back with n00b questions

[milklover]

Yes, I read the FAQs. my kids went to get some mealworms and came back with smalls and jumbos. That's all they had. I did give the largest (about 6-8") girl one of the jumbos and she loved. Is it too much? In the FAQs, it says fill the feed bowl and refill as needed. I think this piggie would eat them all in one day!! And I haven't seen the male eat at all. Yes, they just moved here, but shouldn't he be eating? I read that the jumbos are treated to discourage turning into beetles, but I want to start a colony. Can I feed the jumbos, start the colony with the smalls and just keep buying something until I get a start, or is it possible the jumbos just might turn into beetles (giving me a head start because of their size).

[milklover]

argh, never send anyone to buy supplies for your pets. No matter what hours you work!! The 'jumbos' the pet store guy sold them are superworms, not mealworms. I even talked to him on the phone!!

Okay, now I'm off to find a good supplier of mealworms to get me started.

But still have other questions, ^^

[Clementine_3]

Superworms are good feeders, my guys all love them! It's the giant mealworms that you want to stay away from, they are treated/given hormones to prevent them from pupating so they get, well, giant. Superworms are breedable but are a bit trickier than mealworms...they have to be separated out into individual little bins so they will pupate and the beetles need something to lay eggs on like egg carton or crumpled newspaper. Mealworms will just breed no matter what pretty much!
You can give the little Leo little supers, shouldn't be any problem with that at all. Feed them as much as they want, they are really pretty good at knowing when they've had enough and will just walk away.
Bowls work but I like to drop the worms in one at a time, that way I know exactly who ate how much and that there are no worms wandering around the tanks instead of in the bowl

[milklover]

so are you saying the superworms can be an everyday food?? I thought they were snacks. Ordered 1000 mealworms to get a colony going.

[Clementine_3]

Yes, they can be an every day food. Two of my girls will not eat anything but supers and I don't worry about it...they are a bit fattier than crickets or mealworms but are really a fine feeder. Obviously variety is best, mealworms, supers, silk worms, phoenix worms, crickets...the more the merrier. I try to mix things up for my guys, but as I said, two of them will have none of that noise!
Are you thinking of wax worms? They are best used for snacks only, if at all.

[STORMS]

Correct me if I am wrong, but somewhere along the line I recall hearing that mealies really aren't all that great... as far as digestion is concerned. Isn't it something to do with their exoskelton (shell, whatever) being hard to digest? I mean they are fine in moderation, but not daily as a staple, right? (Maybe I'm thinking about Beardies ) My leo gets crickets, supers, lobster roaches, silk worms, horned worms and the occasional wax worm as a treat. Dusted with calcium & vitamin supplements, of coarse.

Curious, do you have a dish of calcium powder set out for your Leo?

[milklover]

I do have a bowl of calcium out and dust the mealies with vitamins. I'm curious and sure wish I knew the males age. I'm thinking of separating them and hope maybe he will eat better. I have to ask kid owner first though but she trusts the info i get from here. btw, they've only been here a little over a week and I really have no history. I know they weren't getting belly heat (okay, no heat, no lamp or anything) and knowing where they were, they didn't eat regularly.

[Whodinidunit]

I heard the same about meal worms that they are fatty and only give them as a snack in moderation, not as an every day meal source. Didn't know about the superworms. I also heard phoenix worms are good and have more calcium and vit d. My 2 leos are stubborn and lately wont bother chasing crickets.