Superworms compared to crickets?!

[LifeKills11]

So I'm debating at this point wether or not I shud keep feeding my 7-8 month old Leo crickets or switch to meal worms or super worms ..are super worms like giant worms?? Or is there dfrnt sizes??! And compared to crickets which is better ??

 

[ajveachster]

We feed many of our animals superworms. They get one every 3 days unless it is in need of extra food, like a laying female. We have found if they get fed more often than that they tend to gain too much weight. There are a couple reasons I like superworms more than crickets. They don't cost as much. They aren't as smelly. They are way easier to catch if one does happen to get away. They require less space to maintain. As far as nutrition goes, there are disagreements about what is best. Typically crickets tend to have a higher water content, and less of the hard shell that mealworms and superworms have. Superworms also have a higher fat content. I used to have a chart that showed the different nutritional values of various feeder insects. I'm sure you might be able to find one online if you feel like searching for it. There are always exceptions, but I don't think you will have too much trouble feeding superworms as long as you can get the animal to switch. It might take a little bit to adjust, but some I have never been able to get to eat supers. Some that don't like to eat superworms will eat mealworms. My mealie eaters get 15 every 3 days. They are kept about the same way as superworms, but they can be put in the fridge to keep them dormant a little longer. I think it is a good choice for somebody who has one or 2 animals to feed. I order mine online in bulk, but if you have a wild bird habitat store in your area they usually have good quality mealies at a much lower price than the pet stores.

 

[LifeKills11]

Yah I'm really thnkn abt doing the switch ..do super worms come in sizes ?? Or r they called supperworms for a reason??and they are dffrnt than meows correct ..smthng tells me supers r jus really Huge mealies...for a 7-8 month old Leo how many and how often do u thnk I shud feed supers?

 

[ajveachster]

Mealworms and Superworms are different types of worms. They morph into two different species of beetle. You may also see superworms labeled as zophobas worms. We feed our adults and sub-adults the same amount. Super eaters get 1 every 3 days, and mealie eaters get 15 every 3 days. It may seem odd to feed a 100 gram gecko and a 20 gram gecko the same amount, but here is the logic. The adults only need to maintain their weight and health. Leos have a slow metabolism, so adults don't need a lot of food. The younger ones need a little more as compared to body size because they are still developing. There are different sizes of superworms, but most places will not differentiate. Most of what you get at a pet store will be the large ones with a few smaller ones in the mix.

 

[LifeKills11]

Ohh alrite I see ..well my Leo is abt 7-8 months old so do u think he can handle a large super ?? If u needa pik I can post one ...and do ur leis poop everyday feeding them all those mealies ??

 

[ajveachster]

A 7-8 mo. old leo can handle a large superworm. They don't poop every day since they are on a 3 day schedule. They typically poop once within the 3 day cycle.

 

[LifeKills11]

So maybe I shud try feeding him supers? How many do u thnk I shud feed him every other day ?

 

[Dog Shrink]

We feed many of our animals superworms. They get one every 3 days unless it is in need of extra food, like a laying female. We have found if they get fed more often than that they tend to gain too much weight. There are a couple reasons I like superworms more than crickets. They don't cost as much. They aren't as smelly. They are way easier to catch if one does happen to get away. They require less space to maintain. As far as nutrition goes, there are disagreements about what is best. Typically crickets tend to have a higher water content, and less of the hard shell that mealworms and superworms have. Superworms also have a higher fat content. I used to have a chart that showed the different nutritional values of various feeder insects. I'm sure you might be able to find one online if you feel like searching for it. There are always exceptions, but I don't think you will have too much trouble feeding superworms as long as you can get the animal to switch. It might take a little bit to adjust, but some I have never been able to get to eat supers. Some that don't like to eat superworms will eat mealworms. My mealie eaters get 15 every 3 days. They are kept about the same way as superworms, but they can be put in the fridge to keep them dormant a little longer. I think it is a good choice for somebody who has one or 2 animals to feed. I order mine online in bulk, but if you have a wild bird habitat store in your area they usually have good quality mealies at a much lower price than the pet stores.

Here's a decent chart hon

When my leo was 7-8 mos old he got 3 regular full sized supers 3x a week with maybe a lil snack on sundays of 1 super or a few mealies if I had some lying around. Also around here in Pa they call super worms "mondoworms" idk why.

 

[LifeKills11]

thanks for tht chart ...really helpful at this point ..what are the two things i shud consider fist ? i was more considering the fat and proien ..third would be calcium.. what do u think?

 

[Dog Shrink]

I think they're all equally as important (maybe calcium a lil less since we suppliment). I knw there's a thread on here somewhere that states what the nutritional needs lf a leo are so maybe you can search and find it or someone would be nice enough to post here again.

 

[gothra]

Feed your leo a variety a food is the best for your leo.