Stella Posted October 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Good idea! Thanks Tell your wife about the friend of mine who had his mealworms in a polystyrene container in the hot water cylinder. They munched through it and the problem wasn't discovered until she found all the sheets, towels etc were full of bran and mealworms....! Then there was the time they have guests and she brought some icecream to the table, opened it in front of everyone, and found it was actually minced meat-based fish-food! I do pity the partners of fish-nuts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Mealworms are relatively easy to care for. I am working on raising mealworms at the moment for my fish, but I beleive you really need to start with a reasonably big culture so that you can feed them out. you do however from time to time need to change the bran flakes as the mealworm poo accumulates down the bottom and smells like ammonia.... then kills the mealworms. Big bin works well. If you can go to a grain store like wrightsons, RD1 or PCL you can pickup large bags of Bran flakes (chicken feed) reasonably cheaply. Beats paying $5 - $6 for a small pack from the supermarket. I hope to have an article on this in next years AW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 mealworms chewing there way out after been eatin- i think thats just an old myth the more i hear it. In the past Ive fed to newts, axolotls, fish, bds, frogs etc and all seem ok.. mealworms arnt as nutritious as crickets/locusts/roaches but still a good feeder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Mealworms are relatively easy to care for. I am working on raising mealworms at the moment for my fish, but I beleive you really need to start with a reasonably big culture so that you can feed them out. you do however from time to time need to change the bran flakes as the mealworm poo accumulates down the bottom and smells like ammonia.... then kills the mealworms. Big bin works well. If you can go to a grain store like wrightsons, RD1 or PCL you can pickup large bags of Bran flakes (chicken feed) reasonably cheaply. Beats paying $5 - $6 for a small pack from the supermarket. I hope to have an article on this in next years AW Changing the bran is easy enough. Dump everything into another big container then use a seive to scoop everything up give it a bit of a shake so all the dust falls out into a third container then dump back into your original one. Not a bad idea to keep the container of dust for a month or two and then give it another sieve to to collect all the worms that hatched from the eggs that made it through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 go to the $2 shops or similar and pick up cheap sieves. Ira is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Is there any truth in the idea that mealworms are very hard to digest and the animal uses more energy digesting the mealworms that what they actually provide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 29, 2008 Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 Is there any truth in the idea that mealworms are very hard to digest and the animal uses more energy digesting the mealworms that what they actually provide? Even if they don't provide much energy, there's more to food than calorie content. But, I'd doubt claims that they are particularly hard to digest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 29, 2008 Report Share Posted October 29, 2008 mealworms hard to digest - id say yes but depends theyre easier to digest if theyve just shed - the white/soft ones also whats eating the mealworms? i know with my beardies they love them but can get really messy poo after mealworms but that could be just because they like them so much they eat too many alot of info ive read does say chitin (sp?)/outer shell of mealworms is hard to digest and that mealworms have little nutritional value, each to there own. mealworms sure are handy and relatively easy to culture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogod Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 They have a bit of nutritional value if you coat them in vitamin powder and calcium powder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 i thought the same thing today when dusting some :lol: bds do seem to love them and i havent seen any ill effects, they great for beefn up axoltls and frogs to.. i use to harvest the mealies then put in a container with blended up fish food food cat and or dog biscuits and maybe some vitamin powder and leave in this atleast overnight before feeding out. Once i used those red and green fish pellets and some of the mealies went red/pink lol but point been if insects are fed a higher protein and or a good quality food then should pass onto the the bds/predator. it all helps but even on there own they seem good as, not that ive done the taste test lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Doesn't having to fill them with commercial foods and vitamins kinda take away the POINT in feeding live foods?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 yes but depends on what your point is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iszac Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 or there is fluon adi but only available overseas i think - apparintly this is the stuff for keeping roaches in toe, i havent got around to it but would love to get some bought in at some stage I will be selling some fluon soon-ish, just have to work out some containers/bottles.It lasts for ages. Many people interested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Doesn't having to fill them with commercial foods and vitamins kinda take away the POINT in feeding live foods?? you do have a point there Stella, assuming u want to feed livefood to replicate the wild diets of what your feeding, then insects could be cultured more naturally but that can be easier said than done. Id probably feed commercial pellets to my animals if theyd eat them so dont see much problem feeding to my insects, but you have gt me thinking 8) I will be selling some fluon soon-ish, just have to work out some containers/bottles.It lasts for ages. Many people interested? You know i am i was looking at getting family to purchase for me in aus and send over but may not nd to when feeding out roaches do you have much trouble with escapes? im just letting mine breed for now but was thinking maybe plastic bins with fluon would be good for feeding the lizards roaches in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iszac Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 You know i am i was looking at getting family to purchase for me in aus and send over but may not nd to when feeding out roaches do you have much trouble with escapes? im just letting mine breed for now but was thinking maybe plastic bins with fluon would be good for feeding the lizards roaches in? Ive found that most of them freak out when you put them in the tub with the roaches, I use a white ceramic type cat/dog bowl with a line of fluron around the top, That way you can just pour them into that and they arnt running and hiding straight away.Then the lizards just eat out of the bowl easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iszac Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Heres a pic so you can sorta see what type of bowl im talkn bout, It works well, Circled in green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 nice one cheers, im definately keen let me know when your ready to sell some fluon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Doesn't having to fill them with commercial foods and vitamins kinda take away the POINT in feeding live foods?? i think they call it added value nowadays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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