How do you keep your Prey

TarantuChimp

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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May 12, 2003
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149
I was wondering do you have a tank dedicated to crickets or other prey items and keep them on a shelf or do you feed your T's and buy a new lot every week/Month depending on feeding habits, because a freind of mine goes out every 2 weeks and buys a new tub and feeds what he needs and then if they die then they die and he buys some more, do anyone else do this or is it just to costly for you?

Olly
 

DiStUrBeD-OnE

Arachnoknight
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Jan 23, 2003
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I usually buy 6-7 dozen 4 or 5 week olds, feeding about 30 crics each time, and by the 3'rd time i feed them to my T's, they are fully grown.
I just keep the crickets in those kritter keepers with some peat and a rreeaallllyy shallow water dish.


Ian
 

chuck

Arachnodemon
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Jul 1, 2003
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i hate crickets, they always manage to escape

when i had roaches, id keep my lobsters and hissers in a 10 gallon tank. a dozen soon became 50+, i used the excuse "i nee a new T so i can slow the population growth in my roach tank" =D
 

Nixy

Arachnoprince
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Feb 6, 2003
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Great tactic Chuck!
I do the keeping empty containers around and not letting on the exact numbers of T's in the house tactic...

I have a mealworm colony type deal going. So far I have alot of pupea,,, still waiting on beetles to know if it's going to work out.
I'm starting a superworm and wax worm one as well.
Crickets I just buy a few dozen every few weeks.

I feed a Very verying diet of all kinds of worms and the usual crickets and occasionaly roaches and pinkies. The T's seem to enjoy the diversity and keeping large numbers of worms is Tons easier then large numbers of crickets.
 

abstract

Arachnodemon
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Feb 25, 2003
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Nixy - let me know if you have any luck with the waxworms - I made an attempt the other week and they all just turned black and died. That was like a 6$ investment in the starter colony too!!!

I have an old nasty kritter keeper that I keep crix in; I buy about 18 large a week for my 7 various-sized T's. There is a petstore on my way home from work, so I just stop and spend the $1.50.

I also have a mealworm colony that was SIMPLE to make in a tupperware container. I fed out all the beetles, and now I have larvae like a mo-fo in there.
 

chuck

Arachnodemon
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i never had problems with wax worms, i currently got like 15 ready to morph
i once read that mixing honey with the oats is good, but when i add a carrot, the carrot always grows a fungus, so i stopped using the honey
how do you keep moths? what do they eat, what do they need?
 

vulpina

Arachnoprince
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Jan 26, 2003
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I have a 20 gallon tank with a screened top and buy 100 crix at a time, keep them fed and use the cricket bites for watering and they do well. I usually but 1/2-3/4" crix.

Andy
 

chuck

Arachnodemon
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Originally posted by vulpina
I have a 20 gallon tank with a screened top and buy 100 crix at a time, keep them fed and use the cricket bites for watering and they do well. I usually but 1/2-3/4" crix.

Andy
and none of them get out
i dont know why i am so affraid of crickets, i guess its b.c theyre so ugly and quick
 

arcane

Arachnosquire
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Jun 25, 2003
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71
I just got a Lee's Kricket Keeperlink and it has eliminated escapes. I just tap a few into a jar and put the tube back. I think it's better than the 'Corral' because its transparent, and you can see down the tubes (plus there's more than one). It's not that big, I put about 20 medium crickets in there. Although I'm sure you could make your own version. The nice thing about the Kricket Keeper is the tubes are textured on the inside, but slippery on the outside... so the crickets dont climb up the outside of the tubes.

I gutload em with Flukers or Gutload + Flukers cricket drink. I keep them in the basement, on top of a microfridge for warmth. I can't stand the smell of those things.
 
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vulpina

Arachnoprince
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Jan 26, 2003
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Well, none of them escape unless it is when I'm putting them into the tank. I also meant to say I order 1000 at a time.

Andy
 

RugbyDave

Arachnoprince
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Apr 5, 2003
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i get about 800 at once and i have 3 HUGE tanks, and i go SMALL, then MEDIUM, then LARGE.

i keep them with tons of egg cartons and gutload them with chickmash and flukers and shallow water dishes with flat rocks leading up.

they need a place to climb up and hide.

when i started out i used to keep them all inthe kritter keepers. I noticed the smallest ones did the best.

and as for waxies, well, if they start dying out, bring em to the lake and catch ye some Northern or Walleye or Bluegill .. or is that just a minnesota thing? :)

peace
dave
 
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