# How to keep crickets alive



## lightbulb1976

i buy 500 crickets at a time and after the first week most are dead, are there any way to keep them alive longer??

sean


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## pecks

Yep, feed them, provide them with moisture, and the right temp. Its meant to be livefood! many people keep inverts for feeding in conditions they would not keep their pet inverts in! Never could get my head around this. Get a cricket keeper or turn an old viv into a cricket holding tank. Failing that buy fewer. What sort of crickets? Blacks tend to be a bit more tolerant of cooler conditions than some.Bug grub from livefood direct is excellent and include a dish of solid water, and/or some slices of raw spud or carrot. You will tell when they are happy as if adult the males will start to chirp.: victory:


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## ViRMiN

Have a read of this thread mate : victory:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/94969-how-do-get-your-crickets.html


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## lightbulb1976

yeah i read that but it dont say how to keep them, ie

what temps.

what to feed on


i give mine carrot and water (with sponge), they drown and most are dead. 

sean


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## ViRMiN

Fair enough.

I use aqua gel for the water but, instead of buying it pre-made in a tub, I buy the crystals and make it myself in a pint glass. The gel is placed in containers so, it can't drench the bran or whatever's been tipped in with the crix.

For food, I've been using T-Rex Calcium Plus pellets but, I've run out now, and instead have on order a kilo of tropical fish flakes. I also give them some of the veg that I feed my BD's on - especially if they're likely to be past the best in a few days and I've got more than the BD's require.

As for temps, I don't keep them on top of the vivs, they're alongside them, at what's effectively room temperature.

Another thing, if you're getting drowned crix, is ensure you have plenty of ventilation on the container - condensation isn't good.

Hope this helps...


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## wohic

warmth is the key. I use fermenting buckets (as used by the home made wine brigade) sat on a heat mat with porrage oats in the bottom a load of egg crate and a plastic plate on the top for 'wet food' they also get fed tropical fish flake to help gut load them, the bucket is topped off with fly screen held on with knicker elastic 

I also used to breed and that involved a fish tank on a snake strip with half egg crate and a seed tray of damp coir for them to lay in......worked a treat


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