Is Gutloading Crickets Safe For My Archers?

[Dave Legacy]

I want to start keeping crickets in bulk to feed my archers. This would mean I'd need to feed them.... here are a few products that I'd like to use; However, crickets are usually raised for reptiles and not fish. Would feeding the archers crickets that were gutloaded with these products be safe for my fish?

I'm sure this is what the stores feed my crickets before I buy them anyway but I'd like to not do any more damage if one of the ingredients is no good for the archers. Here are the products. Ingredients can be viewed from the side bar on the Left Side.

Fluker's Cricket Food
Fluker's Cricket Water Bites

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[CFC]

Before my tank crashed and killed most of my fish i used to feed crickets with fish flakes and fresh vegetables before feeding them to the archers.

 

[nmonks]

I can't imagine that gut-loading crickets would do any harm. But... why not get your archers onto pellet foods or flake? My archer happily ate Hikari Gold cichlid pellets. Now, I know pellets and flakes aren't exciting, but they are balanced, and in my opinion make the best staple diet for any fish, provided that fish will eat them in sufficient quantity. Some fish never take to them, of course, but if they do, I'd always go down that route, and use live/frozen foods as supplements.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I always "gut-load" my glass shrimp feeders with shredded veggies before feeding them to my fish, you could do the same with crickets I assume. It's very inexpensive and then your fish get the vitamins that are found in the veggies. I don't know much about archers but I assume they wouldn't normally eat vegetables? Basically I guess you can gut-load with what ever you would like your fish to eat but won't.

 

[Dave Legacy]

My archers will eat anything, I have even seen them try to eat a wood chip. I feed them cichlid pellets at least 2 days a week. The thing is I'm tired of my archers going w/o crickets because I have trouble getting to the pet store every week; not to mention they usually cost $.09USD/per cricket. I'd like to buy 1000 crickets at a time for $24USD and save serious money, time, and stop neglecting my archers' diet. Keeping that many means they'll need to be fed and watered. These feeding cubes will offer both of those things as well as load them with vitamins.

Here's the thing... they'll provide the vitamins that reptiles/amphibians require. Are any of the ingrediants in the food going to be dangerous to my fish. I don't care as much about the nutritional value, just want to know if I'm about to feed my fish something toxic.

I already bought the product but I can return it if someone can give me a good reason not to use it. Thanks.

 

[nmonks]

David,

Without seeing the ingredients list, I cannot have a useful opinion on the toxicity of reptile nutrient supplements. To be honest, if there's any chance that the reptile vitamins would be bad for the fish, I'd not use them. Just feed them the crickets au naturel. Certainly feeding the crickets veggies won't do any harm. In fact, cats and other predators rely on eating the gut contents of herbivrous prey for a few key vitamins they cannot get otherwise. So eating veggies isn't harmful to predators.

Since they're eating pellets, then provided they're getting the pellets 2-3 times a week, those pellets will be providing all the essential nutrients they might not get otherwise. For the rest of the week, feed 'em whatever you want.

Cheers

Neale

 

[diademhill]

I'll bet you have some fishfood that the fish don't like? - that will be ideal for the crickets.
I used to gutload crickets with dry catfood or trout (fish farm) pellets for my Beardies.

 

[moray]

Before my tank crashed and killed most of my fish i used to feed crickets with fish flakes and fresh vegetables before feeding them to the archers.

Actually he stole the crickets that I use to feed my spiders, that I had gut loaded with fish food and fresh veg - bad CFC, to feed his archers in MY tank. before it crashed. Though they did eat pellets, CFC used to give them as a treat, more than anything and to stop them spitting at him (through a tiny hole in the lid) while he was on the computer.

 

[Dave Legacy]

Ingredients:

Water
carageenan
soya protein
dried brewers yeast
dried kelp
calcium carbonate
spirulina
potassium sorbate
ascorbic acid
citric acid
yellow #6 food color

 

[nmonks]

I have no idea what the food dye is, but the rest is harmless enough. Kelp, carageenan, and Spirulina are all algae, for example. So go for it. Sounds fine.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Dave Legacy]

Thanks all, and also to Neale for the final review of the ingredients. Yellow #6 I'd imagine is similar to the Yellow #5 that is in sodas like Mountain Dew. I'm pretty sure it's just for looks.

Thanks again!