Water crystals ?

anyone know a good cheap place to buy water crystals dubia ? are they worth it ? do you recomend them and are they the same water cristals you can buy at home depot for plants ? if i bought those water crystals from homedepot could i use them for dubia or other roaches?

They are the same as the ones for plants as long as you don't buy the kind that has fertilizer additives.

Pro Tip: Oranges are kinda like a roach-viagra and including them in your roaches diet will likely lead to an increase in production... the tip here, is to squeeze (fresh) orange juice over your water crystals after they've been made, so you no longer have to worry about oranges molding, but you still get the benefits.

I used to get my water crystals from Lowes:
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...2/958393e4.jpg


I have since only used apples and oranges for a source of moisture for my feeders (Blaptica dubias) as it is better nutrition wise for them. If you are not worried about the extra nutrition or you are on a budget then the water crystals are the way to go. MANY people use just the water crystals and that is fine. I don't because we eat the apples and oranges too and I REALLY want the extra nutrition for my feeders to go to the animals I am feeding them to.

could you hydrate the crysyals in orange juice????
thanks
spooky

Probably, but I imagine that would get kinda sticky...

I've done the orange juice thing. Works ok.

thank you everyone ! im going to go get some water cristals! are they cheaper buying them at lowes like that ? and i need to get some oranges too lol!

and to boanerges you say it is acceptable to use the water crystals for them as a food and watering source ? i will probably give them aplles and stuff too but only watercrystals is Ok?

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Originally Posted by varnoid

thank you everyone ! im going to go get some water cristals! are they cheaper buying them at lowes like that ? and i need to get some oranges too lol!

and to boanerges you say it is acceptable to use the water crystals for them as a food and watering source ? i will probably give them aplles and stuff too but only watercrystals is Ok?

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Water Crystals are not an acceptable food source but is an acceptable water source. You need to add some sort of protein as your food source. Dry dog/cat food etc. Some people use the apples or ornges or whatever as a treat one or two times a week.

I personally use apples and oranges as a sole water source at all times. And a mixture of gold fish flakes (this is very expensive though but has a lot of protein and vitamins and minerals AND I guarantee your feeders will love them) and dry cat food as the protein/food source at all times.

so you grind cat food and mix it with fish food ? i have plenty of fish food around so that is perfect ! i will try the crystals and feed them a apple every once in a while thenk you for the advice ! do you keep a heat pad on them ? do you have them in big sterelite tubs ?

I have never used water crystals in my colony. I supplement with vegetables and fruits only. Spinach, apples, and oranges. I make my own chow that i learned here. dog food, oats and powdered milk spun in the food processor.

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Originally Posted by varnoid

so you grind cat food and mix it with fish food ? Yes i have plenty of fish food around so that is perfect ! I use gold fish flakes personally. They are roaches so they will pretty much eat anything. The higher the protein percentage in the food the better. i will try the crystals and feed them a apple every once in a while thenk you for the advice ! do you keep a heat pad on them ? Yes, a 11" piece of flex watt hooked up to a thermostat and I check the surface temps of my tubs with a PE-1 temp gun. do you have them in big sterelite tubs ? I used to have them in a HUGE steralite bin but the colony got out of control so I sold a lot off and now I use a smaller steralite tub but this colony is quickly breeding so I think I am going to have to up grade soon to a bigger tub or add another tub. Pick a solid color tub and hot glue a piece of screen in the tubs lid for ventilation.

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ohhh thank you very much ! i just put a nice sized piece of flex watt on their tub today and found a place that sells egg crates very cheap but i hear that alot of peoples colony "get out of controll" i hope that happens to mine . tomorrow i should be getting 200 "large dubia roaches sizes 1"-1 1/2" but currently i only have 4 adult females and 2 adult males that i was experementing with . i bought them just to see if i could get them to breed and i dont think i have given them enough time yet but hopefully tomorrow i can set up a big nice tub for them. and for food for the dubia i was thinking about going to this store called winco they sell alot of stuff in bulk and by bags and they may have like straight protien powder i know they also have like fructose and stuff like that so i think im going to try to construct my own roach feed can you have too much protien ? ive heard that too much protien could be bad for dubia ?

Dubias are a magical food source from God lol. Wants you get your colony popping you got unlimited free food for you reps. I just buy cricket gut loader crystals and throw in an orange here and there and raise their temp to get their labido flowing.

Good luck!

anyone know why the oranges are so magical for dubias ? but i really hope my colony gets big ! i have litterally tried to stay away from smaller species of lizards because of feeding (i hateeee crickets ) but if dubia are as easy as people say i was thinking of getting the smaller species i have avoided

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Originally Posted by varnoid

anyone know why the oranges are so magical for dubias ? but i really hope my colony gets big ! i have litterally tried to stay away from smaller species of lizards because of feeding (i hateeee crickets ) but if dubia are as easy as people say i was thinking of getting the smaller species i have avoided

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Im not sure but its like Viagra, probly something in the oranges that gets their labido going. But you will have a colony in no time, just offer oranges here and their and keep their temp at a steady 80 and they will be popping out babies left in right.

hmm my colony stays in high 80's do you thiink that is too hot ? some sites say 75-95 digrees

I used water crystals as a water source for dubias, worked wonderfully!

has anyone discovered "mold" on their water crystals ? also here is a link to my fb there is a picture of a really weird dubia next to a regular one can this one be sick or molting orrr idono haha its kinda creepy

oh yea haha heres the link

http://www.facebook.com/settings?tab...00000943131023