Mold???!!!??

[chrispaine]

OK im sure alot of you know i have a baby ackie.... and from what i head from all to pros is the best bedding is dirt cause they can burrow in it, but when ever a cricket dies or the cricket food like a pice of carrot is in their for over a day it starts to grow mold... im guessin im just going to have to watch it close. Or should i switch out to somehting else then dirt? or or or should i let it dry out a little more... whatda you think?

[wreckwriter]

Have you considered feeding in a seperate enclosure? Would that be too much hassle?

[TheOtherAndy]

I saw you taking that ackie outside, Chris. You lose this one and I'm cutting you off.

Did this dirt come out of a bag or out of the ground? I've seen mold problems with bag dirt, but not real dirt. Ideally creek bed dirt sifted through 1/4 inch mesh. Since you don't have to worry about nesting, you can try adding some decomposed leaf litter (break it down a little by rubbing on screen or running through a blender). Mold is everywhere, but it grows best where it has no competition. Someone is probably going to tell you to dry out your cage or keep this poor ackie on paper towels. Disregard them. You're a monitor keeper now, and can disregard lots of things like that.

[chrispaine]

Originally Posted by TheOtherAndy

I saw you taking that ackie outside, Chris. You lose this one and I'm cutting you off.

Ya trust me man, he doesnt come out of his cage much, i was just soakin him for a few mins and cleaning up his cage, so i took him out for a min, that their is a lot of space so i could watch him and he didnt have any little holes to run into. but that wont happen alot intill hes a little older and larger and more used to me..!

[chrispaine]

Originally Posted by wreckwriter

Have you considered feeding in a seperate enclosure? Would that be too much hassle?

I would feed him in a seperate enclosure, actualy i have tried to do that. He didnt eat when i did that, no interest in the crickets!... most likely too stressfull for him to eat, but i would like to be able to do that...

[buck2003]

Maybe a dumb question, but can you not remove the uneaten crickets? then they can't bite him? I'm guesing thats why you leave carrot in there for them to eat. Also I dont know ackies, but how important is it to use the soil? would paper not be ok?

[chrispaine]

ya they really do like the soil, and everyone who really knows their stuff... will tell you to use dirt... and ya i remove the crickets every chance i get... its just that they will hide and you cant see them, and then when you find them... its a moldy cricket... but i still find them.. theotherandy gave me a few tips to keep the mold down so.. ill try that.. and ya thats what the carrots are for.