Dubia Roach care

Galactic Geckos

New Member
Messages
3
Location
United States
Starting a Dubia colony
It is super easy to start aDubia roach colony anyone can do it! First you are going to need aplace to store them. A 10 gallon tank or a 18 gallon storage totewill work just fine. Dubia cannot climb smooth sides so there are noescapes. Even if one was to escape they would starve to death andcan't live in the Ohio climate.

Ventilation is an importantthing in a colony but you also need to keep some humidity to helpwith shedding. Never use all screen lids like the ones on fish tanks.You can however cover parts of it up with cardboard so there is onlyabout 1/4-1/3 of the screen showing. Same goes for the tubs cut ahole in the top and cove it with screen. Make 1/4-1/3 of the size ofthe indented area on the inner tub top.


Next you are going to needhiding spaces. Egg crates work the best stack them vertically so allthe poop falls down to the bottom. Eggs crates are easily obtainablejust call your local waffle house and ask them to save them for youthen later that day go pick them up. I have never had problems withwaffle house but if an egg crate has a cracked egg on it throw itaway.


Heating can be done a fewdifferent ways. You want to keep your roaches warm but not cook them.Using any type of UTH(under tank heater) work great and is the mostcommon method. Make sure you use a rheostat with the UTH and keepthem at 80-85 degrees. Another method that works is a heat lamp a 40wbulb would keep them warm enough but if they are all away from thelight reduce the wattage. Heat lamps are not used often since roachesdo not like the light. Instead of a light you could also use aceramic heat emitter. Another cost effective method would be to keepthem in the warmest place in your house. The do do well in thisenvironment (73+ degrees) but will be happier in warmer temperatures.


Roaches are great eatersand eat almost everything. The easiest thing to feed them are chickencrumbles and crushed dog food. Reaches can not drink standing waterthey will drown in it. Either provide them with plenty of fruits andveggies or cricket water crystals. It is cheaper to buy the littlecrystals and make them yourselves, but the stuff in the jar works.


Cleaning a colony is reallyeasy. You hardly every have to do it. I would clean it out aboutevery 2 months or more. The babies like the burrow in the poop andeat it so it is good to have some in there all the time. If there ismold immediately clean the colony out. Mold is a big threat to acolony and can kill all your roaches. Mold is not common and you caneasily catch it before it kills you colony. JUST DONT BE LAZY.
Thanks for reading and Iwill make updates if I left anything out!
 

Bliss13

Member
Messages
49
I had a question about heating for Dubia. My warmest room in my house during winter is around 72 degrees. I wrapped my roach bin in heat tape and have an UTH attached to thermostat. I set thermostat to 97 degrees and inside of roach bin still doesn't get above 77 degrees ambient temp. I've only had the roaches for a couple weeks so it doesn't surprise me I haven't noticed any nymphs yet. Any ideas on how to get them warmer? Keep turning up thermostat? I suppose I could try a ceramic heater.
 

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