Thoughts on roach set up?

[Melissuuh]

I have one panther cham that I am attempting to start a roach colony for, with the hopes to add another cham at some point. At the moment I have about 13 adult females, and 3 adult males in a 15qt opaque tub. There was one group of babies about a month into starting, and I am hoping there will be more anytime now. I have 2 egg crates split in half for their climbing, a toilet paper roll, occasional fruits (mainly orange slices), and feed primarily bug burger. Any tips for comments appreciated! Thank you for your time!

I added a picture of the set up, with a cat for scale!

 

[jamjam]

Def more than orange slices well produce more well rounded feeders with needed vitamins for your cham. Might also consider putting a lid on if you don't, I've had number of escapees before I did. Try and keep orange slices from coming in contact with egg crates to prevent mold. And do you have a heat sources?

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I also think you will find that you need a larger fairly quickly. I use a 60Qt gray bin. I use heat tape to warm one side of the bin and I make my own homemade chow, though I have heard good things about bug burger. Otherwise it looks like you are off to a good start.

 

[Melissuuh]

Thanks for the responses! I do have a lid that I put screen mesh on for ventilation. Nobody is escaping that sucker! Thanks for the fruit tip, I'll make sure to keep them separate.

Also, I will definitley upgrade tub sizes when it starts to seem to crowded. I used to make my own gutload for my crickets and I loved doing it, so I will be starting again soon!

 

[Jen0413]

I have a heating pad set on low with a towel between the pad and the bottom of the tub under my colony. Ever since I put it there I have noticed a lot more roach babies. Funny you have your cat next to the colony. My dog is obsessed with the roaches. He goes over and sniffs and sniffs and sniffs them.

 

[Melissuuh]

I have a heating pad set on low with a towel between the pad and the bottom of the tub under my colony. Ever since I put it there I have noticed a lot more roach babies. Funny you have your cat next to the colony. My dog is obsessed with the roaches. He goes over and sniffs and sniffs and sniffs them.

I have them on heat and keep an eye on the temps for them. My cat loooves to 'hunt' stray crickets in the room, but she will not mess with the roaches. Only watches them closely.

 

[ChameleonLady]

I have been reading a lot on roach colonies and have read that darker colored bins produce more. When you upgrade, maybe get a darker bin and in the meantime, you can put duct tape on the outside of yours.

 

[melble68]

I have been reading a lot on roach colonies and have read that darker colored bins produce more. When you upgrade, maybe get a darker bin and in the meantime, you can put duct tape on the outside of yours.

Very interesting. I acquired a discoid colony a few months ago. I got to two sterilite bins w/ LOCKING LIDS. Cut the tops out, hot glued metal screen for ventilation, and spray painted them black. Not sure what my thinking was w/ painting the container black, but apparently I did something right. In addition, I keep both containers in an extra old kitchen base cabinet, so its completely dark 99% of the time. One container is for the breeding adults, and the second one is for the nymphs and thumbnail sized ones I feed off. About once a month or so, I use two different 5 gallon buckets to separate out the newly hatched nymphs from the big adults. One buckets has about 1/2" sized holes drilled in it. That bucket sets inside the second bucket w/ 1/8" holes in it. I pour the entire contents of the adult bin into the first buckets. nymphs and debris passes thru the first bucket, but the bigguns don't. nymphs stay in the second bucket, and poo debris passes thru into an extra full size sterilte bin.

 

[melble68]

Any tips for comments appreciated! Thank you for your time!

I added a picture of the set up, with a cat for scale!

I would make sure to get bins w/ locking lids. My cats pay alot of attention to my bins when I have them out of the cabinet I keep them in while I'm getting a few out to feed my panther. If your cat is anything like mine, I would be afraid to leave them in the same room together unattended. I could only imagine your cat knocking you bin completely over thinking your colony is only for their entertainment.