Best Dubias?

[Jennifer0148]

So, I'd like to switch from crickets to Dubias because I want something healthier and cleaner for my beardie. Crickets are so gross and I'm terrified that he could get parasites from them, especially those from Petco and Petsmart. I've been searching around but there are several sites to choose from but I have zero idea which one to go with. What would be the best place to order small Dubias from? Obviously, cost is important, but I'm more concerned with the quality and cleanliness of them.

My beardie is eating small crickets, so I imagine x small or xx small Dubias would be good? Would they eat as many as they do crickets? Or should I just follow the "give them as many as they'll eat in 10-15 minutes? Are they as highly digestible as I've read?

Finally, I know I must have egg crate, water crystals, and chow. All of that is safe for them to ingest and then feed to my beardie, right? I haven't found anything dealing with that. However, I'm unclear about how warm they're supposed to be kept. Can they be kept in a critter keeper or should I get a small hefty bin with a light? Eventually, I think I'd like to start a colony, but I'm too much of a newbie to do so now.

Thanks.

 

[Nihilist]

I would recommend starting your own colony but that takes time might want to start off ordering some feeders my first attempt was with 1000 small dubias I am not sure what temp you "need" to keep them at but I have them in a room around 80 degrees and using a large cricket keeper to house just them. You will need chow, water crystals and weekly oranges, feeding the roaches these will not hurt your beardie. They also need to be, or like to be, kept in complete darkness.
If you want to start your own colony you need to get a tub, I have two an 18 for larges dubias that I am trying to get to grow into adults and a 30 gallon for my adults. The tubs will need vents cut into them with some type of mess covering them to stop the roaches from possibly escaping

The non breeding tubs can be kept at lower temps but your adult tub needs to be around 85-90 degrees. I am using ceramic bulbs in a walk in closet hanging over my breeding tub and warming the room for the other colonies, the large dubias and the small feeders. you can also use an under the tank heater. I consider myself a total noob and raising dubias is simple just remember to clean out the oranges or what ever else you feed them before it molds. Also come back here and ask lots of questions.
Feeding is the same let your Beardie eat as much as he can in 10-15 minutes. for the small one I have been putting them in a small dish and my Beardie just eats them out of it. But she loves chasing down the larger ones.

 

[Jennifer0148]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the help. I think I'm going with DubiDeli and getting 1000 1/4 nymphs to start. I'll get egg crates, water crystals, and chow from them too.

I have a Zilla terrarium free so I'm going to put them in there and wrap it with butcher paper or something similar to keep it dark and then I'm getting a ceramic heat emitter.

I can't believe I'm so excited to keep roaches, but the crickets are so darn gross and difficult to keep and I don't want my beardie getting parasites.

I just hope he likes the roaches! Considering that he eats like a pig, I'm guessing he won't care. The roaches are highly digestible, right?

 

[HKzForDayz]

you can get 5000 small dubias for 135 bucks through kfcfeeders.com