A Cheap but Healthy way to feed Dubias?

[5HiddenLizards]

I have a big colony of lats & a growing colony of dubias, the only problem is that they eat everything so fast! Any suggestions on how to feed them a proper diet that doesn't include dog or cat food? I was mixing my own roach chow, but it became time consuming & I started running out of stuff for them. Currently i'm using oatmeal & whatever leftover fruits/veggies my daughter leaves, as well as meaty bones that they clean off. But i need something that will actually "fill them up". I would love to order premade chow, but dont have the extra money for that right now. Any thoughts?

 

[Magic Merlin]

What is wrong with high protein dog or cat food? That is 1 component of my roach chow that I mix up for my colonies...........all my leopards and cresties are beyond healthy with vibrant colors.

 

[KitKatie89]

You could try getting chicken feed from a feed store and mix it with oats, etc. HUGE bags for pretty cheap. But I just stick with dog food and whatever leftovers are around.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Cheap, dry high-protein dog chow seems to be the best. Dubia will become cannibalistic if there is not enough protein in their diet, and chicken mash doesn't really contain enough. Also, be careful not to let any corn-based feed get wet and moldy.

 

[Magic Merlin]

Cheap, dry high-protein dog chow seems to be the best. Dubia will become cannibalistic if there is not enough protein in their diet, and chicken mash doesn't really contain enough. Also, be careful not to let any corn-based feed get wet and moldy.

Exactly...........and from what I have seen, Discoids are more cannibalistic......especially just after a shed when they are still soft.

 

[5HiddenLizards]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll see what I can get.


Also, what do you use to grind the food up? I have a small processor, but it can only do about 1/2 cup at a time. Or do you just put the food in whole?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I just throw the food in whole.

 

[Magic Merlin]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll see what I can get.


Also, what do you use to grind the food up? I have a small processor, but it can only do about 1/2 cup at a time. Or do you just put the food in whole?

I just destroyed my 6th or 7th blender from Target 3 days ago......I switched to Walmart's most powerful model and I am not impressed but I refuse to spend 600.00 on a commercial grinder that can achieve a "flour" consistency. :main_thumbsdown:

 

[Designer Geckos]

I just throw the food in whole.

Us too.

We use Science diet adult dry cat food. We also use fresh organic carrots sliced lengthwise as our only source of water and our dubs grow and breed like crazy. The key is to keep them warm....we keep the back of the tub at 90-92, same as leos.

 

[5HiddenLizards]

The food processor i have gets stuff just grainy, broken up into different sizes, but they are able to eat it fairly fast. Only thing is that I have to give it a rest for a while, the other down side is that it can only grind about 1/2 a cup @ a time, which takes forever if you're trying to grind for a week. I have a separate tank that i keep my breeders in. I don't have a problem with them producing, just wanna make sure they are getting what they need.

I am using gell water for main source, only problem is that my bin doesn't have a tight seal & sometimes a gnat or two will find their way in, gonna get a new bin (and switch out for a deeper water bowl) for them this evening. My lats' bin has a good tight seal & I've never had gnats in with them.

 

[Magic Merlin]

The food processor i have gets stuff just grainy, broken up into different sizes, but they are able to eat it fairly fast. Only thing is that I have to give it a rest for a while, the other down side is that it can only grind about 1/2 a cup @ a time, which takes forever if you're trying to grind for a week.

I grind up and go through 9+ pounds of roach food a week........at least with my new grinder it does not have an automatic shutoff timer, I can just fill it up and walk out of the room for 10 minutes while it grinds. You would think buying corn meal or cottonseed meal from the feed store it wouldn't contain any whole kernels but it does. :wall:

 

[5HiddenLizards]

Wow! That's a lot of food....For now I'm just crushing it with a hammer, so far they like the food I bought. I tested out my processor on it, but it sounds like its gonna blow up. I'll stick with the hammer for now.

 

[Pinky81]

Hey can you all list what brands you use?? Im going to be getting my dubias in the next days and need to buy some dog or cat food.

Is there a better brand then others? Is dog food or cat food better?

 

[ReptileWorld]

I purchase the high protine cat food whenever its on sale sometimes family members come across coupons and give them to me and i get the double savings. i use anything that doesnt have seafood in it because it reeeks!

since my dubia now go through a bowl of food per night i started using a larger bowl/dish and using more food. my previous high protine and calcium mix was getting expensive so i had to down grade the quality of food because it was getting costly. but still saving huge on not having to always buy crickets and worms and have half die while waiting to be fed. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Wowoklol]

Wetlands Canine Formula
Image of Taste of the Wild: Wetlands Canine® Formula

with Roasted Fowl

For All Life Stages
Grain-Free
Roasted Quail, Roasted Duck and Smoked Turkey
Optimal Amino Acid
Antioxidants
Omega Fatty Acid Blend
Digestive Support System
Sweet Potatoes
Berry Blend
Tomatoes & Tomato Pomace
No Corn, No Soy
Chelated Minerals
Protein: 32% Fat: 18%
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,750 kcal/kg (375 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Available in 5lb, 15lb and 30lb bags.

Ingredients
Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, roasted quail, roasted duck, smoked turkey, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

http://www.blackanddeckerappliances.com/p-113-powerpro-wide-mouth-food-processor.aspx

Is essentially what I'm using now to chop. Maybe its a combination of the food as well, but it seems to handle this just fine. The food I'm chopping isn't soft necessarily, but its not hard as a rock either.