Starting to look like a colony!

[aussiefreak101]

So I wasn't going to clean them til the end of this month but when I checked on them this morning there were ants attacking the bin. I check on them in the morning/afternoon then before I go to bed, just to make sure the temperature in the bin is right since the temp here in Oregon is fluctuating so much with heat then rain. So I went all kung-fu on it as ants freak me out. Roaches I'm ok but ants I'm not..yeah, I know, odd. I'll be adding a water bottle with holes poked in the top as I think the humidity has gone down, found two lost young females during the cleaning which bummed me out. I haven't touched them in about a month and a half and the last numbers were roughly 20 males(after weeding out the excess), 59 females, and 197 nymphs. Today the number was roughly 41 males(haven't weeded out), 69 females, and 606 nymphs. My roomie kept talking to me while I was counting out the females so I kept losing track and their number is of course the only one I really care about.

Look at all those babies!

 

[EnookiMacek]

Nice!!

I wanted to go into roach breeding myself but I'm too much of a girly girl to do that :roll: ..
Good job really..I would never touch them XD..

 

[Buckmaster299]

how hard is it to start this colony? i am wanting to do this but not really sure where to start. I want to use my 10gal aquarium but i don't know if this would suffice for a breader colony or not. Any advice?

 

[aussiefreak101]

For a beginning colony a 10gal would be ok I believe. I find it easier to just use a rubbermaid or sterilite tub because with a 10gal you'd have to paint or tape the outside, something to make it not see through. Colonies grow best when it is dark. You would then need a source of heat like an under the tank heater and a way to measure like a digital thermometer with a probe, it's like $8 at Petco. After a while you'd need to upgrade though out of the tank to something bigger. I don't have a 10gal to reference size too so maybe someone else can help better with on when to switch.

 

[Buckmaster299]

yeah i have a 10gal i am using for my small beardie but she is quickly out growing it so i thought "Hey start a colony with it." I may just do the tote thing like u did. looks much simplier. I'm rounding all the supplies up now. Hopefully by this time next week i'll be well on my way to starting one. My beardies like them ALOT more than crickets. thanks for the reply

 

[wojcik49]

Your gonna need more then 10 gallon..I started with 1000 of them 2 months ago. I have 3 bins full of them now

 

[Buckmaster299]

once they begin breeding, is there a way to slow them down so that i dont' get overrun? i would love to start a breeder colony and sell to local petstore i deal with but i just dont' have the resources for that so i just want to breed so that i don't have to buy any more. any help here would be great. Thanks

 

[aussiefreak101]

Lower the temperature. They breed best in the 85-90 range and I've heard that lowering the temperature lowers the reproduction rate. However, I've also heard that with a very large colony they can create enough of their own heat to keep going. You can sell any over count you want here or on craigslist too.

 

[wojcik49]

It's kinda fun to have them as pets to though

 

[Buckmaster299]

ok. that sounds like a plan. so my next question is, how do i maintain breeding temperature? Do the stereilite containers hold heat? i have them in a very large critter keeper from petstore right now. but i only have a very small colony of about 95 or so.

 

[wojcik49]

Get heating pads and dark, not clear bins(black, or gray)

 

[Buckmaster299]

so i put the heating pad under the bin correct?

 

[wojcik49]

I have one bin with one under it and on the side and the other bin has a heat pad on each side

 

[Buckmaster299]

ok. i'll figure out the best way in my room. thanks for the info. i have a few other questions. so i have to feed the roaches that "Roach Mash" or can i just feed them fruits, veggies, and greens and stuff...

 

[wojcik49]

There will be canabilism if not enough protein. Grind dog/cat food into powder. Fruit I use oranges and and bananas, carrots cut up diced, sliced. peels thrown out switched up with water crystals. Spirulina is also good for them has the most protein known to man, 60 percent, lots of vitamins, antioxidants ect. Spirulina is the easiest and most digestible protein. I suggest giving spirulina and chlorella to roaches and taking some yourself. Two of the healthiest things on earth.