Digs
Member
I want to tell everyone why gut loading is not a simple process of just feeding the feeders any food before they go to the insectivore. It’s not even choosing high calcium fresh produce like collard greens, bok choy, mustard greens, or dandelion greens. Scientific studies suggest that gut loading is difficult to achieve with a homemade diet, and most commercial diets that claim to effectively gut load feeders don’t work either. There are only a few commercial gut loading diets that have actually been shown to work, and that’s Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, Repashy Superload(not Bug Burger), Zeigler Monster Cricket Diet, T-Rex Calcium Plus, Zukudla Cricket Max2, and Fluker’s High Calcium Mealworm/Dubia Roach Diet (not High Calcium Cricket Diet, but someone has suggested that they might be reformulating this specific diet to be better so its effectiveness might change in the future).
How effective each of the gut loading diets listed above are can also depend not only on the specie of feeder, but also their age.
For example, the calcium to phosphorus ratio of adult crickets is altered better by Mazuri Better Bug and Zeigler Monster Cricket Diet than Repashy Superload, while pinhead crickets have their calcium to phosphorus ratio altered better by Repashy Superload.
An example of specie specific gut loading is that crickets and superworms are shown to have their calcium to phosphorus ratio improved more with Mazuri Better Bug than with Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, while for mealworms it’s the other way around.
Timing is important as well. 24 hours is the minimum amount of time that a feeder should be gut loaded. 48 hours is typically the maximum amount of time that you want to gut load feeders, as in most studies, it has been found that nutrient levels peak around 48 hours then drop afterwards. There have been exceptions found to this for a very well formulated gut loading diet. Zukudla Cricket Max2 was found to go over the target nutrient levels of the calcium to phosphorus ratio, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin D3. Although nutrients did decrease after 48 hours, the gut loading diet was still able to maintain nutrient levels slightly over the target levels.
Fresh produce should not be used as a source of moisture while the insects are being gut loaded. A gut loading diet needs to be force fed to feeder insects, fresh produce is more palatable to the insects than the gut loading diet and they’ll choose it over the gut load. Instead of fresh produce, plain water should be provided through a wet paper towel, or what I like to do is use Repashy Superload in gel form as a moisture source for the feeders that I’m gut loading.
(T-Rex Calcium Plus, Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet, Timberline Cricket Power Food, Timberline Cricket Power Food + 15% CaCO3, Jurassi Diet Gut Load, and Energy Savers Unlimited Cricket and Insect Food)
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jhm...Evaluation-of-Four-Dry-Commercial-Gut-Loading
(Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, Purina Gamebird Starter, and fresh produce mixed with Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet)
(Repashy Superload, Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, and Timberline Cricket Aid)
(Nutrient composition of Repashy Superload, Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, and Timberline Cricket Aid)
(Repashy Superload, Zeigler Monster Cricket Diet, and fresh produce mix)
(Zukudla Cricket Max2)
(Gel vs dry gut loading diet for cricket nymphs)
(Fluker’s High Calcium Mealworm Diet)
(Apple, papaya,carrot, sweet potato, or calcium carbonate)
https://nagonline.net/1751/effect-p...amin-content-adult-crickets-acheta-domestica/
Note: I should mention why Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet isn’t considered gut load while High Calcium Mealworm/Dubia Roach Diet is. If you look at the study with T-Rex Calcium Plus, you’ll find that they discovered Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet actually had lower calcium levels than what they state it had on the package. It proved to be ineffective for gut loading
Warning: A proven gut loading diet is known to kill feeders from calcium overdose.
Mazuri warns keepers on their website that Better Bug and Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet is not intended for breeding or raising insects.
(Picture is of study for Fluker's High Calcium Dubia Roach Diet)
How effective each of the gut loading diets listed above are can also depend not only on the specie of feeder, but also their age.
For example, the calcium to phosphorus ratio of adult crickets is altered better by Mazuri Better Bug and Zeigler Monster Cricket Diet than Repashy Superload, while pinhead crickets have their calcium to phosphorus ratio altered better by Repashy Superload.
