Dubia check list...

[renzo0684]

I am getting my dubias soon I just want to make sure I have everything and suggestions are welcome.

-Blue rubbermade tub.

-Egg crates

-water crystals (does petco sell these? just so I can have some on hand while my order gets here)

-Food (can I use crushed cat/dog food and then 24 hours before feeding off gutload with oranges and carrots)

-24 hour heating pad (does anyone use a light instead of a pad? like a red or black light?)

-25 males and 75 female dubia adult roaches

I hope this will work I am really excited!!! My fiance is mad at me but oh well =] She will get happy in the same pants she got mad in lol

 

[wyattroa]

sounds good. I have had my dubia colony going for about 6 months now and feeding my bearded from it. A couple suggestions though, Take clear packaging tape and put it around the inside of your bin towards the top so the babies can no climb out. I know people say dubia roaches can not climb, but the babies can and will. Second, I would look into water crystals instead of the water gel you buy at the pet store. I bought the water crystals from http://theroachguy.com/ this guy has answered every single question I threw at him. You put water on the crystals and the absorb the water and expand. Then if they start to dry out you can just put more water on them and they will expand again. I was having a hard time getting my temps right, so i have a heating pad on the bottom of the bin and also a CHE on the top of the bin about 5 inches from it. My humidity is never more then 30%, but I have not had any issues and have tons of babies! Good luck, my wife took some convincing too, but when I told her I would not be buying crickets from the store anymore and the amount of money we would be saving she cracked!

 

[summoner12]

no cat or dog food, unless you are feeding the roaches to your cat or dog?

 

[renzo0684]

no cat or dog food, unless you are feeding the roaches to your cat or dog?

Than what should I use? Wouldnt the 24 hour gutloading with oranges and carrots get the dog food out?

 

[summoner12]

Cricket crack is a good gutload.

no it wouldn't clean out the dogfood. the roach grows from what it eats.

Just use the normal vegies and I don't know if oranges are something you wanna gutload with.

 

[renzo0684]

Cricket crack is a good gutload.

no it wouldn't clean out the dogfood. the roach grows from what it eats.

Just use the normal vegies and I don't know if oranges are something you wanna gutload with.

Why not oranges? peopel do it with crickets right? In all the dubia colonies I have seen have oranges in the bin with them... Im not arguing I am just trying to figure out why and what I need to do because I am getting them next week

 

[trd1215]

Your supply list sounds good but without the dog food or cat food.... cricket crack is good, just try different fruits and vegetables. I tried giving mine oranges but they dont seem to eat it.

 

[renzo0684]

OK so if I just have regular gutload in the bin all the time will be fine? like collard greens, butternut squash, kayle, and stuff like that? Dont dubias need a high protein diet to live?

 

[summoner12]

find a thread that talks about safe gut load for chams... and just use that stuff. dog food and cat food is not how you raise a colony of Dubia.... Time, heat and food are the key.

 

[gpmo]

Here is the link for my gutload video, I use lots of leafy greens (without too much calcium as dubias don't thrive on high calcium foods) carrots, yams, oranges, true berries (blackberries, rasberries etc), oat bran and wheat bran. Pretty much what we don't eat gets mixed into dubia food

Avoid the high protein dog and cat foods as they can contribute to gout in your chams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlM9RaCBt_M

 

[Zen Reptiles]

A lot of suggestions are to feed the roach what will be good for the chameleon, but those foods don't really help the roach!

Roaches like protein and moisture.

Protein: Dried egg powder, bee pollen, brewer's yeast, spirulina or dulce seaweed powder.

I use a good quality koi fish food and that really helps with the protein to grow the roach colony, the protein content is mostly spirulina though so you can just use that. I like it because it has additional probiotics and other ingredients I like. Definitely not a Wal-Mart brand though. But even the really high end stuff goes on 50% off sale around here in the winter.

If you just feed them fruits and vegetables, you're gonna have a lousy production. It's all about the protein.

For moisture, any of the other suggestions above are fine. I use oranges a lot.

Humidity helps with breeding response too, I soak some paper towel and toss it in there every night.

 

[renzo0684]

A lot of suggestions are to feed the roach what will be good for the chameleon, but those foods don't really help the roach!

Roaches like protein and moisture.

Protein: Dried egg powder, bee pollen, brewer's yeast, spirulina or dulce seaweed powder.

I use a good quality koi fish food and that really helps with the protein to grow the roach colony, the protein content is mostly spirulina though so you can just use that. I like it because it has additional probiotics and other ingredients I like. Definitely not a Wal-Mart brand though. But even the really high end stuff goes on 50% off sale around here in the winter.

If you just feed them fruits and vegetables, you're gonna have a lousy production. It's all about the protein.

For moisture, any of the other suggestions above are fine. I use oranges a lot.

Humidity helps with breeding response too, I soak some paper towel and toss it in there every night.

Thats what I thought I knew I wasnt crazy.... So how long before I feed the roaches off do quit feeding them the high protien foods and start with the gutoading foods for the cham?

 

[cslinca]

I use chicken feed for my Dubia, its a great gutload and you can get a huge bag for pretty cheap.

 

[QuioteCham]

about the oranges: mine started to eat them at first, and now dont even seem to notice they're there. They copletely dont notice the oranges

 

[buddhacham]

Cricket crack is a good gutload.

no it wouldn't clean out the dogfood. the roach grows from what it eats.

Just use the normal vegies and I don't know if oranges are something you wanna gutload with.

Can cricket crack be used as regular dubia food, and then just supplement with fresh fruit and vegetables? Or is cricket crack only to be used before feeding them off? Or is there not enough protein to keep the dubia healthy?

Thank you

 

[DGray]

Can cricket crack be used as regular dubia food, and then just supplement with fresh fruit and vegetables? Or is cricket crack only to be used before feeding them off? Or is there not enough protein to keep the dubia healthy?

Thank you

Cricket crack is way too expensive to feed the colony as a staple diet. I just use it as a gut load. My roach "slop" is cooked rice, ground dog food, and a puree of banana and other fruit. Seems to be working well; they've been breeding like crazy since I switched diets.