I just set up my dubia roach colony. It’s a 30 gallon container. I decided to go with a CHE as I already had it and I feel safe leaving it on all day. Plus the 2 under tank heaters I tried didn’t get hot enough.
The temp on the top of the egg drags gets 90-95°F and humidity is around 46% on the warm side. The dubias definitely enjoy this they are all at the top of the egg crates. My concern, is at the bottom of the crates the temp is drastically different( 73-75°F and in the middle of the crates the temp is maybe 80°F. Should this be a concern at all? Obviously heat rises and all that. Am I better to try a different approach? I just want to make sure I give them the best possible environment.
Nice and toasty. I've found that roaches adapt pretty well and can handle a variety of environments (fortunately). If they are on top of the egg crates enjoying the warmth from the CHE, that's a good sign. Having a nice temperature gradient down into the 70s like that is probably a good thing. They'll move around to get what they need. I've used a similar setup with a heat projector over the roach bin in a basement which had lower temps at the bottom of the bin and they were fine. Now I just keep the colony in a bin in a closet that sits at low-mid 70s all the time without a heat source and they are still doing well.