# water crystals are over rated.



## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 21, 2010)

In my own personal opinion water crystal are overrated, I know people will get mad and trash my theory, but i think there just empty fillers.i experimented with out using them and my colony did just as well as the colony with the water crystals, bred as much, ate a little more, but what ever, i think they get enough water from food if fed fresh produce along with dry food.


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## AbraxasComplex (Feb 21, 2010)

snappleWhiteTea said:


> In my own personal opinion water crystal are overrated, I know people will get mad and trash my theory, but i think there just empty fillers.i experimented with out using them and my colony did just as well as the colony with the water crystals, bred as much, ate a little more, but what ever, i think they get enough water from food if fed fresh produce along with dry food.


I agree. All my colonies of feeder bugs do just as well if not better without water crystals.


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## rvtjonny (Feb 21, 2010)

Water-Gel Crystals really is the way to go, and its way cheaper. I offer my roaches both but you can buy a pound of the stuff for less than 20 bucks. 

_1 pound (~115 tsp), dry polymer crystals makes ~16 gallons of crystal gel_  :?
http://watergelcrystals.com/order-crystals.htm

Water-Gel Crystals/Cricket Care and Feeding


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## ZergFront (Feb 21, 2010)

My feeders seem to be quite healthy with no crystals - just carrot, cherries, lettuce, oranges, etc.


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 21, 2010)

rvtjonny said:


> Water-Gel Crystals really is the way to go, and its way cheaper. I offer my roaches both but you can buy a pound of the stuff for less than 20 bucks.
> 
> _1 pound (~115 tsp), dry polymer crystals makes ~16 gallons of crystal gel_  :?
> http://watergelcrystals.com/order-crystals.htm
> ...


empty fillers, I would rather have my roach eat up some carrot, there he will be getting some natural water + all the goodness of carrot


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 21, 2010)

ZergFront said:


> My feeders seem to be quite healthy with no crystals - just carrot, cherries, lettuce, oranges, etc.


yeah, I usually do oranges, carrots, some times grapes, but my favorite food for them is oranges, they will eat right down to the peel with no remains like lettuce, lettuce is great though tons of water, as a matter of fact it basically is water.


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## JC (Feb 22, 2010)

I agree. I have some water crystals I bought over two years ago and I barley ever use them. The bottle is still about 95% full.


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## mitchrobot (Feb 22, 2010)

IMO theyre a waste. i have like 1/4lb of the died crystals laying around somewhere. i was tired of having to change them out often as due to them gettign nasty quickly in the supercoloney. ive been fine without them for like 3 years now, i also just give em fruits as a water source, they breed like crazy all the same


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## pearldrummer (Feb 22, 2010)

I've never bothered using the crystals. Coincidentally I have never had a problem with my colonies either. 

All I do is provide fresh veggies and fruit.


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## spiderfield (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm coming up on a year with my dubia colony and i've never bothered with water crystals.  They get all their water needs from the fruits and veggies I give them and have exploded in growth.  Water crystals are over-kill in my opinion...never bothered with it.


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## Texas Blonde (Feb 22, 2010)

I use them for my crickets, and keep some in my Blaberus colony just in case, but I have never observed the roaches eating them.  They constantly have fresh fruit and veggies.  The crickets on the other hand do eat them up, and its much nicer to not have drowned crickets from an open water dish, or a dirty wet paper towel.  (I have a phobia of wet paper. )


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## Moltar (Feb 22, 2010)

I think they're just easier to use. I was giving my roaches all their water with apples, carrots, etc but it sucked if I was out of veggies and I had to run to the store just to give them a drink. At least with crystals you can keep a big bucket of them in the fridge and also mix up more whenever you need.

But yeah, I agree that they aren't necessary.


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## TheHolyToast (Feb 22, 2010)

Will there be enough humidity for the species with egg cases to hatch if you don't use water crystals?
They may not need the crystals as a water supply, but my B. latteralis like to leave their ootheca around the crystals, and the Hissers tend to molt on top them.


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 22, 2010)

TheHolyToast said:


> Will there be enough humidity for the species with egg cases to hatch if you don't use water crystals?
> They may not need the crystals as a water supply, but my B. latteralis like to leave their ootheca around the crystals, and the Hissers tend to molt on top them.


mine breed like crazy w/out water crystals. and i haven't had any bad molts that  know of.


