Supplementing protein.
- Thread starter moldveien
- Start date
When you supplement protein such as dog food, you use a piece that is significantly smaller than the head of your larvae. This means that you would have to slice up the dead larvae into small pieces which is going to be super messy. You have to think, if you left the full, dead, larvae inside of the substrate, it is going to mold and decay.
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Beetle-Experience
Eudicella
I second Ratmosphere - I think it would cause more trouble than it's worth.
Jordan
Pupa
In books I have read, once mold starts growing on added protein bits (whatever it may be) they should be removed. One hobbyist who I chatted with extensively stated that the mold should just be left to grow and the larvae will eat it. I'm not sure which is true honestly.
If you want to remove the protein when it molds the only way is to keep it on the surface. I've seen videos of Goliathus sp. larvae coming to the surface to eat dog food pellets. How many of you have tried to just leave a dog food pellet on the surface? I don't know about you, but my larvae (Dynastes) have never surfaced and eaten a piece. I took the advice and started using finely ground dried silkworm pupae and just sprinkling and burying it in the substrate. It would mold and I would just leave it.
I had my larvae split into two groups. One received the protein and the others didn't. I started giving them the protein as soon as they hatched from eggs and didn't have a single death from it. Maybe they weren't eating it at all since I never directly witnessed it. When I would check on them or change the substrate the ones with the protein were notably larger for the most part. Again, maybe a fluke but I liked to believe it was helping!
If you want to remove the protein when it molds the only way is to keep it on the surface. I've seen videos of Goliathus sp. larvae coming to the surface to eat dog food pellets. How many of you have tried to just leave a dog food pellet on the surface? I don't know about you, but my larvae (Dynastes) have never surfaced and eaten a piece. I took the advice and started using finely ground dried silkworm pupae and just sprinkling and burying it in the substrate. It would mold and I would just leave it.
I had my larvae split into two groups. One received the protein and the others didn't. I started giving them the protein as soon as they hatched from eggs and didn't have a single death from it. Maybe they weren't eating it at all since I never directly witnessed it. When I would check on them or change the substrate the ones with the protein were notably larger for the most part. Again, maybe a fluke but I liked to believe it was helping!
@Jordan, do you think a Lucanus elaphus L3 larvae would surface to eat a piece of dog food?
Hisserdude
Dynastes
Well I'm not Jordan, but just want to point out that Goliathus are much more protein hungry than stag beetles, and will even hunt and devour live prey! So while Goliathus may surface for some dog food, I highly doubt Lucanus would, seems most rhino/stag beetle larvae need their food buried next to them.
That's so rad! I want a Goliathus species even more now!
Goliathus larvae are build for hunting. they are much faster and their legs have hooks that can help pin down their prey. They seems to be sensitive to light too.
Most rhino and stag beetle larvae are very clumsy above ground, and seems to be blind. Doubt they can do much hunting.
Most rhino and stag beetle larvae are very clumsy above ground, and seems to be blind. Doubt they can do much hunting.
Sounds like you can produce majors easily!
Never raised a big Goliathus myself. You need to feed them daily. Larvae do not like old food that much, and do not like to eat substrate like Dynastes. And because there might be leftover food, the substrate will need to be changed few times a month.
Anyways, it is going to be a lot of work if you plan to keep a couple of them.
Anyways, it is going to be a lot of work if you plan to keep a couple of them.