# noob question



## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

im completly new to feeding insects and am finding it hard to find good information as how to keep a insects for a small amount of reptiles (just 2 Tokays) with out having to go back to the shop every week? Is there like an idiots guide to doing this or can someone point me in the right direction of a good guide.
Thanks GL


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## Harry102 (Oct 3, 2012)

If you order your food online, you get a lot more for your money, especially when compared against shop prices - good places to order from are Rickslivefood and Livefooddirect, just Google either of those, they both have amazing customer service.

As for keeping them alive, is a totally different story, and depends on which insects you are choosing to keep. For Crickets I found just a standard 'Cricket Keeper' was sufficient to hold around 200-300 crickets at a time, food wise, either 'Bug Grug' which can be picked up from any pet store, or just natural fruits and veg that you eat around the house. I personally just use the excess veg from my meals (that isn't cooked) as that provides water and nutrition.

Hoppers/Locusts, I keep in a Faunarium, allows them enough space to hop around and stretch their legs! :lol2:

Food wise for those, locusts strive at around 30 degrees, don't quote me at that, but it is around that area - there is a sticky at the top which helps you learn all you need about locusts, but they need a higher temp to allow to digest any food. So if you aren't planning on keeping them warm, I wouldn't suggest feeding them, as they'll easily last 10-14 days without food. (they won't be nutritious to your Torkays but better than having undigested food in them)

If you are planning on heating them, again Bug Grub or Veg.

Don't really know if Torkays eat anything other than the above, if they do, or you're keeping anything other than these, give me a shout and i'll let you know how to keep those. :2thumb:

Hope this helped!


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Harry102 said:


> If you order your food online, you get a lot more for your money, especially when compared against shop prices - good places to order from are Rickslivefood and Livefooddirect, just Google either of those, they both have amazing customer service.
> 
> As for keeping them alive, is a totally different story, and depends on which insects you are choosing to keep. For Crickets I found just a standard 'Cricket Keeper' was sufficient to hold around 200-300 crickets at a time, food wise, either 'Bug Grug' which can be picked up from any pet store, or just natural fruits and veg that you eat around the house. I personally just use the excess veg from my meals (that isn't cooked) as that provides water and nutrition.
> 
> ...


Very helpful thank you so much!!! I dont plan on getting the Tokays for a while yet probably around xmas time so got plenty of time to get to know what im doing aha. As for numbers of crickets (or any insects) how many would you keep for just 2 geks? Without letting numbers getting out of hand (altough if i did im sure my chickens would help out.. aha ) and also how long do they live so there not being wasted? Im sure ill have more questions just cant think of any at the moment aha
Thanks a lot again!


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## Harry102 (Oct 3, 2012)

gecko lady said:


> Very helpful thank you so much!!! I dont plan on getting the Tokays for a while yet probably around xmas time so got plenty of time to get to know what im doing aha. As for numbers of crickets (or any insects) how many would you keep for just 2 geks? Without letting numbers getting out of hand (altough if i did im sure my chickens would help out.. aha ) and also how long do they live so there not being wasted? Im sure ill have more questions just cant think of any at the moment aha
> Thanks a lot again!


I haven't got Tokays, so I have no idea how much they would eat - however if you have a look around in the caresheet section, I'm sure you'll find loads of info about how much they eat etc. I just deal with bugs!:lol2:

Crickets - depending on how many you get and stuff into a small space vary in life expectancy. I can comfortably fit 200 into two large Cricket Keepers, and they last for about 2-3 weeks (granted with good food and heat) but I wouldn't be wanting to put any more into one of those enclosures as once they start climbing on top of each other, they'll end up fighting (which also won't end well)

Hoppers generally last about 2 weeks without food, more-so with heat and food.

Since you're not getting your Toks until December, why not put a colony together? (I know what you'll say "icky..." but hear me out) If you start a colony, especially now before you even get your Geckos, it will give it a few months to establish itself, and allow you a constant supply of feeders, that you know are nutritious and gut-loaded. Plus it doesn't even cost that much to set up, and run; a lot less than you would be spending on feeders from the shop!:whistling2:


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Harry102 said:


> I haven't got Tokays, so I have no idea how much they would eat - however if you have a look around in the caresheet section, I'm sure you'll find loads of info about how much they eat etc. I just deal with bugs!:lol2:
> 
> Crickets - depending on how many you get and stuff into a small space vary in life expectancy. I can comfortably fit 200 into two large Cricket Keepers, and they last for about 2-3 weeks (granted with good food and heat) but I wouldn't be wanting to put any more into one of those enclosures as once they start climbing on top of each other, they'll end up fighting (which also won't end well)
> 
> ...


 Humm.. not a bad idea! i will definitely look into that! haha they dont bother me i have stick insects and snails however i dont like the sticks. Thanks again for your help!


