the gutload in their little cage that I keep them in for the first day or so. Nonetheless, since the pet store feeds them pretty well, is it still necessary to gutload them?

 

[Graham_s]

It is always good to gutload your livefood anyway. Gutloading is literally just that - loading their guts with goodness. So its something you'd need to provide your livefood with anyway if you're keeping your crickets for more than a few days. If you buy and use your livefood on almost a daily basis, then yes, there is probably no need to gutload.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I would feed Sparty's crickets a more nutritious diet than fruits and veggies coated in a multivitamin powder.

Gutloading the Feeders versus Feeding the Feeders 24/7
The term gutloading causes some confusion. Feed your feeders a nutritious regular diet all the time to build strong feeder bodies. Then only feed a special GUTLOAD product to the crickets, for example, 1-2 days prior to feeding the crickets to your geckos. T-REX Calcium Plus Cricket Food is a good gutload food. Top off the crickets by lightly dusting with a multivitamin containing D3/vitamin A acetate and phosphorus-free calcium with D3 no more than 2x weekly.

 

[Amuna1225]

I would feed Sparty's crickets a more nutritious diet than fruits and veggies coated in a multivitamin powder.

Gutloading the Feeders versus Feeding the Feeders 24/7
The term gutloading causes some confusion. Feed your feeders a nutritious regular diet all the time to build strong feeder bodies. Then only feed a special GUTLOAD product to the crickets, for example, 1-2 days prior to feeding the crickets to your geckos. T-REX Calcium Plus Cricket Food is a good gutload food. Top off the crickets by lightly dusting with a multivitamin containing D3/vitamin A acetate and phosphorus-free calcium with D3 no more than 2x weekly.

Thanks

 

[yeahcastro]

I've been feeding my crickets the cricket food made by Flukers. I also throw baby carrots or potatoes so that they have some sort of a water source. This has been working out well for me. I also make sure to sprinkle the crickets with the Repcal multivitamin and Repcal Calcium with D3 at the time of feeding. I've been doing this almost everyday since my leo is a juvenile but most people say you really only have to feed them the dusted crickets a couple times a week.

While youtube may not always be the most reliable source I have found some helpful videos on how other pet owners gut load their feeder insects. Information on this forum has also really helped me a bunch since this is my first time owning a reptile.

Good luck with your crickets! Just make sure you dont what I did and drown them. Putting actual water in the tank not a good idea hahaha

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I've been feeding my crickets the cricket food made by Flukers. I also throw baby carrots or potatoes so that they have some sort of a water source. This has been working out well for me. I also make sure to sprinkle the crickets with the Repcal multivitamin and Repcal Calcium with D3 at the time of feeding. I've been doing this almost everyday since my leo is a juvenile but most people say you really only have to feed them the dusted crickets a couple times a week.

While youtube may not always be the most reliable source I have found some helpful videos on how other pet owners gut load their feeder insects. Information on this forum has also really helped me a bunch since this is my first time owning a reptile.

Good luck with your crickets! Just make sure you dont what I did and drown them. Putting actual water in the tank not a good idea hahaha

The Fluker's product you mention doesn't have a very good reputation.

Recommend NOT using a D3 containing product or vitamin (Herptivite) at every feeding, because of the chance of overdoising. Just lightly dust 2x weekly no matter if your leo is young or older.

You may wish to consider switching to Zoo Med's Reptivite with D3/A acetate. There exists some "evidence" that lizards may not be able to convert beta carotene to vitamin A (as in Herptivite).

If you use the Repashy all-in-one, directions are different.

For crickets I layer egg cartons in an XL Kritter Keeper or large Sterilite bin. Place a paper towel on top the egg cartons. Spray every other day for moisture. The crickets do fine. My crickets live about 2 months using these methods.