Green Pet Care - energy efficiency and reptile ownership.

[Leigh]

This is a good thread.Steve you may want to point out that different countries have all kinds of legislation.I use the tubes,because I like the UV the length of the tank, that way he gets some what ever end he sits(if not burried) I disposed of a normal lamp in the glass recycling box and got told to put it in the normal dustbin .Any food waste gets put on the garden, meat will be eaten by birds, foxes,cats and hedgehogs, veg will decompose or get eaten by snails,woodlice and other bugs, this in turn supplies me with healthy live feeders.I am Englands equivilant of "Johnny Apple Seed"but with strawberries and Passion fruit, I plant them all over the place.Also at home I've planted a cranberry bush ,a blueberry bush and grow my own Kale,cabbage,endive,mushrooms,peas and carrots(caterpillers pending). Substrate gets sprinkled about the garden and rots down along with the mulch already in place. I have in the past (when skint)saved it all in a small bin,washed with water ,left to dry and reused.I keep my skinks cage in the same room as my beardie and pc so the radiator(has a TRV) never comes on so that must be saving gas in the winter.Pheeew, thats my longest ever post ,and I'm going for a ciggy break now to recover.

[Zach]

Pfff, you smoke! I guess I didn't expect that from someone so health/environmentally conscious!

[NomadOfTheHills]

I think smoking is good for the environment.

What is our biggest environmental problem? Overpopulation. What does smoking do? Kill people.

Morbid, sure, I guess, but I have no problems with smokers. They know the risks, and are doing our environment a favor.

[Fatal_S]

I got 100 Pheonix and 100 Wax worms today! Hopefully I can get some colonies going. After this I'm going to work on getting some roach colonies and a few snail colonies going.

I find it funny that Trikks wont eat normal food unless worms are mixed in, but Pryce wont eat worms unless their mixed with his food Stupid lizard brains. Wocket is indifferent ^.^

I hate smoking. If I ever get a power position, smoking will be illegal. I have major health problems due to my parents smoking, and it's unlikely my mom will live to see me graduate uni. Smoking is a bad thing.

[Steve]

I haven't done much research on Phoenix worms... do you have info on actually breeding them?

[Fatal_S]

The pheonix worms should be fairly easy to maintain and breed. I can also feed them the skink food that's gone bad, or my family's waste food. Tommorow (later today) I will be setting up the worm habitats, and afterwards I can make a post about what I'm doing, etc.

For now, if you'd like:
http://www.windward.org/notes/notes66/walt66-7.htm
This site is great, but the site it links to:
http://www.esrla.com/brazil/frame.htm
Is amazing for information. I got most of my info from these sites.
Another site:
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/smit ... les/A2.pdf

[Fatal_S]

Okay, well i'm bored, so I drew up what I'm hoping to use as a setup:

Definately not my best drawing, but it works.
Explaination:
The plan is to buy a plastic bin maybe 2' x 1' for now, then upgrade if the colony actually grows.
Above the bin, in blue, we see a light. This is a CME I just removed from Wocket's tank because it's too weak. I'm hoping the heat will jump start the colony, and once it's going I can slow it down anytime by providing less heat/food.
Food will be scraps and waste foods from my family and any skink food that goes bad. In this drawing the food is the scribbles drawn in pencil. You can see the food coming through the top, and into where the larva (black dots) are. Yumm.
The food goes through a funnel (may not be added, depends on if it's needed), the purpose of which is solely to keep the loose flies from escaping. But if some do, meh, they're harmless so I'll just catch them and feed them to Fang or my next spider... or my dog.
The green thing on top is the lid. On the left side under the lid is a layer of black, which will be cloth or fly netting or something to keep the flies in when I open the lid.
At the bottom of the tub on the left side is a blue ramp leading to a ledge. This is where the larva ready to pupate will go to pupate. They do this naturally, so no worries for me. And once every few weeks or so I'll just wipe whatever's gathered on there (pupate shells, dead flies, etc) and wipe it back into the food.
Above the ramp, in green, is a series of egg carton pieces or the like attatched to the bin where the flies can lay eggs and rest. The eggs hatch, the hatched larva then search for the food, and fall down back to the bottom. Then it starts again.
As for water, the food may contain enough moisture, or I may mist occasionally if they seem dehyrated.
Hopefully this will be a self sustaining colony that I just feed, and leave. I can collect worms by simply scooping them up, picking them out of the food, and throwing the food back. If I use the funnel I'll just have to remove it first. For the small version I may just have a layer of fly mesh over the whole top, and i'll just open it enough to stick the food in or get worms out. Once I get it set up I'll post about it, and we'll see if it works.

