Got my Dubia colony today! (pics)

[LeapinLizards]

You know, I'm not positive about the eating faeces part, but from what I've read about the dubia, they do not bite. Also, from what I've noticed, they do not smell at all. The crickets I purchased in bulk yesterday smell more than the dubia colony I've had for the last 5 days or so.

The dubia are rather expensive to just buy as a feeder, but are very practical if you plan on starting your own colony. They live for about 1 year after reaching adulthood, and their mortality rate is MUCH less than a crickets. I've not found one dead roach, where as I have about 5 crickets dead in the bulk I got yesterday...both being supplied with the same gut load, and same water crystals.

As far as a bowl, you'll just have to find a ceramic or glass dish with higher sides, still low enough for a gecko to hunt over of course. In my experience, meal worms are very easy to feed with because they require little attention (plus, the creepy factor isn't there) but they seem to get out of every dish I've had. I will have fun experimenting with different roach dishes I'm sure!

 

[Hayabusa]

Yeah the first dish i used for mealies was useless, the one ive started using is cool, its see through, but she sees them but cant work out how to get to them! Keeps nudging the dish along wondering why the mealworms arent going in her mouth!

Thanks for this thread, with these roaches brought to light i might start a colony... Will save money in the future and be more nutritious for my gecko!

Cheers

 

[LeapinLizards]

http://www.*****.com/product/7176/Kritterz-Ceramic-Dishes.aspx

That is the dish I use. The address probably will not work due to censoring of the name of the pet chain, but I'm sure you have an idea of the name. They are cheap dishes, and have worked pretty well for the mealies. I dont think they are quite large enough for the dubias though!

 

[Hayabusa]

Ah yes, worked out the website name

I think i have one of those in a cupboard somewhere, will have to dig it out!

 

[LeapinLizards]

I don't think you'll have a problem locating a source near yourself. My father-in-law lives in the Philippines currently, and said a lot of lizard breeders use them as feeders even there. I just had no idea about them until I went looking for a less-stinky food source (crickets are just not fun).

 

[thekooliest]

Lol I know the feeling fOOlsgOld! I actually am starting out with 5 adult pairs, so I was told they should start producing for me rather quickly. Plus, quite a few of the others I got were older juveniles. I just cant wait! I'm a rather impatient person

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=26905&highlight=sexing+dubia
Don't know how effective it is, I have never tried it.

 

[LeapinLizards]

Great find! Im going to definitely go try and take some pics to see how well this works

 

[fOOlsgOld]

Well I tried it out and heres come pictures. Thanks for the information about sexing them, makes it a lot easier :main_yes:
An Adult Male

An Adult Female

A Juvenile Male

A Juvenile Female

 

[thekooliest]

So it works???
I didn't think it would work, great!

 

[Hayabusa]

Found a place over here that does them, pretty expensive to set up, but i suppose once you do it once (and properly) you'd never have to really buy food again!

 

[fOOlsgOld]

Like I said, I got mine almost 2 weeks ago and I already have a lot of babies and a bunch of roaches that are one shed from being adults. I'm not feeding out of them at the moment so I'm sure that makes a difference. I'd say give them a few months to reproduce before you start feeding from them. I'm going to start out w/ mealies for my geckos and then once the roach colony is big enough just do them.

 

[LeapinLizards]

Oh good! That's great. Yah, they are a little expensive to start up, but once they get going I've been told it's easy to sustain the geckos. I think my total was $95 including shipping, for 160 roaches, I think 4 adult pairs, egg crates, 10"x10" screen (for the top of the tote), 2lbs of food, and I think 7 oz of dry water crystals. So quite a bit of extra stuff. I have had none die, nor did any die on the way here.

 

[TheRoachGuy]

Heather saw you up here and thought i would drop in and say hello hope all is going well with the little ones i sent you if you ever have any questions email me im here to help what ever it may be.
Jason