Calcium-fortified gut load and supplements

[rosaphile]

If I feed my crickets with calcium-fortified water gel and/or food, do I still need to use a calcium/D3 supplement powder?

[Heatheranne]

Yes. Its a good idea. I just do every other day though since there is some in my cricket food and cricket gel water.

[JeffreH]

If you're keeping large amount of insects or need them to stay alive for any amount of time; you want to avoid feeding the crickets a diet that is too high in calcium. They tend to favor foods with a greater phosphorus ratio; and I've found molting problems and premature death in cricket and roach colonies when fed excessive calcium in the diet.

Definitely still dust your bugs with the supplement on the regime thats appropriate for the species and age of the animal; regardless of what you do to the gutload.

[rosaphile]

Thank you, that's good to know. At least to begin with, I don't plan to keep a lot - maybe a couple weeks' worth. Maybe later on I will consider keeping my own breeding population, but for now it's enough learning to care for a frog!