[Leigh]

I'm confused what are you producing, a wormery or a fly factory?That does sound complicated with a funnel,is the food liquidised? and have you taken into account that that contraption will STIIIIIIIIIINK!!!!

[Steve]

Absolutely brilliant! I need to start a colony of these myself then

[Steve]

I just ordered 600 of them!! This is exciting. Not only are they one of the best feeder insects on the market, they also can do a MUCH better job of breaking down kitchen waste than earthworms.

42.1% crude protein
34.8% ether extract (lipids)
7.0% crude fiber
7.9% moisture
1.4% nitrogen free extract (NFE)
14.6% ash
5.0% calcium
1.5% phosphorus

they breed like crazy, they are noninvasive.... I'm impressed.

I intend to work with earthworms and roaches still, variety is the spice of life, but phoenix worms look like they will be the staple diet of my insectivores from now on. Let's see what my pink tongue skinks think of them, that'll be the big test.

[Fatal_S]

I'm confused what are you producing, a wormery or a fly factory?That does sound complicated with a funnel,is the food liquidised? and have you taken into account that that contraption will STIIIIIIIIIINK!!!!

Leigh, I need the flies to breed to get more worms. These guys can go through their entire life cycle in as little as 2 weeks, with a female laying nearly 1000 eggs. That makes a lot of worms to feed. If I have enough worms, I just minimize feeding and remove the heat, and they slow down, lasting up to 6 months. The flies only live 5 days, then they die and fall to the bottom to be eaten.

The funnel was just an idea to prevent too many flies from escaping. It would be used more for a large tank than my small one. As for the smell, they actually break down the food amazingly fast, and before it rots. Colonies I've read about have very little odor. Even better, the worms produce a chemical which repels other types of flies, meaning I wont be swarmed with flies ^.^ The Soldier Flies also do not carry diseases, so that's a big plus.

Steve, glad you like. I'm just doing some cleaning then heading to the store for supplies.

[mom22wins]

Pfff, you smoke! I guess I didn't expect that from someone so health/environmentally conscious!

Zach, all you got from that long post was that he smokes?

Nomad, you are too funny (and pretty logical I might add.)

I got 100 Pheonix and 100 Wax worms today! Hopefully I can get some colonies going. After this I'm going to work on getting some roach colonies and a few snail colonies going.

Fatal, firstly, sorry about your health issues. Secondly, where did you get the worms? I'd love to order some online. I can't find them around here.

[Fatal_S]

I got my worms from a local Petland, but I can also order online from http://www.canadianfeeders.com/
Other places to order from include:
http://www.wormman.com/ (recommended on another site)
or
http://www.nyworms.com/

[Steve]

I ordered mine from http://www.mulberryfarms.com/phoenix.htm


I do a lot of business with nyworms also...

[Fatal_S]

Also, I did my setups, and took pictures, so i'll upload them tonight. The setups cost a total of $6.43 at Dollarama, but the lamp was $15.

[Steve]

Very cool... just watch that the CHE doesn't dry things out, I think an under tank heater would be more appropriate, but using what you already have available is the 'green' thing to do

If you could email me the photos (and give me permission to include them in my article) I'd appreciate it! e2macpets@gmail.com

[Leigh]

Thanks for the info Fatal, I enjoy your fact finding posts, you do do lots of research.

[Zach]

Pfff, you smoke! I guess I didn't expect that from someone so health/environmentally conscious!

Zach, all you got from that long post was that he smokes?

I actually thought that was Steve who posted that. Sorry, Leigh! I like to razz Steve every chance I get. (and Nomad)

Except, dang it, nomad and I have been on a role with agreeing on things, and I sort of agree with what he said about smoking killing people. Although I enjoy cigars so I'm one to talk.

[NomadOfTheHills]

I think cigars are a different type of smoking than cigarettes, more like a special occasion to have a good cigar. I've had a cheap one, and a good one. Not a fan of either really, but I can appreciate the nice ones.

[Tattoo]

Smoking is a terrible habit. But if you need to fill the room with smoke I would vote for some nice cherry cavendish pipe tobacco. I will agree that the planet is over populated but the problem with elimination via smoking is we loose some good folks along the way.

Any chance we can talk our cross dressing english mate into quiting the ciggys? I know of couse giving up the lager is out of the question.