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## Paul112 (Apr 6, 2007)

I keep feed 2 Tokays, 2 Golden Geckos on mealworms and dubia roaches which I bred myself, with some spare for my Honduran Wood Turtles.

Easiest way to breed mealworms on a small scale is using a plastic racking system, which can be seen on my website here:
How to Breed Mealworms (_Tenebrio molitor_) - Insectivore.co.uk

I also have a guide on Dubias if you're interested:
How to breed Orange Spotted Cockroaches )_Blaptica dubia_) - Insectivore.co.uk

Best,
Paul


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Paul112 said:


> I keep feed 2 Tokays, 2 Golden Geckos on mealworms and dubia roaches which I bred myself, with some spare for my Honduran Wood Turtles.
> 
> Easiest way to breed mealworms on a small scale is using a plastic racking system, which can be seen on my website here:
> How to Breed Mealworms (_Tenebrio molitor_) - Insectivore.co.uk
> ...


 Very helpful thank you! and your a tokay owner so you know what your doing with them aha. The only thing that worrys me about setting up my own colony is being overun by them being mealworms or roaches. How do you control the numbers other than feeding them to your animal? Also what supplement do you use?


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## Panthraz (Feb 20, 2011)

gecko lady said:


> Very helpful thank you! and your a tokay owner so you know what your doing with them aha. The only thing that worrys me about setting up my own colony is being overun by them being mealworms or roaches. How do you control the numbers other than feeding them to your animal? Also what supplement do you use?


 
I breed mealworms small scale in bait boxes, after a month I remove the beetles and grow the worms on, 
once they are large worms I put them in the fridge which stops them pupaeting. When my supply runs low 
I add some more worms to a new bait box and start the process again.

I also have my own Dubia colony and any surplus are usually snapped up rather swiftly through the classifieds 
section on here, the profit helps with viv running costs and uv bulbs etc. 

I strongly recommend breeding your own livefoods, the savings alone make it very worthwhile, it's also very 
interesting and you know exactly what your pets are eating and where it came from. :2thumb:


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Panthraz said:


> I breed mealworms small scale in bait boxes, after a month I remove the beetles and grow the worms on,
> once they are large worms I put them in the fridge which stops them pupaeting. When my supply runs low
> I add some more worms to a new bait box and start the process again.
> 
> ...


 it does sound very easy, think it would definatly be wothwhile thank you


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

also when you say you remove the beetles of the meal worms do you mean you dispose of them or just move them to another tank? And how many roaches and mealworms to start the colonys off? 
Has anyone ever used these? wouldnt use it for any animal but what about for feeder insects? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14W-Adjustable-Temperature-Reptile-Heating-Pad-Bed-Mat-Pet-Dog-Amphibians-/300797359287?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D260950620164%26ps%3D54


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## Panthraz (Feb 20, 2011)

gecko lady said:


> also when you say you remove the beetles of the meal worms do you mean you dispose of them or just move them to another tank? And how many roaches and mealworms to start the colonys off?


Personally I dispose of them once they've done their job, this gives me more than enough to keep me going. 
You can just as easily leave them in there or put them in a new tub, it's just how I do it personally.
With the beetles removed I put the tub somewhere warmer to grow them on faster.

I start with about 40 mealworms to start my colonies, I only raise them for my own use and that gives 
me more than plenty each time. With the roaches I think I started with about 30 females and 5 males, 
the colony is thriving now and within 6 months had more than paid for itself by selling off the surplus.


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Panthraz said:


> Personally I dispose of them once they've done their job, this gives me more than enough to keep me going.
> You can just as easily leave them in there or put them in a new tub, it's just how I do it personally.
> With the beetles removed I put the tub somewhere warmer to grow them on faster.
> 
> ...


ahhh brilliant thank you! i spose its just experiment and see how it goes!


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## jonodrama (May 7, 2009)

I'd go for a roach colony, 
I've kept Tokays twice, I never had any problems with them feeding, 1 big male I had would also take pinkies from tongs.

Good luck


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

jonodrama said:


> I'd go for a roach colony,
> I've kept Tokays twice, I never had any problems with them feeding, 1 big male I had would also take pinkies from tongs.
> 
> Good luck


 Did you just feed roaches and the occasional pinkie or did you have other insects also? ive been advised against meal worms so am unsure what else i should give them or if roaches would be enough? Sorry about all the questions! youve all been so helpful! What size RUB also to keep a colony of roaches?


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## Panthraz (Feb 20, 2011)

gecko lady said:


> What size RUB also to keep a colony of roaches?


I use a black 40 litre RUB I got from Tesco online for about £10.


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Wheres the best place to get a starter colony from? Also anyone reccomend good cheap heatmat and thermostat? 
Think im going to breed mealworms anyway and then find some tokays which are already eating mealworms.. and then every so often buy a box of crickets and wax worms to feed to get some variety.. All my stuff for them should be arriving next week so thats when i plan to start it all up 
Thanks again for all your help!


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