Gut Loading Preferences

[allegoriest]

Okay. So I've just learnt that I kill worms at a much faster rate than crickets. (I don't have a refrigerator.) So I'm starting to try and feed with crickets. I haven't started yet, but I want to be ready when I do. I've been feeding him red wigglers and snack small crickets to try to get him used to crickets. ...Yes, he prefers the worms for some reason, but I'm having trouble keeping them alive and buying emergency ones when there's an accident. (I have a tiger salamander by the way. No idea if that makes a difference really.)

What do you gut load with? There are a million opinions out there, so I just want to know what you think.

I've been basically feeding mine salad. Lettuce and carrots and all. With some fish flakes and this stuff the petstore guy bestowed upon me. (I have no idea what it is really.)

I was thinking broccoli or edamame, since they have more calcium. (They... do, right?) I've also heard they can eat... dog food? If realistically possible I want to feed them things I'll eat, since I don't keep very many at a time. (I have one salamander.) Unless dogfood IS a good feeder, since I have dogs.

 

[Joost]

Why should you keep a a large amount of worms for just one salamander? I should keep what I need for a week or so.

Gut loading can be done with several feeding items. Fish food is a good example. Besides that, I would vary much. Not only for gut loading, but also the food for your salamander.

 

[nhaislip]

Like joost said, there are numerous types of food for gut loading. Alot of people raise them on a healthy diet of vegetables (I feed lettuce, kale, collard greens, carrots, sweet potatoes). Then, about 24 hr prior to feeding out, you can gut load them with more nutritious (for the salamander) diets. There are many special gut loading diets.

It depends on whether you will be trying to keep the crickets alive for awhile (i.e. buying in bulk and feeding out several times) or just buy them and feed them out. I say this because crickets raised exclusively on gutload diets die much quicker (in my experience) than those raised on a healthy veggie diet. It is due to the fact that you are feeding them very nutritious foods for the salamander that are high in vitamins and minerals, and this seems to exhaust their digestive system and shut them down after a few days. It also severely dehydrates them as well so at least make sure you have a water supply.

Hope this helps

 

[allegoriest]

I can only buy worms in amounts of 50-60. : (

I want to keep feeding worms, but they've been considerably more expensive, and they're harder to find. (Also, I cannot explain my magical worm killing abilities. They're just... very impressive.) He also had bloodworms, however, they were set on killing me instead. So... I don't relaly feed those anymore.

I'm not breeding the crickets, and I plan to buy them weekly. (Considering that the whole cricket virus thing doesn't get too bad.) And yes, they have gel and little bottlecaps of water.


So I guess for the most part, whatever vegetables I have for dinner, I could probably throw a little of it in for them?

 

[allegoriest]

Double post since I don't think I can edit a reply in this forum:

Is there anything I should NOT feed to them?
Since sometimes there are vegetables and all that aren't good for dogs. Is there anything that I shouldn't be feeding the crickets for a salamander?