Nepenthes feeding

[carnivorkid]

i feed mine with dried brine shrimp ,only because i happen to have it with the frogs and newts and turtles i have.

 

[D muscipula]

I used milk and flake fish food for a while, but now i use almost exclusively koi (high protein) pellets.  I haven't had the problem Tony mentions with the pitchers browning at liquid level, but i don't feed very heavily.  There is a noticeable progression in pitcher and leaf size when i feed every week or two, and when i stopped for the last two months, things slowed down a lot.

The flake food tends to stick to everything, and invariably ends up stuck inside the pitcher above the liquid level, which damages the pitcher.

Milk is good for small pitchers, where you can just get a pipette in.  The problem is that spilled milk tends to brown the pitcher, IME.

 

[Stevie D]

Quote[/b] (D muscipula @ May 14 2004,4:59)]I used milk and flake fish food for a while, but now i use almost exclusively koi (high protein) pellets.

'koi' as in koi carp, I take it?

 

[Spectabilis73]

Quote[/b] (Stevie D @ May 19 2004,8:31)]

Quote[/b] (D muscipula @ May 14 2004,4:59)]I used milk and flake fish food for a while, but now i use almost exclusively koi (high protein) pellets.

'koi' as in koi carp, I take it?

I used to use those, too. I should start up again

My maxima stopped pitchering after feasting on the mouse head... too much food is just as bad maybe?

 

[The Griffin]

Maybe it got grossed out like the rest of us, lol.

Joe

 

[superimposedhope]

Anybody have any ideas for infant formula instead of milk. RAM mentioned the easily digestable thing so I'm thinking the formula would work because it is made to be broken down by even simpler digestive systems and has massive protteins in it. I'll actually read the can and see what it is compared to cows milk. Maybe I'll try it. I hate to experiment but I have pitchers too tiny to try to get forceps or something in to even try to feed them.

Joe

 

[Flip_Side_the_Pint]

SIH when you try that definatly monitor the progress... If it shows to be effective you might start a trend of nep growers buying baby formula ! lol:laugh:

 

[superimposedhope]

It makes sense by the idea of the milk thing. Since formula is made to be used by life forms who's digestive system is not capable of cows milk yet. It is fortified with everything and their mom. To boot it is powder making it easier to due small quantities, however formula only last for 48 before spoiling with or without refrigeration. I'll have to keep an eye on this. I used it in my bical. I'll keep posted on this.

Joe

 

[superimposedhope]

Well after 7 days it has not spoiled in the pither or caused any harm. I think I have boosted growth, a pitcher that should have taken a week to open opened in 2 days and is significantly larger than the pither I put the formula in.
However it is a bical which grows like a weed.

Joe

 

[Flip_Side_the_Pint]

hmm, so the pitchers that received the formula are ok? When I fed milf yo my neps its turned the pitcher s brownish colro........ I'm going to try and feed my plants blood soon.. I'll make a seperate thread on that though

 

[pond boy]

Quote[/b] (D muscipula @ June 26 2003,9:54)]Think of it as the hot dog of the fish world.

"It forms a well balanced diet with all the fats, carbohydrate, protein, minerals and vitamins needed for healthy fish."

That's what one company says about their koi pellets.

Koi are a fish, in case that's the part you're not familiar with.  Think really, really big goldfish.

And don`t forget destructive

 

[pond boy]

I just used some of this 90% protein powder vanilla stuff that has 17 grams of protein 1 gram of fat 0 grams of carbs 180 mela grams of sodium and 25 melagrams of potasium per 2 tablespoons. I took a teaspoon of water and added enough powder to the water to make it look like infant formula then I loaded it into a small hypedermic needle(the type they use for insulin) and added 10ccs to a pitcher on my N.rafesiana and N.ventricosa. I`ll let you guys know how this works. Anybody think this will work well?

 

[superimposedhope]

Ok, I noticed today that in one of pitchers with formula it had a drop that hung to the inside wall. It started to get fuzzy so I use a hypodermic syringe and used 1 drop of RO water and it rinsed into the pitcher. Still NO discoloration or damage visible. Upon close inspection the inside wall had no fungus or anything else besides "fuzz" of dried formula. Plant is producing 2 more pitchers as well. The whole plant is 4" across not counting tendrils.

Joe

 

[pond boy]

Update: The N.ventricosa pitcher is doing fine and hasn`t shown any signs of rotting,However the N.rafllessiana pitcher has started rotting at the water level and this is spreading up the pitcher! This is puzzleing `cause I`ve found that rafllessiana is more resistent to pitcher rot (whats the scientific term for that etiolation?),It`s realy too bad too because this was a nice 1 1\4 in. pitcher and was white with lots of red splotches! I`m kicking myself now! Thankfully it has a new pitcher that looks like it will be like 2 in.!

 

[Flip_Side_the_Pint]

for the past three weeks I've been feeding my plants wax worms instead of meal worms. They like them much more. They can digest them alot easier and they seem to be more fatty, So I have to feed less....

 

[MadAboutCPs]

hi everyone,

sometime last year I had a snail slug infestation during the wet season and I was so annoyed at some of them attacking the plants that I fed a slug to the pitcher. All I can say from this bad experience is that DO NOT feed a slug to your pitcher because my pitcher rotted in a day.  

Now i just use snail bait to get rid of the critters.

Christian

 

[Spectabilis73]

derned slugs.... SALT EM! MUAHAHA..

Lately I have been feeding fruit flies and the neps LOVE them. I just dump in 10-50 and vuala... FEAST!

 

[Clint]

i give my newly arrived neps sugar water. every time i have done this the pitcher dies in about 3 days, but the plant grows very, very fast and doesn't show signs of repotting shock.

i gave my new belli and campanulata 10 cc's of it, and both are growing like weeds! my thinking is, plants make their own sugar right? so sugar water must be like liquid energy?

i dont think that sugar water will kill large pitchers of mature plants, but since my terrarium is only 75 gallon, i'll never be able to try it on a large species.

 

[lol]

So, how could I apply it to established potted nepenthes? Do i put sugar water in the soil? What dilution of sugar should I use?

 

[Clint]

on established neps, just put it in the pitchers.

i didn't measure the sugar out, since i used such a small amout, but the solution was still very water, NOT thick like syrup, and is was sweet tasting but not sickening sweet.

another experiment to try is mixing sugar with milk and trying that.

and please dont hold me responsible for anything that happens.