An example of specie specific gut loading is that crickets and superworms are shown to have their calcium to phosphorus ratio improved more with Mazuri Better Bug than with Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, while for mealworms it’s the other way around.
Timing is important as well. 24 hours is the minimum amount of time that a feeder should be gut loaded. 48 hours is typically the maximum amount of time that you want to gut load feeders, as in most studies, it has been found that nutrient levels peak around 48 hours then drop afterwards. There have been exceptions found to this for a very well formulated gut loading diet. Zukudla Cricket Max2 was found to go over the target nutrient levels of the calcium to phosphorus ratio, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin D3. Although nutrients did decrease after 48 hours, the gut loading diet was still able to maintain nutrient levels slightly over the target levels.
Fresh produce should not be used as a source of moisture while the insects are being gut loaded. A gut loading diet needs to be force fed to feeder insects, fresh produce is more palatable to the insects than the gut loading diet and they’ll choose it over the gut load. Instead of fresh produce, plain water should be provided through a wet paper towel, or what I like to do is use Repashy Superload in gel form as a moisture source for the feeders that I’m gut loading.
(T-Rex Calcium Plus, Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet, Timberline Cricket Power Food, Timberline Cricket Power Food + 15% CaCO3, Jurassi Diet Gut Load, and Energy Savers Unlimited Cricket and Insect Food)
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jhm...Evaluation-of-Four-Dry-Commercial-Gut-Loading
(Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, Purina Gamebird Starter, and fresh produce mixed with Mazuri LS Tortoise Diet)
(Repashy Superload, Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, and Timberline Cricket Aid)
Influence of nutrient intake on oxidative stress in zoo-managed species
<p>A paucity of research exists investigating influence of diet on oxidative stress (OS) in zoo-managed animals. Many zoo-managed species have unknown nutrient requirements and OS can be used as a measure to evaluate dietary nutrient concentrations and narrow dietary recommendations. The overall...
dr.lib.iastate.edu
(Nutrient composition of Repashy Superload, Mazuri Better Bug, Mazuri Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet, and Timberline Cricket Aid)
Composition of Four Commercial Feeder Cricket Gut-Loading Diets
Gut-loading diets are fed to crickets immediately prior to being consumed by insectivores to increase their nutrient density. A variety of gut-loading diets are marketed to pet owners and zoos, but nutrient composition is not always thoroughly evaluated and published. The objective of this study...
www.iastatedigitalpress.com
(Repashy Superload, Zeigler Monster Cricket Diet, and fresh produce mix)
(Zukudla Cricket Max2)
The Development and Evaluation of a Gut-loading Diet for Feeder Crickets Formulated to Provide a Balanced Nutrient Source for Insectivorous Amphibians and Reptiles
In captivity the diversity of prey items for obligate insectivores is limited and nutritionally inadequate, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Zoological institutions utilize gut-loading, an insect supplementation technique, to compensate for these nutrient shortcomings. This study developed a...
atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca
(Gel vs dry gut loading diet for cricket nymphs)
(Fluker’s High Calcium Mealworm Diet)
Using a Commercial Gut Loading Diet to Create a Positive Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio in Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)
Abstract. Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) are one of the most common feeder insects fed to exotic animals due to their high acceptance rate, larval longevity, and ease of care. Unfortunately, in their natural commercial state, they are severely deficient in calcium and can predispose exotic animals...
meridian.allenpress.com
(Apple, papaya,carrot, sweet potato, or calcium carbonate)
https://nagonline.net/1751/effect-p...amin-content-adult-crickets-acheta-domestica/
Note: I should mention why Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet isn’t considered gut load while High Calcium Mealworm/Dubia Roach Diet is. If you look at the study with T-Rex Calcium Plus, you’ll find that they discovered Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet actually had lower calcium levels than what they state it had on the package. It proved to be ineffective for gut loading
Warning: A proven gut loading diet is known to kill feeders from calcium overdose.
Mazuri warns keepers on their website that Better Bug and Hi Calcium Gut Loading Diet is not intended for breeding or raising insects.
(Picture is of study for Fluker's High Calcium Dubia Roach Diet)