Dubia Roach Setup

MistyChee'

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I have ventured into the world of Dubia Roaches : )

I have done lots and lots of research on these little feeders and my Bearded Dragon loves to chase and eat them up!

I started out with 2 male adults and 10 female adults and 100 nymphs of different sizes ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1402867520.505862.jpgto use as feeders while my big guys make babies. They are all together in a 20 gal aquarium with egg crates and such. My children 3 and 6 years old love to watch their "Rollie polies" so I don't want to put them in a Rubbermaid bin. I just covered 3 sides with black construction paper and tape we had lying around our craft area.

My question is I want to make the aquarium look better. I want to add some clay pots and maybe fish aquarium decor to hide the egg crates a bit. I worry the roaches will eat the clay and stuff the Decor is made from and then transfer that to my dragon? Beings these are feeder insects my dragons health must come first!

Thank you for any and all suggestions in advanced!
 

Tom

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You can set them up with a standard reptile set up with substrate, plants and everything if you like. Just be aware that the vertical egg flats give them much more surface area to congregate and populate.

A couple of notes for you. I've been breeding roaches since '92. Dubia since '09. The colony will take a long time to really get going. Its when your third generation reaches maturity and really starts producing that things explode. For the first six months or so, it doesn't seem like much is happening. At about 9-12 months you won't know what to do with them all.

I have found that when you move adults they often stop producing. You'll get the best results from juveniles that matured in your own bin. They don't like to be moved.

I see at least 5 different things in there for them to eat. You really don't need all of that. It won't hurt anything either, but it is more unnecessary work. I just throw a handful of dog kibble in one corner and something wet in the other. Carrot, yam, apple, orange, greens, whatever. Mine get lots of leftovers too. Nothing goes to waste. I used to use those water crystals and nothing changed when I quit using them.

Also don't clean the bin very often. I clean mine once a year or so and it really disrupts the colony. The stuff on the bottom is made up of poop, exoskeletons, food bits and any other inedible detritus and its called "frass". A good frass layer is healthy for them and its helps start the babies off well.

You only need a few males to get the job done even in a big colony, so feed out the surplus males to your dragon and save the females for breeding.

I find them enjoyable too, just like your kids, so it seems like you are getting dual benefits from them. Have fun! :)
 

MistyChee'

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Also, should I worry about them inbreeding to much? They all came from the same place. They may be all brothers and sisters, moms and dads... Yikes!
 

goReptiles

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Dubia are super easy. I used to raise them for my bearded dragons. I used a tub with a thin layer of coco fiber and plenty of egg cartons. I 100% agree with Tom- scraps an dog food are easier and cheaper. I used cricket food in the beginning bc I had a ton that I mixed in with my mealworm and super worm bedding.

I kept mine under my bed with a heat pad. If I remember correctly, they do better when it's a little warm, but I can't remember the temps.

Since you plan on breeding, don't feed any of them off until you get a good colony going. My first batch, I fed off before I got babies big enough to breed. I ended up having to buy more adults. It didn't take long before I had tons. Either feed something g else in the meantime or start another tank with feedable roaches.
 

Tom

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Since you plan on breeding, don't feed any of them off until you get a good colony going.

I like to feed off all the surplus males as I go along. No need to have extras hanging around taking up space and eating the food. You only need a few males to get the job done, and new ones are always maturing. I do say disturb your females as little as possible.
 

Tom

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Also, should I worry about them inbreeding to much? They all came from the same place. They may be all brothers and sisters, moms and dads... Yikes!
No. It would take 99 years to see genetic problems due to inbreeding if you started with a pair. Add a third roach and it would take at least 999 years. My 1992 hisser colony is descended from 3 individuals. They have produced literally millions of offspring over the last 22 years and still going strong. No inbreeding issues yet.
 

goReptiles

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I like to feed off all the surplus males as I go along. No need to have extras hanging around taking up space and eating the food. You only need a few males to get the job done, and new ones are always maturing. I do say disturb your females as little as possible.

Agreed. I was just thinking since he's starting with a small group of adults, not to feed from them until the colony is situated with more than two males.
 

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