# Do crickets get enough water from food?



## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

Well I'm getting some large brown crickets this time for my tarantula and scorpion. I've read their really sensitive to high humidity and so you shouldn't spray the sides for them to drink. Would they get enough water if i put in chopped carrot and say iceberg lettuce?


----------



## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Carrot yes, swap the lettuce for potato and/or orange slices and you're on 

A good amount of fresh food at least every other day will give them enough moisture.


----------



## Blackmelo (Jan 12, 2009)

I keep my crickets at a very high humidity. It's not detrimental to them as long as you don't let things rot in there.

I provide a water bowl at all times but I suppose enough fruit and veg would give them enough moisture but I don't believe they would eat according to their nutritional requirements, more to their need to eat the moist foods so I reckon a water bowl will ensure they eat enough protein and grainy food too.


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

I'm new to keeping crickets and have only kept blacks so far. But I found that good air circulation above anything else seems to be what keeps them alive. I just have a piece of mesh over the top of their container. Before I started doing that I had a lid on (with air holes) I was finding dead ones every day and they smelt horrible. So I guess there just wasn't enough air movement. Now with the mesh they don't really smell and are doing well. I mostly give them dry crushed cat food and a few fish flakes. They like a piece of bread sometimes too. They don't seem interested in veggies or fruit. For water I just dampen a piece of cotton wool and put it in one corner away from the food, they can suck water from the cotton, I change that every day and put a new piece in and remove any dead or dying crix, and twice a week I give them a thorough clean out. they drown easily so if you put a water bowl in you need to put pebbles in so they can get out.


----------



## Taxemic (Aug 13, 2008)

I just cut a little lump of sponge off of a erm...sponge and soak it in water. Stupid things drown when given a bowl.


----------



## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Saedcantas said:


> swap the lettuce for potato and/or orange slices and you're on


Any reason why not lettuce, other than the fact that if it dries it makes a crusty snot-coloured mess all over ?? lol
5 yrs ago when I kept crix as pets i used to always feed em lettuce, mini-romain or iceberg of course :razz:.


As for moisture, I've tried it all, 

* cotton wool - Turned out a bad experience coz I didn't change it often enough and mini maggots were wriggling round under it 
* Spraying tank - The females would lay eggs in the soiled kitchen roll I kept em on, plus it killed the pinheads coz they got stuck to the droplets.
* Clay Balls/Marbles/Pea Gravel - Used this for months (Clay balls) and it was very successfull, none drowned but the water level was below all of the balls & they were all adult crix so it'd have taken a REALLY dumb/sick one to drown lol

Currently using Solid Water which im using for everything except mealies which are in the fridge anyway. Fresh fruit/veg every few days too.
Only downside is the crickets make a mess of it within a cpla days so u gotta change it every few days whereas with my dubias it's still clean just a bit dry so just needs re-wetting.


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

REDDEV1L said:


> Any reason why not lettuce, other than the fact that if it dries it makes a crusty snot-coloured mess all over ?? lol
> 5 yrs ago when I kept crix as pets i used to always feed em lettuce, mini-romain or iceberg of course :razz:.


It stinks, wilts and moulds quickly. Not too bad if you only keep a few but over 500 you would need so much of it that it would just be a mess to keep up. 
ETA. There is also no nutritional value. Romaine lettuce is good though.


----------

