alanmin4304

My compost heap is loaded with them

I use a mixture of sand and vermiculite for the turtles to lay in and it stays moist and retains its form so I will try a mix of pumice sand and vermiculite and see what happens. Thanks for the advice---will report back.

Thanks for that info--- will give the locusts another shot.

I have been unsuccessfully trying to breed locusts and would like to see if I can do better with crickets. I got the locusts to maturity and laying eggs in vermiculite but none will hatch. Anyone out there successfully breeding crickets that would like to explain in words of one syllable and with pics if possible how they do it? I want to feed frogs and the locusts are probably too large for the young frogs anyway. I have set up 2 x 2ft square glass tanks with customwood lids and 60 watt light bulbs (temp 30-35 deg C), insulated with polystyrene and the floor covered in wood shavings to the height of the icecream containers of vermiculite for egg laying. I can see the holes where the eggs have been layed and have moved them to another setup the same but no go.

Bubble and Squeek in Stanmore Rd have just set up a display tank with black sand so they should have some.

I use spent potting mix because if you use good compost they will stay in the media and feed off that rather than come up for what you are feeding them. I have found luncheon best but whatever works for you is good.

I keep mine in a wooden box lined with plastic where the media is in touch with the wood, feed them lucheon and use spent potting mix as a media. They don't like being too warm or wet so the wood breathes a bit. I found plastic gets too wet as it doesn't breathe like wood. They don't like light either. If they are happy they will be breeding so you will have lots of small ones as well.

It only supplied water to south of Brougham St and out to Aranui so may not have got to you anyway.

My point was that it may kill or at least discourage the green algae that you wish to encourage. Best may be to experiment on a setup where it does not matter.

It is a mineral that retains moisture and is an altered form of mica I think. It has no food value. You would otherwise be tempted to eat the toaster and leave the toast.

You will have a lot less trouble rearing them if you feed them very well and give them lots of water changes as they will grow more at a uniform rate. That is why bbs is best.

If you want something to handle you would be best to stay away from axys and newts as they are best left alone.

I read somewhere that it has an algaecidal component that they do not advertise (as well as stripping nutrient)

.5ppm would get used up in the natural chlorine demand of the water I would have thought.

Have you tried your plant nurseries, that is where I get mine from.

Mod=Warren: Trademe Reference removed - read the guidelines!!

Bloody strains

Take a while to sell 500 to 1000 in NZ.

Just have to hope that they don't have babiies before the inspector arrives

There was a colony here at Little River (Banks Peninsula) for many years but were knocked off by The Regional Council. They reckon you can recognise the bird catchers at the pub---they are the ones with their arm in a sling.

Not the season. They may be thinking about laying eggs shortly so you would then need to wait from 70-100 days for them to hatch and another 4-5 weeks to be safe to transport. I normally have babies available about xmas time. Others up north may be sooner.

Some people made a packet smuggling Ausie parrots to NZ then legally exporting to USA and I think that is what they were trying to stop. They are pretty hard to get out of Ausie I think even though they shoot the buggers.

I think you have to prove that "this pair" are the parents of "this bird" and that they have not been smuggled into NZ for export (as was very fashionable not long ago)

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you need to prove by DNA testing that the Ausie parrots were bred in NZ

From your description I suspect your tube may be a growlux type tube (20000k) which is developed for plant growth and has a good output of blue and red light and therefore looks purple. These are not available from Bunnings but are cheaper than the pet shop if you can get them from an electrical wholesaler (still dearer than the other types). You can still get to heaven if you use growlux, it is all a matter of personal preference.