Feeding and Nutrition :: 1) Expiration dates & 2) feeding crickets

[chanel no. 13]

Hi all,

I've been reading this forum for months now, and I haven't posted at all since all my questions have been asked and answered. However, I finally have an unanswered question that's prompting me to post.

We're introducing a variety of foods to our RES who's about 1:4 and 4.75 inches. A few days ago, I went to Petco and the dude that feeds the RESs there said that he feeds them crickets dusted w/ Jurassical (and he "only" uses Jurassical vs. the other calcium powders; I gathered b/c it's phosphorous-free). So, I got both to increase our lil green angel's calcium intake.

1) Is it true that even w/ the Can O'Crickets being refrigerated, it only lasts a week? (This is in reference to a past October post re: Can O'Worms & O'Snails lasting a week refrigerated.)

1.5) Does turtle food (dry or "in natural juices") have expiration dates?

2) How are you feeding your turtle(s) bugs dusted w/ calcium? The Petco dude told me to leave it on the basking dock, but a) our RES isn't interested in food, unless it's underwater...At that point, all the calcium is washed off and b) I understand turtles don't have saliva so regardless, she will have to have it in the water.

3) Is it even necessary to feed the crickets w/ calcium? We feed her both reptomin and cuttlebone; I've seen mixed responses on whether that combo is sufficient. The sticky says to feed live crickets, but I only have the nerve to buy dead ones (I hate bugs!). Since that's the case, then should I avoid feeding (dead) crickets?

If I don't need to feed (dead) crickets, then I'll try powdering moist reptomin sticks. I'm sure that'll work for our baby.

Thanks! (Sorry for the 100 questions in one post. Maybe I shoulda posted months earlier! )

[jenaero]

Hi, and Welcome

1) I believe that's true. I bought a can once and they got REALLY funky after about a week so I threw them out. No point risking it. The cans of bugs are ok if you've got a zoo to feed but otherwise they're not worth the money.

1.5) All turtle food should have an expiration date. Always check before buying. Sometimes it's on the bottom of the bottle so you'll have to look.

2) I feed cuttlebone as a source of calcium. I buy pellets that are fortified with calcium and vitamin d3. I've never dusted anything.

3) When feeding live crickets, you can gutload them first if you want. There is special cricket food full of vitamins and all that good stuff and you feed them for 24 hours before feeding to your turt. I can't be bothered with that tho. I buy freeze dried crickets that are already gutloaded. Fluker's is a good brand for those.

[marisa]

Welcome to the forum.

I occasionally buy the Can 'O Crickets and keep them longer than a week--I usually freeze half of them to make them last longer. (I prefer the mini crickets to the regular size) To increase the calcium in the diet, I'll dip them in a non-phorphorus calcium supplement and hand feed them to my turts (they get more of the powder that way).

If you look at the bottoms of the cans (like Can 'O Crickets) there will be an expiration date. As for the dry pellets, some companies do date them, others don't--I've never seen an expiration date on Reptomin, for example. I do prefer to buy pellets that are dated, and for that reason haven't bought the regular Reptomin for a while.

Cuttlebone is a good secondary calcium supplement, but it's good to provide other sources of calcium as well. Since you have the powdered calcium supplement, you can moisten your turtle's pellets and coat them with the powder (put both in a bag and shake them if you want), let them dry so the powder sticks and then feed them to your turtle (you can also moisten and dip them and then just handfeed them to your turtle if he'll eat from your hands.

I've bought live crickets for my turtles and when I do, they are gut loaded for a day or two prior to feeding. If you do decide to get live crickets, make sure you have a container that's escape proof.

[chanel no. 13]

Thanks for the welcome and responses!

I forgot that the reptomin has an expiration date on the bottom.

Since I have the Can O' Crickets, I'll try what you do, Marisa. I did get the mini crickets (just in case) and the non-phosphorous calcium supplement, but I haven't tried hand-feeding. Wait, I tried feeding her from a spoon (the chicken that I am can't stand to touch bugs bigger than ants, dead or not).

When that's done w/ (or when the can gets funky after a week and I have to toss it ), I'll probably switch to what you do, Jenaero (re: freeze-dried gutloaded crickets).

Thanks!

[Gracie8899]

I've bought live crickets for my turtles and when I do, they are gut loaded for a day or two prior to feeding. If you do decide to get live crickets, make sure you have a container that's escape proof.

[/quote]



freezing them is a great idea -i cant beleive that did not cross my mind

as for the quote- ROFL - guess that is another story -all kinds of images went thru my head -mainly you running after crickets

[ellman605]

...Fluker's is a good brand for those.

not to offend you, but i have to disagree with that, after loads and loads of research for gary, Flukers is...well...crap. It's ingredients aren't enough to properly nutrition a feeder insect & not enough for the reptile itself, i suggest get live crickets and make your own gutload or get some gutload here

heres a recipe to make some of your own:

- 1 large box dry milk (8 quart size)
- 1 box rice baby cereal
- 8 oz. raw unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1 cup of chaff from loose alfalfa or 3/4 cup alfalfa powder
- 1 1/2 cup fresh bee pollen
- 1/4 cup powdered spirulina or Klamath Lake algae
- 1/2 cup crushed fine quality monkey chow (not Purina)
- 1/4 cup dried sea kelp
- 1/4 cup dried egg yolk (If dried egg yolk is unavailable for the dry mix, add to the wet mix: 1 fresh egg yolk, cooked)
- 1/2 cup mixed unsalted nuts
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1/16 cup brewer's yeast
- 1/8 cup dried dandelion flowers (optional)

Edit:like, 2 times now because i can't type grrr

[marisa]

I think I remember reading on the contents of the Fluckers jar of freeze dried crickets that the protein content is quite high (I'll look again when I'm in a petstore), the Can 'O Crickets' protein content is lower. I don't thing a spoon will cut it. The mini crickets are nice and soft. Just don't look at them when you dip them in the powder (I'd take a little out to dip, not dip the cricket in the container the supplement comes in).

As for escaping, no I don't run after them, but some did get away a few times and actually lived for a while--we were serenaded at night by their chirping.

Where do you get Reptomin with an expiration date on it? I've never bought a container that had an expiration date.

[chanel no. 13]

Sorry, Marisa, I spoke too soon! I thought Reptomin had an expiration date, but it doesn't; I was thinking about the expiration date on the Can O'Crickets, and didn't bother to get up to check before I responded. Next time, I'll act before I speak.

I'm heading to PetSmart right now. I had no idea that a lot of things cost so much less than Petco (i.e., JurrasiCal and Zoo Med Turtle Dock)! I'm a poor grad student (is that redundant?) trying my best to let our turtle have "fine wine on a beer budget." Nice that a PetSmart recently opened up in front of the Petco I normally go to.

[marisa]

I find that some things are cheaper at Petsmart and some are cheaper at Petco. Overall, though, Petsmart is a bit cheaper, I think. The cheapest is to buy online (or price match).