We started our colony only about 2 weeks ago. We have a heating pad that stays on 24/7 under the tub where the egg cartons are located. The ambient temp is around 79-80f, but the temp on the bottom if the bin is 90~f. Then there's the obvious water crystals in a small lid and their daily "garbage salad", as my husband calls it, and slice of orange. Garbage salad includes collard greens, banana moosh, a teaspoon or so of fish flakes, and 1/2 a chopped up apple and potato.
My question is does my setup sound ok?
I thought the dubias would hang out on the egg crates most of the day, but about half of them are spread out through the tub with the other half huddled under the water crystal container every time we open it to check on them.
Is this normal behavior? Is something off or missing?
That looks pretty similar to my setup with the mat under the crates and the food on the other side. Temps are about the same as well. Is your top ventilated? If so, it sounds like you're off to a good start. My colony is thriving with a similar setup.
The top isn't ventilated, we poked holes in the sides. I can take a pic when I get home, but just imagine about 10 pencil sized holes in both long sides and 3 or 4 on the short sides.
Not as far as I know. I usually have a bunch of them in the cardboard tubes and then some of them hanging out in and around the food. The ratio of them in the tubes and out by the food seems to vary depending on the time of day and how long it's been since I refreshed their food. Orange slices after no fresh food for a few days usually creates a mob scene after a little while. At the moment they have gotten steady fresh veges so there is a half eaten orange slice just sitting there with only 1 or 2 two of them picking away.
That's pretty much how I have my setup as well as long as not too wet to get food moldy it's looking good. mine do that too some of them hang under the food and water dishes just depends on the time of day and the heat i suppose. just bugs doing bug things.