Can I get some help with my new Rusty Red's? (roaches)

[Roja]

I bit the bullet and spent $50 (including $25 overnight shipping because Rojo has been refusing to eat crickets) and got 1000 medium rusty reds. I also bought water crystals.

I've got them in a 10 gal glass tank on egg crate and toilet paper rolls.. feeding cat/dog food, some of rojo's beardie pellets that he won't touch, fresh fruits & veggies and water crystals and cricket food/water. I have a 75 watt black light on them 24 hrs a day. Making sure no produce gets moldy.

I don't see too many dead (got them this past saturday) only the ones I've accidentally smashed and what looks like a lot of shells of a bunch. I'm seeing a bunch of white ones, so I'm assuming they are shedding/growing?

I dont know how long it takes them to mature and when they'll start to breed.. I don't know much else about them. Rojo is semi-interested, but he's going through some crazy behavior right now: http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=144663

These are my major questions....
• How many do I feed him?
• Do I feed him the small ones or wait till they're full grown? (He was eating between 20-30 large crickets a day before he suddenly refused them about a month ago. I don't know how the roaches equate to crickets.)
• Am I suppose to pull them out of the cage at night like I did crickets if he doesn't eat them all? (they hide in every crevasse in the enclosure and they are FAST)

Thanks in advance!! Any thoughts, advice, techniques welcomed!

 

[Gail]

Try and not feed the adults, at least not for awhile, you need them for breeding. You might want to feed a few more then you would of crickets since they are a bit smaller.

I've never had problems with roaches biting a dragon but make sure to leave a bit of greens in the cage over night so the roaches have something to eat.

You might try covering all sides of the tank, reds like it darker. Feed them oranges at least once a week to help increase breeding.

 

[Roja]

Try and not feed the adults, at least not for awhile, you need them for breeding. You might want to feed a few more then you would of crickets since they are a bit smaller.

I've never had problems with roaches biting a dragon but make sure to leave a bit of greens in the cage over night so the roaches have something to eat.

You might try covering all sides of the tank, reds like it darker. Feed them oranges at least once a week to help increase breeding.

Awesome.. great info. Thanks.

 

[Roja]

I keep thinking he ate them all then I move his log hide and a million run out and go strait into the cracks in between the tile and the glass.

I found that if I put them into a plastic baggie with the calcium and vit powder and shake them REAL hard, they get dazed for awhile and will just lay there... but he's still picking at them.

I spent more than I can afford on this colony..... I'm worried.

 

[Gail]

They are great at hiding. Can you feed in a separate container? I never just let them lose in the viv.

 

[Roja]

They are great at hiding. Can you feed in a separate container? I never just let them lose in the viv.

I don't know... he gets really stressed out when I move him out of his tank. I've never been able to get him to feed in a different location.

 

[spurlee01]

I took everything out of Lil's tank to feed her. She stood at a corner and waited for them to go buy and grabbed them.

 

[DrDimentia]

Another idea that i do is use a dish, bowl, ect that has sides that the reds cant climb My drake just perches on the lip and gobbles away.... but i think the most fun he has is chasing the 2-3 lucky runners... .... i just got a great deal on 3k ... they go thru bout 2 lrg carrots and a lrg orange a week along with the typical food... for heat im just using a plug in radiator and keep that room shut off from the rest of the house (hoping to start breading hissers too at some point)... Another idea that has worked great is i picked up a 197 quart tote from wall-mart for like $16 More than plenty of room for the colony to get started