Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

Cleef · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:41 pm Post subject: Crickets turning dark and soft

Hello,

Just a question regarding normal brown crickets. I've noticed sometimes my crickets stay 'fresh' for ages, but my past few batches have gone pretty unhealthy fairly fast.

Is this due to lack of heat or ventilation, or even the size of their box? I feed my crickets dry fish food, orange segments and a variety of greens such as cabbage.

Dunno if it will help but here's how they are kept at the moment:

They are kept in a fairly cold room
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Steve P

Peter Parrot · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:52 pm Post subject:

It sounds and looks in the picture like it is far too humid for them. A taller sided container with no lid on would suit them better. All of mine are kept lidless and thrive. Wink

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Rickeezee · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject:

Yep more ventilation and heat in my view. I feed mine on salad and wheat bran and add calcium plus food for crickets soemtimes. I find the fruit tends to create to much moisture which is a killer for them. Good luck.
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Cleef · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:21 pm Post subject:

Ok thanks guys Smile

I will get bigger tubs and probably cut a section out of most of the lid and replace it with mesh.

I have a few spare heatmats too, do you place a heatmat along one side of the tub?
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Steve P

Peter Parrot · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

My tubs just sit in rows on one long mat Wink

_________________
YSBRYDOLI POBL, GWELLA LLEOEDD
INSPIRING PEOPLE, IMPROVING PLACES
www.btcv.org
Visit our website - Gwelwch ein Gwefan
www.btcvcymru.org
Llinell Gymorth / Helpline: 08702 40 48 41

Cleef · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:32 pm Post subject:

Well, finally sorted out my livefood once and for all, hopefully Smile

Got 4 of the tubs pictured below, 4 for £5 at aldi! Big tubs too!

I cut out the middle of the lid with a stanley knife, which was much easier than I thought, just scored it ultil it went through. Replaced the hole with plastic netting type stuff (don't know the proper name for it, from garden centre) using duck tape to secure it in place. Crickets are much healthier, feeding on a mixture of greens, fish food and bran/whole grains. Debating whether or not to try and breed locust in the other tub, anyway here they are;

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Steve P

MJ · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:34 pm Post subject:

Looks good mate.

I thought crickets needed some thing to lay the eggs in? never bred crickets so I could be very wrong.
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Paul

For all your Tropical plant and Naturalistic Vivarium needs please enjoy Urban Bromeliad

lol93 · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:42 pm Post subject:

Looks good! My crix tend to lay eggs under the newspaper, but unless it's very warm they don't hatch.
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Cleef · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject:

I would supply some damp peat if I was planning on breeding them, at the moment though, there's no real need for me to
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Steve P

GJ · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:57 am Post subject:

I have had the same problem for years... i tried providing more heat/ventilation/space, even changed what i was feeding and it made little to no difference at all.

I keep up to 1000 standard crickets on hand most of the time and wondered what would be a good sized container to keep them in.

Cheers