Reddit reviews The Dirty Gardener Soil Water Absorbing Crystals, 1 Pound
We found 3 Reddit comments about The Dirty Gardener Soil Water Absorbing Crystals, 1 Pound. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Water polymer crystals prevents drowning of feeder insectsNon-toxic so will not harm your insects or the pets which eat themMix in soil to increase water retention for plantsMay be fortified with calcium infused liquidProudly made in the U.S.A.
What you see in the photo will last the average cigar smoker 10+ years and cost you under $25.
Here are a couple of links:
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Depot-PROPYLENE-GLYCOL-QUART-Propylene-Glycol/dp/B005F5OJG6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404234989&sr=8-3&keywords=propylene+glycol
http://www.amazon.com/Water-absorbing-crystal-polymer-Insect/dp/B0051V22VS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404235071&sr=8-4&keywords=soil+crystals
Will your mother let you keep [roaches] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nedCYxxfd5g)? They live longer than crickets do, are easier to take care of, do not make as much noise, and do not smell as bad as crickets do. It takes a few months to get a colony started but once you have a colony you never have to buy feeder insects again.
Instead of buying cricket feed, if you have a feed store nearby you can feed your insects a mixture of chicken feed, calcium, and fish food. You mainly want to feed the insects a diet that is high in protein so dry dog or cat food will also do for feeding insects.
For moisture you can cut up potatoes and toss those in the bin or you can buy [water crystals] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051V22VS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) One package will last you a while, can just put a couple of spoonfuls of the crystals into a clean empty milk jug and fill it with water. These crystals allow your feeder insects to drink water without drowning.
From what I understand you want to feed however much she can eat for 10 minutes. When I fed mine crickets I had a spare 10 gallon tank that I kept them in so I would just stick her in the cricket tank to eat to her hearts delight and then put her back once she stopped eating. Worked out way better than chasing down cricket that she didn't eat. You don't want to leave the bugs in overnight because they will nibble on your beardie while she is asleep.
I recently bought this temp gun to keep track of her basking area. I was pretty sure that the temp was right because she opens her mouth when she basks but the gun gives me more comfort to know the exact temp. http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY
I also bought a separate stand and light fixture to set up in my bedroom so she can run around in my room. There aren't any places she could get stuck in my room and after running around a bit she always comes back to the basking spot in my room.
You don't have to buy the reptile bulbs for a heat lamp, you just want the uvb which you will have with the zilla light. The heat light I use now I bought from Wal-Mart and it heats the tank better than the mercury vapor bulb I had before. They have them at Walmart and probably any feed stores because they are often used to keep chicks warm. http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-250W-Heat-Lamp-Red/16911779
Also you can get an inexpensive light fixture from either home depot or lowes. Clamp Lamp
Also if she is a girl you want to make sure you dust her food with calcium powder. The reptile specific ones are pretty expensive so I bought this at amazon a few years ago and I still have a ton of it.
If you want to keep your crickets hydrated instead of buying those cricket water crystals just buy Non-toxic ones My first bag I bought in 2013 and didnt need to buy a new bag until 2015 and that is because I am raising my own Dubias now.