Feeding and Nutrition :: Crickets,bugs ect

[tinkerbell_pg]

is it ok to give my baby RES live babyCrickets form pets mart i know it is ok but it will be the first time i try Crickets or any live food for them so let me know should the Crickets be dead or a live ?

[GPRenegade]

Alive is preferable... Just make sure they arent frozen because they will lose most nutritional value that way. It's also reccomended to "gutload" crickets before feeding. (Basically you feed the crickets supplements that would be beneficial to you turtle when he decides to eat them.)

[CountryGirl68]

Crickets are okay. Like stated above, gutload the crickets with something like calcium. They sell products specifically for that or you can get calcium powder and put it on whatever you feed the crickets.

[cam722]

You also need to realize that crickets are high in protein and should only be given as a treat once or twice a month. They should not be a staple of their diet.

[tinkerbell_pg]

do i have to have the calcium powder now caz im trying to see is one of my RES wil eat them he wount eat much so im trying Crickets for now i have frog calcium powder from when i had a frog is it ok to use that one or do i need to buy one made for my RES /

[cam722]

You need to make sure the calcium powder doesn't contain phosphorus or that the phosphorus/calicum ratio is correct. I used to buy my crickets freeze dried because those are already gut loaded. You can give them a cricket without it being gut loaded but it's just better to add some other nutrition to it. Again, make sure they are only used as treats and not a main food source.

[tinkerbell_pg]

ok i cant use my old calcium powder but can i still give the crickets to them any way ?

[marisa]

I give my turtles a few live crickets about once a week (I buy only a dozen at a time, and I buy the smaller ones). I have a cricket keeper that they stay in, and for about a day or two before I give them to my turtles, they eat fortified cricket food to improve their nutritional value. The freeze-dried crickets like Flukers' are very high in protein (according to the nutritional analysis on the bottle), but I'm not sure the live ones really are.

[tinkerbell_pg]

because i asked is i dont have any crickets food and i got them to day so i can see if mine will start eating any thing it haz been 5 to6 days now and im going to try crickets to see if he will start eating that or any thing

[turtle_ lover_159]

hi how is my turtle at home?

[tinkerbell_pg]

fine playing supperman