Dubia roach colony

[beckdg]

this is basically how i keep mine. i use 4 oz deli cups with holes melted in the side for them to gain access for all food and liquids for easy cleanup and removal.



this little vid by stacyah is very helpful. i did something similar for my guys and i loaded it up with the veggies i had for my beardie. EDIT: i did go a lot lower on the citrus and no carrots this time and it seems to work great so far.



i got my water gel crystals at home depot garden/flower dept. (schultz moisture plus)



what i do is i keep a third container in there and i put my gut load mix in that. when it's finished i switch it out for an orange slice halved making sure to leave access. when that's done, i go back to the gut load, etc., etc. ... seems to be keeping them breeding pretty good!

[fallenangelfyre]

Originally Posted by Stacyah

Fallenangelfyre, it sounds like you are describing the husks left over from your roaches molting. Look for a vertical split on the back of the husks. Your husbandry sounds fine, if you offer fresh veggies daily then you don't need water crystals. What are the temps for your roaches?

pretty sure they are dead roaches and not husks from molting. 2 or 3 were still meaty yet dead (not yet vampired). the temps are ~95.

Originally Posted by beckdg

i use 4 oz deli cups with holes melted in the side for them to gain access for all food and liquids for easy cleanup and removal.

good idea!

Originally Posted by beckdg

this little vid by stacyah is very helpful. i did something similar for my guys and i loaded it up with the veggies i had for my beardie. EDIT: i did go a lot lower on the citrus and no carrots this time and it seems to work great so far.

i've seen this video somewhere before. it's where i got the idea of puree'ing my veggies and fruit- excellent video on diy gutload.

Originally Posted by beckdg

i got my water gel crystals at home depot garden/flower dept. (schultz moisture plus)

awesome! glad i don't have to wait for delivery of orders from the net. becks comin' through with the answers in a clutch like always-

Originally Posted by beckdg

what i do is i keep a third container in there and i put my gut load mix in that. when it's finished i switch it out for an orange slice halved making sure to leave access. when that's done, i go back to the gut load, etc., etc. ... seems to be keeping them breeding pretty good!

i'll give the orange thing a whirl. what's with the orange? i've heard somewhere's that it promotes breeding?

*EDIT-
i've got babies! so at least they are breeding and replacing the ones that are dying out-

[beckdg]

i don't know what temps everyone else keeps theirs at but i keep mine on a flexwatt pad as big as their tote. it took some hot and cold days to dial them in for this reason. greg (the guy in the vid) keeps his with a controller at 95*. he also warns that deaths can happen over that temp and at around 68*. so i keep mine in the mid 80's. it gets warm and it hits low 90's it gets cool and it hits upper 70's. soon we'll have the a/c in the window (yes we have central air but i sleep where only polar bears go) and i can bump that temp up if i need to.

stacyah is a new member to the site and she posted that vid i think in her first post. i didn't check to see when she posted it to youtube. anyway, she seems like a smart cookie and i'm glad to have her even if only for that vid. thanks stacy.

those 4 oz cups are perfect for a smaller colony like yours and mine. as it gets bigger we might want to use something bigger like gregs kfc dishes so we don't have to be in there everyday to clean up and feed them.

i have no idea what's with the oranges. i asked them and they're not telling. baby making juice is all i need to know to continue it though.

[froggsong]

There's one tip I'd like to share for making those water crystals last... I let mine dry up completely (outside of the tub), then remove the crystals from any waste and rehydrate them. You can make them last almost indefinitely this way. If you're throwing them out as they start to dehydrate, you're throwing money away.

[fallenangelfyre]

ok, new question:
what if you go through all the trouble of locating a local breeder, collecting all the things you would need to keep them, buy them, make sure your husbandry is up to par to keep the lil bastards alive and breeding . . . and then your lovely pet whom you've gone to all this trouble for seems completely uninterested in them? should i starve him for a few days and then offer some roaches? idk if i can bring myself to do such a thing to my boy, but gosh darn it!

*EDIT- btw, froggy- freakin' awesome tip. i LOVE to make things last as long as possible, and squeeze every last drop of use out of 'em.

[beckdg]

keep trying them i'd say. is this for elvis i presume? if so you might have to sell off adults from time to time even if he does eat them. if he never does take to them... sell them... as a kit.

[Pavel]

Don't know that oranges promote breeding, and I've never done Dubias, but I do know from past experiences that the hissing cockroaches do seem to have a strong preference for oranges and other citrus. Perhaps just a "roach thing"?

If Elvis still refuses, branch out into arachnids -- centipedes, scorps, and T's would love them.