cricket drink,yellow or blue?

[fangsalot]

ok what do you guys think,,i use cricket calcium drink for my crix but theres also the blue gell(without calcium).on the top it states its ideal for tarantulas and scorpions(which i have both)is this true?is that ok for them?,will they drink from this?it would b sooo much easier than filling there shallow dishes every day and so much more sanitary then sponges..whats the deal??

 

[Windchaser]

I would try to minimize the calcium content. There has been some discussion lately that too much calicium in a tarantula's diet can cause some problems. Given that, I think it is safer to try and minimze the amount of calcium in a T's diet. However, crickets will not retain the calcium for very long. Once the poop, it is pretty much out of their system.

 

[fangsalot]

no no no, the calcium cricket gel drink suggests that the scorpions and T's can also drink from this.is that cool???

 

[Windchaser]

no no no, the calcium cricket gel drink suggests that the scorpions and T's can also drink from this.is that cool???

No, I would never recommend giving gel water substitute to a tarantula. I would only recommend using regular water. Personally, I use tap water for all of my tarantulas and hav enot experienced any problems. Some folks use bottled water and that would be fine too. Again though, I would not use ANY gel water substitute for a tarantula.

 

[bpage_10]

I have NEVER used that gel crap and never would. T's will drink out of water dish's just fine. Would you really want to suck your water out of a gelatinous (sp?) cube? I've also heard a lot about calcium being bad for T's, I wouldn't risk it out of convenience. That's just my opinion though.

 

[Blasphemy]

Tarantulas only go for a drink when they're really thirsty since they get most of their moisture through crickets...so my question to you is if you were really thirsty and someone offered you iced coffee or jell-o which one would you choose?

 

[fangsalot]

i see. so that "ideal for scorpions and tarantulas" is garbage?

 

[Blasphemy]

i see. so that "ideal for scorpions and tarantulas" is garbage?

yup. they're just trying to sell you something.

 

[fangsalot]

yup. they're just trying to sell you something.

k thanx,i always heard about shallow water dish with clean water(sponges werent a good idea)and all that.. i new that easy jell stuff was too futuristic,and too good to be true(but honestly,if the jell stuff was good for inverts,thered be alot of new "bug" people on this forum,because they would of found T and scorp keeping just a little more easier).

 

[Windchaser]

k thanx,i always heard about shallow water dish with clean water(sponges werent a good idea)and all that.. i new that easy jell stuff was too futuristic,and too good to be true(but honestly,if the jell stuff was good for inverts,thered be alot of new "bug" people on this forum,because they would of found T and scorp keeping just a little more easier).

Pouring water into a small dish is not exactly rocket science. It doesn't get much easier than that.

That said, the gel stuff is very good for crickets. If you give them a water dish, they will end up drowning themselves.

 

[Wade]

I have NEVER used that gel crap and never would. T's will drink out of water dish's just fine. Would you really want to suck your water out of a gelatinous (sp?) cube? .

Although I agree that the gel products are, at best, a waste of money; I would not go so far as to say that tarantulas prefer to drink liquid water. There's no way we can really know, but it seems quite likely that many wild tarantulas rarely, if ever, get the chance to drink straight water. They are quite adept at squeezing water from moist soil, and this is probably how most would drink in the wild.

Wade

 

[Jaden]

Tarantulas only go for a drink when they're really thirsty since they get most of their moisture through crickets...so my question to you is if you were really thirsty and someone offered you iced coffee or jell-o which one would you choose?

The Jello. Iced Coffee sucks. Coffee is drunk hot or at least warm.

 

[Jaden]

All mine.

All my slings were raised on the gel stuff. I've found nothing wrong with any of them. So I think it's all on the person who has the tarantulas. I know..I know I don't have proof that it doesn't hurt them. That goes two ways though. There's no proof that it doesn't hurt them either. So until it is proven I'll use the gel.

 

[BugToxin]

I would use blue. I don't buy the "Mice have too much calcium for your big T" concerns we keep reading about, but I do believe that intentionally ADDING calcium to your T's diet is not likely a good idea. The blue is the same price as the yellow anyway, so why take the chance. We do know that T's don't NEED the extra calcium which may be good for reptiles. Buy the blue just to be on the safe side. As for T's drinking it, it is probably ok but water seems better. That's just my opinion though. I would suspect that while the jel is cleaner than a sponge, crickets could still lay eggs in it and that would be nasty.

 

[Wade]

For those interested, the exact same material is sold in a dry form for use in gardening and it is HUNDREDS of times cheaper than the hydrated version sold in pet stores. Check here:

http://www.watersorb.com/prices.htm

A couple of tablespoons of the stuff makes a gallon of the gel. There's no added nutrients in it, but you don't need it for invert purposes.

Wade

 

[Fini]

For those interested, the exact same material is sold in a dry form for use in gardening and it is HUNDREDS of times cheaper than the hydrated version sold in pet stores. Check here:

http://www.watersorb.com/prices.htm

A couple of tablespoons of the stuff makes a gallon of the gel. There's no added nutrients in it, but you don't need it for invert purposes.

Wade

Botar also has the same product available fairly cheap as well.


"Botar by Eights Water Polymer Crystals If you belong to an on-line forum or mailing list, you’ve heard of this product. The crystals absorb and hold water giving the roaches and crickets a constant and safe source of drinking water. The crystals can also be used in the substrate for arachnid species with high humidity requirements. Packaged in a dry form, which is much more economical for the consumer. Net weight 2 ounces. $3.00"

 

[AfterTheAsylum]

grrrrrr.... it is speculation that calcium causes problems... it may cause, not can cause...

 

[LPacker79]

grrrrrr.... it is speculation that calcium causes problems... it may cause, not can cause...

If you had read the thread completely, you would have seen that it was a theory. Nobody stated it as fact.
I saw the same lecture at the conference that Mark (Windchaser) did, and it was truly interesting.

Regardless, it's still a theory that's being studied.

 

[fangsalot]

All my slings were raised on the gel stuff. I've found nothing wrong with any of them. So I think it's all on the person who has the tarantulas. I know..I know I don't have proof that it doesn't hurt them. That goes two ways though. There's no proof that it doesn't hurt them either. So until it is proven I'll use the gel.

so there were no ill effects??if your slings grew to be normal,healthy adults,than the gel is ok,right?

 

[Jaden]

so there were no ill effects??if your slings grew to be normal,healthy adults,than the gel is ok,right?

Well none are adults yet most are 2" to 3.5" though. All seem very healthy and it seems that they grow rather quickly on the gel. Several people have gotten tarantulas from me and I'm sure most of them will tell you that everyone they got looked just as good if not better than others. Not a boast just a fact. I've had good luck with it. I don't give it to my adults but I do for slings. The reason for this is the drowning factor. Slings can drown with water not the gel. As it's been stated there is no clear evidence one way other other so who knows 5 years down the road.