Dubias dying instead of multiplying.

[usmcfamily]

So I have a 20 gal glass tank with roughly 200 1/2" sized and 10 adult females and 3 adult males. There are about 8 egg crates stacked vertically in the tank, a water dish and another dish with chicken feed as well as scraps from the fridge- lettuces, veggies, etc.

Daily, there are dead ones on the bottom of the tank not just one, more like 3-5. I don't get it. I have a UTH coming on Friday because it's cooled significantly in the last couple weeks so that's going to heat things up but what am I doing wrong? I have to breed feeders because bugs are just way too expensive. Crickets are cheaper but I won't handle them and he doesn't like them.

I'm missing something here, I want these guys to breed and I need to feed Spencer off of them as well. Will they do fine with me getting into the tank a couple times daily to remove some?

I need help here. I've watched countless YouTube vids and feel like this should just be taking off...I should mention I can't keep plants alive so there's that lol.

 

[CooperDragon]

It could be temperature. Hopefully the under tank heater will help. Do you have adequate ventilation? You don't want a lot of humidity to build up because it can harbor mold which is bad news for the colony. Instead of using a water dish I'd use slices of orange and fresh veg for hydration. They'll be able to get the moisture they need from that and it's less of a mold risk. I would also change out the food scraps every couple of days to help protect against mold.

 

[usmcfamily]

Okay so remove the water dish. No crystals either? Just moist fruits.

I'm feeling like I don't have enough either to really get them going...should I buy more? Should I have a separate feeder group while these get going? He eats roughly 1000 a month, how many should I have to produce that amount?

Hygrometer is a necessary thing I guess?

How often is a clean out needed, like to clear any die offs? Is this a frequent thing or best left undisturbed?

Any input is appreciated, thanks.

 

[CooperDragon]

The crystals are probably fine to have in there. I just wouldn't use standing water. I would leave your breeding colony alone and have a separate bin for feeder bugs. It may take several months for the colony to start multiplying. I started with about 600 bugs in a 20g tank and it took maybe 3-4 months to notice a new generation appearing. It can happen more quickly if you have a larger colony or more adults (I started with no adults). I don't use a hygrometer but my tank is kept in a basement with dry air so I don't worry about it much (Fruit dries out completely rather than getting moldy). Pick up the die-offs and remove them from the tank as you see them. I don't clean the tank much though. I just let them build up a frass and they seem to do well when left alone for the most part. You could introduce a dermestid beetle cleaner crew if you want, but I don't use them.