Gutloading with Tomato?

[planeterinebula]

Is it safe to gutload feeder crickets with tomato? I've heard tomato leaves can be dangerous, but will it hurt my leos to feed them crickets that have been eating the fruit itself? I tossed some scraps from dinner into my cricket keeper last night and then second guessed it in the morning...

Thanks!

 

[GeckoLeen]

It probably won't hurt them this time around, but I wouldn't give it to your crickets normally.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I hope your leos are safe. There are so many other things to feed crickets. I recommend skipping any tomatoes.

Have you chosen some dry diet to feed the crickets 24/7 to cover nutritional basics? It's impossible to do that with veggies alone.

Your leos are what they eat.

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, & alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, & green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, & organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."

 

[planeterinebula]

Thanks for the input everyone! I pulled the tomato out and replaced it with some carrots and collard greens. Luckily, the tomato went in right after feeding my leos, so I have a few days to fill the crickets up on healthier food before mealtime rolls around again.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks for the input everyone! I pulled the tomato out and replaced it with some carrots and collard greens. Luckily, the tomato went in right after feeding my leos, so I have a few days to fill the crickets up on healthier food before mealtime rolls around again.

You're welcome!

This is crucial for the health of your leos: What dry diet are you offering them 24/7? Crickets need much more than veggies or fruits to eat.

 

[SpottedDragon]

Yeah, I'd also avoid tomato, I'm glad you pulled it.

For explanation - it is a deadly nightshade, and the leaves contain a mild (in small amounts) poison that is meant to keep insects and grazing animals from eating the plant. The toxin is called Solanine and in mammals causes hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate...in a reptile I'm not sure what would happen - but it could upset the system.