Cricket Question - Page 2

Pittylova · #11 (**permalink**) 07-15-2008, 09:13 PM

Well....I got a jump start on some stuff as I found somebody on craigslist giving away all sorts of plants meant for a high humidity terrarium and a 55gal tank with waterfall, etc. Snatched that all up for zilch today. I've already added soil and worms, plus a small amount of crickets. There's also a water feature in it so I put in a few shrimp and 2 snails. I'm going to research the plants I have to be sure there's nothing wrong with them for the enclosure. I'll be just putting them in inside of pots until the larger viv is done.

I actually live in New England so I don't have any anoles around here. I tried to see if I could find any woodlice while I was out digging up some worms, but no luck. I'll try again tomorrow.

JohnEDove · #12 (**permalink**) 07-15-2008, 09:48 PM

You are lucky. I believe the largest species of Woodlouse is native to your homeland.

Pittylova · #13 (**permalink**) 07-15-2008, 09:49 PM

Yea, there are some big ones around here. But when I need them I can't find them. Just like worms. They're every where all of the time, but I went looking and only found two lol!

froggsong · #14 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnEDove

WORMS!!!!! Thank you, I had not thought about adding worms. I know half of my terra would be to wet for worms but the other half would be ideal for them.
I've got the water on my garden tonight and it should be simple enough to gather some in the morning.

I know, I know, old post... Did you know that worms (red wigglers at least) can apparently live completely submerged in water? I put some in for my newt a couple of months ago (IN the water, with no access to any land) and when I redid the tank the other day they were STILL there, still ALIVE! I was astounded. I figured they would drown, but apparently not! So, I guess it doesn't matter how wet the substrate is if they can live underwater in gravel!

Pittylova · #15 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 07:17 AM

Oh wow, that's crazy! All those creepy crawly creatures never fail to astonish me.

froggsong · #16 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 02:13 PM

I love worms, lol... They have always intrigued me. If my CWD would eat them, I'd probably breed them.

Pavel · #17 (**permalink**) 09-28-2008, 06:20 PM

Wood lice and crickets can be detrimental to plants. Though wood lice do eat decaying matter, they will also nibble on root tips and tender growth.

Crickets, from what I 've read, can be a hazard for herps and arachnids as the crickets will sometimes chew on the herp or arachnid. (This is particularly dangerous when an arachnid is molting.)

Earthworms usually do not survive in terrs/vivs. They need cool soil temps.

froggsong · #18 (**permalink**) 10-02-2008, 01:24 PM

As long as you provide a food source in the tank for the crickets, they will not nibble on your herps. Crickets also will not harm plants if they have a food source available other than your plants. I have had crickets living and breeding in my CWD tank for months now, and they do not chew on my plants, or on my CWD. They eat the food that I have provided for them in the tank, which is the gutload I feed them in the cricket tank. I have never had a problem with worms living in my tanks, and I am from SC, where temps get over 100 degrees in the summer, yet there are still earthworms all year, so I am afraid I do not agree with you.

Pittylova · #19 (**permalink**) 10-03-2008, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by froggsong

I have never had a problem with worms living in my tanks, and I am from SC, where temps get over 100 degrees in the summer, yet there are still earthworms all year, so I am afraid I do not agree with you.

I actually have had earthworms and woodlice in the tank since I posted this thread and they're all living and my plants are already out growing the tank. I have lots of new plants growing up in there as well. Perhaps I'm lucky.

Pavel · #20 (**permalink**) 10-04-2008, 07:56 AM

For crickets and woodlice vs plants, perhaps it also depends on how much you value your particular plants. In my terrs, I have mostly orchids and cps -- and both crickets (even when provided food) and woodlice HAVE been issues. Then too, both aforementioned plant groups are generally slow growers as opposed to many other plant choices that folks would use. Damage to slower growers would have more serious repercussions as fast growers may be able to grow faster than devouring occurs.

Pittylove,, woodlice primarily destroy roots and tender new growth near the soil level when they choose to nibble on plants.

Soil temp IS usually an issue, Frogsong. To keep a worm population going is not always easy -- I know a number of folks who have tried in classrooms and even the 'nightcrawler' sold for fishing do not do well with warm soil temps. Course, I imagine that worms from different areas of the country may have different temperature tolerances.

I should have added, but forgot, that the threat to herps is something I have read in many sources but never experienced myself. I never leave uneaten crickets long term in a viv as I do not wish to take the risk. Perhaps it is nothing more than a 'vivarium legend'.

Particularly if one has arthropods, though, I think it would be the height of foolishness to take the risk if one was considering it with them. The fact that they have an open circulatory system and are completely helpless during ecdysis would make such a strategy too dangerous. HOWEVER, as this post was just looking at things from a herp standpoint, guess the arthopod angle really was quite irrelevant.