POLL: bottom or top heat for Dubia's

[Ihaggerty1313]

Well I use my temp gun and it is in the 90's all the way to the bottom of the tub and they are breeding like crazy so it must be working.

Remember... Heat rises. You want you heat to rise thru your colony. Unlike reptiles and other animals Roaches don't need sunlight and though a CHE helps it won't thoroughly heat your colony to the temps that you need it.

-Ian

You keep a decent room temp then and you are absolutely correct, the CHE will act as a stabilizer and maintain the correct temps. One step ahead of most people in that aspect. Heat = LOTS o' roaches. Hopefully you have a lot of lizards cuz your gonna need em'!

-Ian

 

[slantedii]

che also reduces humidity in my exp..

 

[sddragons]

So is that a good thing when breeding?

che also reduces humidity in my exp..

 

[Ihaggerty1313]

Blaptica Dubia can handle less humidity than most roaches. Humidity is much easier to control using a plastic sterilite tub w/ a 8x8 or 10x10 hole cut into the lid, and a heat pad under the tub. Keep a full dish of water crystals in the tub at all times and a constant temp of 85 degrees. This will put your humidity somewhere between 40-50%. If you don't use a lid or have too big of a hole in the top of your tub your going to be letting too much warm air escape, and when that happens it's next to impossible to keep any kind of humidity inside your enclosure.

-Ian

 

[citrusdragon]

Bottom heat for sure with temps at mid 90s, it's the most efficient. Let the roaches climb their furniture to find the right temp in the temp gradient. You just need to keep an eye on your source of water.

Jeff

 

[garnothegreat]

i have a human heatpad on the side of the tub should i switch it to the bottom on the inside or outside

 

[Ihaggerty1313]

i have a human heatpad on the side of the tub should i switch it to the bottom on the inside or outside

Sit the tub right on top of it. Don't put it on the inside.

-Ian

 

[garnothegreat]

does anyone notice if your heatpad doesn't get to optimum heat when you use a rheostat?

 

[midnight_962002]

I use bottom heat too!!! I use a 2' stip of 11" heat tape on each of my bins. One is new and doesn't have adults yet but, they are getting there fast. The other is breeding like crazy. I have hundreds of little nymphs running around everyday and I feed probably close to 50 nymph roaches of various sizes every day. I have found that the more roaches you have the higher the humidity is naturally.

JD, if it works you don't have to fix it!!!

Ernie

 

[h0ndap0w3r]

i just use a small dog waterer that holds a quart or so of water. . . it works out perfectly and it last about 2 weeks so i disturb them less.