{"product_id":"small-woodies","title":"Small Woodies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fast-moving feeder small enough for a young lizard to catch.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall woodies are live feeder roaches graded for hatchling and young juvenile insectivores — small geckos, young bearded dragons, skinks and froglets. They move almost constantly, which draws a strike from animals that ignore a stationary mealworm, and unlike crickets they are quiet in the house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich size do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeepers size feeders by a rule of thumb: a feeder should be no wider than the space between the animal's eyes. Judge width, not length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a hatchling that gap is only a few millimetres, which is what this grade is for. Too wide risks choking and impaction; too small and a growing animal burns more energy hunting than it gains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGrade\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eTypically suits\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSmall\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHatchling and young juvenile geckos, dragons, skinks and froglets\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMedium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGrowing juveniles and sub-adults\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdult dragons, monitors, larger skinks and frogs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are supplier grades rather than a measured size, so check the feeder against your animal's eyes rather than trusting the grade name alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow many do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHatchlings and young juveniles are usually fed daily. Most keepers offer what the animal takes in ten to fifteen minutes, then remove the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuy about a week's worth. A small animal eats only a few feeders at a sitting, and the most common mistake at this grade is ordering for the appetite you expect rather than the one in front of you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNutrition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike almost every feeder insect other than black soldier fly larvae, woodies carry more phosphorus than calcium. That imbalance is the direct cause of metabolic bone disease in captive reptiles, and it does the most damage at this stage, when a hatchling is laying down skeleton at its fastest rate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe do not publish a calcium-to-phosphorus figure for woodies, because there is no published nutritional analysis for the roach supplied under that trade name in Australia. Treat them as calcium-poor and supplement accordingly — the handling is the same either way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGut-loading and dusting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo both. Gut-load for 24 to 48 hours on a calcium-rich food, dust with calcium immediately before offering, and feed out promptly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo not rely on gut-loading alone. Published work on feeder insects shows the calcium sits in the gut contents and is shed again once the calcium-rich food is taken away. Use calcium with D3 where the animal has no UVB; where good UVB is provided, plain calcium is usually the better choice, since D3 can be over-supplied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKeeping them alive at home\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep them in a smooth-sided, ventilated tub at room temperature and out of direct sun, with egg carton or cardboard for surface area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep it dry. Damp and crowding kill a tub of roaches faster than hunger does. Feed a dry grain-based chow with a slice of carrot or similar for moisture rather than an open water dish, and clear out dead feeders and soiled cardboard as you go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSuitable for, and not suitable for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuitable for hatchling and juvenile geckos, bearded dragons, skinks, water dragons, froglets, and small insectivorous birds and fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot suitable for adult animals, which cannot get enough from a feeder this size — move up to medium woodies. Not suitable as a sole diet, and not suitable fed undusted to any growing animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSafety and welfare\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWoodies are quick and head straight for cover. Remove uneaten feeders at the end of the day rather than letting them burrow into substrate, where they are easy to lose and easy to forget.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep the lid on the tub, and wash hands after handling feeders or cleaning containers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/exo-terra-calcium-d3-powder\"\u003eExo Terra Calcium + D3 Powder\u003c\/a\u003e — the dusting step that makes any feeder roach safe to offer a growing animal.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zoo-med-cricket-block\"\u003eZoo Med Cricket Block\u003c\/a\u003e — gut-load and moisture in one, with no drowning risk in the tub.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/medium-woodies\"\u003eMedium Woodies\u003c\/a\u003e — the next grade up, for when your animal outgrows these.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/black-soldier-fly-larvae-100g\"\u003eBlack Soldier Fly Larvae 100 g\u003c\/a\u003e — a calcium-positive feeder worth rotating in alongside roaches.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLive arrival and delivery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLive feeders are supplied for in-store collection or local delivery, with our live arrival guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat size woodie is safe for a hatchling gecko?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOffer a feeder no wider than the space between the animal's eyes. For most hatchling geckos and young juvenile lizards that means the small grade, moving up once the animal clearly outgrows it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDo woodies still need dusting with calcium?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Feeder roaches are calcium-poor relative to phosphorus, so dust with a calcium supplement immediately before every feed. Only black soldier fly larvae are routinely fed undusted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy choose woodies over crickets for a young animal?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWoodies are near-silent and generally live longer in a tub than crickets, which suits a keeper feeding small quantities daily. Crickets are also known for biting a sleeping reptile, so uneaten ones must always be removed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy are my woodies dying in the tub?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsually damp, crowding or heat. Roaches need ventilation, dry bedding, room temperature and cardboard surface area to spread out on; a sealed humid container kills them quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Live Foods","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55242283942179,"sku":"AA2349","price":12.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/small-woodies-3002369-1600.jpg?v=1781839311","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/small-woodies","provider":"Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}