For added prey variety, Firebrats are an easy low-maintenance small feeder option (good for babies and pygs but not overly suitable for larger chameleons)
How to:
Get a Plastic bin (with smooth sides). Lid is optional – whether you need it will depend on how humid your room is, but you’ll need some holes in the lid for sure.
Put some wheat bran, along with a little dry leaf litter and/or fine shredded paper on the bottom, as the substrate (and as a food source).
Put in some egg crates. (this is housing, furniture and food)
Toss in a few cotton balls (they like to lay eggs on these). Stuff them into half the egg crate pockets if you want.
They want a little humidity, but they drown in water so no misting and make sure you don’t get condensation on the sides of the container (will drown firebrats and cause mold/mites in substrate). If your container is lower than 30% humidity, Use the lid off of a jar and put a damp cotton ball on that on top of the substrate. Or a few cubes of watering gel.
Sprinkle in some fish food flakes, or crushed dry dog food now and then (this is food in addition /supplemental to the egg crate and wheat bran - best to leave at least a full day between giving this supplemental protein and feeding off to chams)
Keep dry (humidity 30%) and very warm (ideal is 37C/98F). Use a heat mat or heat tape (firebrats are nocturnal so no heat lights). Might get warm enough even if the bins sit ontop of your lighting fixtures above your cages. Below 60F and they will not breed at all.
Add starter colony. Recommend not starting with wild caught individuals, but buy a starter colony instead.
Wait.
The females lay the eggs in crevices, on cottonballs, or buried in food /substrate. The cotton balls will become discoloured, which suggests eggs. The average clutch contains 50 eggs, but can be three times that.
Takes 2-3 weeks for babies to hatch. No larva stage, just mini versions of adults. It will take awhile to initially set-up, but production is good once things are going. You should get a couple generations a year (takes 4-6 months for babies to become egg-laying adult size)
How to:
Get a Plastic bin (with smooth sides). Lid is optional – whether you need it will depend on how humid your room is, but you’ll need some holes in the lid for sure.
Put some wheat bran, along with a little dry leaf litter and/or fine shredded paper on the bottom, as the substrate (and as a food source).
Put in some egg crates. (this is housing, furniture and food)
Toss in a few cotton balls (they like to lay eggs on these). Stuff them into half the egg crate pockets if you want.
They want a little humidity, but they drown in water so no misting and make sure you don’t get condensation on the sides of the container (will drown firebrats and cause mold/mites in substrate). If your container is lower than 30% humidity, Use the lid off of a jar and put a damp cotton ball on that on top of the substrate. Or a few cubes of watering gel.
Sprinkle in some fish food flakes, or crushed dry dog food now and then (this is food in addition /supplemental to the egg crate and wheat bran - best to leave at least a full day between giving this supplemental protein and feeding off to chams)
Keep dry (humidity 30%) and very warm (ideal is 37C/98F). Use a heat mat or heat tape (firebrats are nocturnal so no heat lights). Might get warm enough even if the bins sit ontop of your lighting fixtures above your cages. Below 60F and they will not breed at all.
Add starter colony. Recommend not starting with wild caught individuals, but buy a starter colony instead.
Wait.
The females lay the eggs in crevices, on cottonballs, or buried in food /substrate. The cotton balls will become discoloured, which suggests eggs. The average clutch contains 50 eggs, but can be three times that.
Takes 2-3 weeks for babies to hatch. No larva stage, just mini versions of adults. It will take awhile to initially set-up, but production is good once things are going. You should get a couple generations a year (takes 4-6 months for babies to become egg-laying adult size)
