dusting.. and feeding... and the kitchen sink

[Kagez28]

i was just wondering what people use to dust there crickets with. i wasn't planning on feeding my guy crickets cause i didn't want to run to the pet store every week, and i really don't have room to keep them in the house. but after watching my guy devour some the first day he was with me, i think i am going to mix them into his diet. probably once a week, like when i feed my snakes. but i was wondering what to use to dust them. the ones i fed him the other day i just dusted with his CGD. i read the other thread and figured i would stick with that till he starts munching down on his CGD with out my help. but then i need to figure out what to dust the crickets with. there are just so many different supplements i don't know where to turn. do i need phosphorus free? is it just calcium and D3? any recommended brands?

also i think i read about something you feed the crickets, so they eat it and then the crestie eats them, so no dusting needed? is this a product.

i just want to make sure i get everything on my mind in one post...
when keeping crickets in a plastic container can they just have some paper towels soaked in water, or do the need food? i don't plan on keeping them long, but if i have to what do they eat?

what age can you give cresties different kinds of worms? what kind of worms are good for him?

i feel like im making a FAQ, and im sure if i use the search function long enough i could probably find these answers.

THANK YOU!!!!!

[mlededee]

i dust my crickets with rep-cal calcium with d3 (phosphorus free) and rep -cal herptivite.

you can keep crickets in a small kritter keeper with some papertowels, eggcrate, papertowel rolls, etc. you will need to feed the crickets to keep them alive and to gutload them for your geckos. you can choose one of the cricket quencher projects from this page and either the high calcium cricket diet or to cricket chow: http://www.flukerfarms.com/index.asp...TS&Category=22. they also make those all-in-one orange cubes but i don't like those--they are messy, smell funky and get moldy whereas the other cubes just dry up and kind of evaporate if not eaten. you can also give crickets chunks of apple, carrot and raw potato.

you can also offer phoenix worms but not all pet stores carry those. wax worms would be okay as a very occasional treat but are high in fat and shouldn't be fed often. mealworms aren't good because their outer shells are too chitinous for cresteds to digest.

[Kagez28]

so if i give the crickets cricket quencher and hi calcium cricket diet, do i need to dust them?

or should i just suck it up and use orange cubes that have alot of vitamins in them? would i still need to dust?

i am trying to do a one stop shopping and get everything i need. i am leaning toward the original quencher, hi cal cricket diet, a calcium and a vitamin supplement. sound good?

has anyone used flukers repta calcium and repta vitamin?

[mlededee]

yes you should still dust the crickets regardless of what you feed them. you really don't need to use the orange cubes if you prefer the quencher and cricket diet, which i think you'll like better. i haven't used the fluker's calcium or vitamins, but the ones i linked to above are generally recommended. you can purchase the flukers cricket products and the rep-cal products at petsmart.

[Kagez28]

thanks for the help. i think im just gonna go for the cricket quencher and the calcium and vitamin dust cause i don't plan on keeping the crickets long. get them from the pet shop and feed them that night. i can always give them some leftovers i have laying around.

i am just going to stick the the rep-cal calcium and vitamins cause it looks like thats what most people use.

another quickie... with the rep-cal calcium does it have to have D3? or is D3 in the herptivite?

[Kagez28]

nevermind i just noticed the first link you gave me... thanks for the help.