I now have baby crickets all over my Tokay aquarium! ugh! I never would have thought crickets would repoduce in there. Anyway, I put cricket gut load (thirst quencher and powder stuff) in to keep them from botering my gecko, but I can't get them all out with out smooshing or cleaning the whole thing! I guess I could clean the whole thing, but qhat if it keeps happening? I have a 55 gallon which is difficult to move around, so I need at leat someone to help me clean it when I do. Soo I guess I will have to try to do that...unless you all think that these new crickets won't hurt my gecko...they are very tiny, but in the thousands???maybe ={!

crickets can be nasty when they get a bit bigger... i dunno but personally I would just go for it and clean out the enclosure. Do you put just enough crix in at a time or a whole lot? and what substrate are you using?? this might make it easier for the crickets to lay eggs in there...
another thing is how often do you clean the whole cage out because cricket eggs don't hatch that quickly...
or you could always only put male crickets in

__________________
Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

Usually the small crickets go unnoticed when their dumped in with the larger ones. After a few weeks you'll notice them as they increase in size. I would suggest cleaning them out. The can be an annoyance and sometimes nibble on toes.

__________________
Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

I usually clean the cage out about every couple of months, but I do spot cleaneing everyother day...since he goes in one spot. I use reptile bark... Plus, I think maybe the crickets are laying in the plant dirt..I have live plants that I don't clean the dirt that they are in...I would know where to start. Anyway, that is when I got the babies after I added the live plants. I put enough crickets in to last a week or sometimes two when I don't have time to go to the store. My gecko isn't interested in them, he just eats large crickets. I was hoping he would eat them and I could get away with this. I just don't want the crickets to bother my gecko or dirty the cage. I guess, I am afraid that If go through the ordeal of cleaning and I don't get them all (from the plants or driftwood) and I always have this from the dirt...ya know. I really like the live plant look, so I don't know what I could to to keep the crickets out of it. I am keeping the dirt wet in hopes of drowning any eggsor not haveing anymore cickets lay anymore eggs. I guess I will clean it this weekend, but is there any ideas to keep this from happening again. thanks

rather just feed when ever needed and keep the crix outta the cage.Just put in a few for him to eat right then, don't leave food for a 2 weeks! Cricket are also known for being biters to your herps! The soil is definite breeding ground for crix... rather worry about your herps humidity requirments than just wetting the soil to drown the cricket eggs....sorry if I am sounding harsh but just had to give my view.

__________________
Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

Crix are well known for chewing up herps as caudalis said...have you considered using a feeding tank? It can be a bit of a hassle with a tokay but its better then havign a cage fll of baby crix, and dead ones as well.

I know, you guys are right. Don't worry I am not mad. I am going to clean it out Sat. I was keeping a close eye on them though>to make sure my gecko and the humidity and everything was safe, promise< I am going to try andsave the crickets in "feeding tank" or more like a deep bucket with a lid. I have a spare 10 gallon, but no lid, but I never done this before. I am due to clean ou the tank anyway. SOOO Here is a question though. How would you clean the plant dirt? or maybe leave the plants out for awhile (how long?) Thanks

Depending on the plant, you could just put plastic wrap over the entire base of the plant and put the water under that, that shouldn't kill the plant, but the large amount of humidity and low air supply ill choke out the crickets after about a week, as long as there is sufficient water, and the plant itself is exposed to air, it will not hurt the plant at all.

You could also put the plants outside for a week or two just to let what is in there hatch, and then as was said before, regulate the crickets going in so that there is no more breeding inside the tank.

__________________
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ (I found it!) but ‘That’s funny…'"
- Isaac Asimov



TKE:TT:118

sounds good to me thanks everyone =)