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## TheHolyToast (Feb 22, 2010)

snappleWhiteTea said:


> mine breed like crazy w/out water crystals. and i haven't had any bad molts that  know of.


Do you use damp substrate, or the humidity is strictly from their food?


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## Galapoheros (Feb 23, 2010)

I never used the crystals, going on a few years now.  Before that, I did use the crystals some with raising crickets but didn't need to.  Hissers and dubias can go a long time without water no matter the source.  I have 1000s of dubia, don't feed them often but sometimes if I have the spray bottle in my hand, I will spray in there, I guess once a week.  Oranges, apples, LOVE fishflakes no matter what you hear.


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 23, 2010)

TheHolyToast said:


> Do you use damp substrate, or the humidity is strictly from their food?


nah,
i don't use any substrate. they are really hardy.


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## TheHolyToast (Feb 23, 2010)

snappleWhiteTea said:


> nah,
> i don't use any substrate. they are really hardy.


Hmmmmmm this tells me that water crystals are over rated.
Thanks


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 23, 2010)

TheHolyToast said:


> Hmmmmmm this tells me that water crystals are over rated.
> Thanks


yeah, i think they very much are when it come to roaches.


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## colorcham427 (Feb 23, 2010)

water crystals are a waste in my opinion, and just a way for others to make a profit.

If you want your colonies to get a great boost of vitamins plus hydration, orange slices are the best.. in my opinion of course! 

i use mango, carrot tops and carrot shredding, sweet potato slices, romain lettuce, cut up grapes, cut up bananas, cut up kiwi, cup cut apple, always put in a little and provide them more throughout the day.

in my set-up the red light bulbs are literally inside of their bins.

so i toss in the wet food 4 times a day and the dry food goes in once a day.

my dry food recipe is so simple..

coffee grounder is the machine lol

60% cat food

20 % dog food

20 % regular oatmeal

what do you guys use for a dry food?? just curious... i might try arron paul's dry food since its really cheap per kilo.


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## snappleWhiteTea (Feb 24, 2010)

wish i knew how to get a poll going.

& that sounds cool cham, oranges are my favorite roach food source.


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## dociledragons (Feb 27, 2010)

mitchrobot & JC. I would be willing take the water crystals off our hand. I could pay with paypal for the shipping.. :razz:

though I give my roaches veges, I use crystal so don't  have to put veg constantly in the tub where it has a chase to mold if not fully eaten.


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## SDiego (Mar 2, 2010)

Anyone have a B. Lateralis colony that does _not_ use water crystals? Can they be kept alive with just fruits and vegetables?

Also, does anyone use even a small water dish, like maybe just a bottlecap with some water in it?


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## snappleWhiteTea (Mar 2, 2010)

SDiego said:


> Anyone have a B. Lateralis colony that does _not_ use water crystals? Can they be kept alive with just fruits and vegetables?
> 
> Also, does anyone use even a small water dish, like maybe just a bottlecap with some water in it?


I think water in a cap or water dish would be really unsanitary for roaches, It would get real nasty, and i don't own lateralis, but dubia are more dry sensitive.SO yea i think a lateralis colony would do just fine with out gel and a water dish,they're roaches! lol


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## spiderfield (Mar 2, 2010)

Classic!


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## codykrr (Mar 5, 2010)

i have used water crystals for years with my dubia colonies.

i have lats now and i could not get them breed for nothing, so i started adding more than usual amounts of water crystals for humidity and thats where all of the ooths are laid.

now i have tons. and i tried everything for my lats(i made like 3 threads asking for advice) and have only been able to succeed using water crystals.

now both my colonies are feed only dog food. no veggies or fruit. just dog food and water crystals.

i feed once a week and water twice a week and i have tons of them.

i did notice that when i add food color to my water crystals the roaches eat them better than the standard clear crystals.(i use like 3 drops per gallon of non toxic food coloring)

In my opinion there great, but it  has been what works for me.  so i dont plan on changing what works and id suggest the same to you all. 

if not using them works for you, then keep on doing what your doing.

i do recall someone on here saying they literally water there roach bins like they would a house plant. just pour it in.


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## 8by8 (Mar 5, 2010)

I use water crystal and all my water drinking feeders use it. I do how ever think that it is not 100% necessary. They usually eat less food if provided water, but its really keepers choice.


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