# Got my Dubia Roaches!



## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Hey,

Got them all sorted, in their tub, layers of egg box and stuff to climb on.

Just fed them some pear..

Just wondering, how much 500 roaches will eat? Do I need to put more than one pear sliced in? Obviously will feed them other fruits, and is veg ok? Have read a few care sheets, so confident they will eat most fruit and veg, just needed to know how much to put in 

Thanks,

Jac : victory:


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## dannyboy1 (Nov 30, 2009)

think they can eat most fruit n veg, been thinkin about startin a dubia colony myself


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## Chaika (Jun 5, 2009)

I've had my colony going for over a year (not 500 strong though, I have about 300). They are kept on egg cartons on a layer of oats and dry cat food. I put in as much vegetable (in a dish) as they can eat within about 24h, any longer and you risk it moulding. 

PS - I've found that they love oranges and other sweet citrus and green beans


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## lee b (Nov 5, 2008)

i find my colony love oranges too and i also mix in flake fish food with dry cat food and oats


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

I tend to keep ours on a substrate of oats, and feed them fish flakes, left over CGD and fruit / veg.

Mostly the get carrots apples pears and banana. 

I am not sure how much yuo need to fed 500 tho  just see how long it takes them to eat it


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Thanks for the replies! 

Ok so me having 500 is quite a lot then? Hmm, been feeding them oranges, pears, apples, should I put a layer of oats/plain tesco cat biscuits on the bottom?

Jac


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

purple-vixen said:


> Thanks for the replies!
> 
> Ok so me having 500 is quite a lot then? Hmm, been feeding them oranges, pears, apples, should I put a layer of oats/plain tesco cat biscuits on the bottom?
> 
> Jac


You need to feed them 3 different types of food every day 
1. Fruit
2. veg 
3. Protien (chickenmash,cat bisuits,fishflakes or oats)

My ones eat a diet of chicken mash carrot apple and lettuse every day.


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## Rico (Jan 5, 2007)

I feed my dubias cat biscuits oranges and carrots they thrive on this. I have noticed that since I started feeding oranges the population has exploded.


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## radicaldave (Sep 25, 2009)

yes oranges are good... last long without going funky too.. the best thing i can say is its better to not put enough in so it vanishes quick than to put in too much and it goes manky/mouldy. Put in a little and increase the amount slowly until it takes them longer to consume till you get an idea of how much to add. After a while you will be able to judge it so they get plenty of nosh and none gets mouldy/dries out..


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

imginy said:


> You need to feed them 3 different types of food every day
> 1. Fruit
> 2. veg
> 3. Protien (chickenmash,cat bisuits,fishflakes or oats)
> ...


Awesome, well I bought some koi pellets, 30% protein, and they have oranges and pears fresh every two days. I will also start putting carrot and lettuce in too!



Rico said:


> I feed my dubias cat biscuits oranges and carrots they thrive on this. I have noticed that since I started feeding oranges the population has exploded.


Yeah mine move about like maniacs!! I started them on them big oranges, thin slices! They seem to love it 



radicaldave said:


> yes oranges are good... last long without going funky too.. the best thing i can say is its better to not put enough in so it vanishes quick than to put in too much and it goes manky/mouldy. Put in a little and increase the amount slowly until it takes them longer to consume till you get an idea of how much to add. After a while you will be able to judge it so they get plenty of nosh and none gets mouldy/dries out..


Thank you, great idea, as at the moment I think I am offering too much... Maybe I have too many layers of egg box :s

Thanks for the help you guys : victory:


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## Repidge (Jun 17, 2010)

Orange is deffinately the way forward. I also have a colony of 500 Dubi roaches and i feed them as much as they will eat fruit wise (especialy orange) in 24-48 hours dependant on ventilation. you just need to test it out some colonys eat more than others, just start with 1 slice and work your way up until there is a tiny amount of food left over, then just use slightly less food than that.
hope this helps :2thumb:


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Repidge said:


> Orange is deffinately the way forward. I also have a colony of 500 Dubi roaches and i feed them as much as they will eat fruit wise (especialy orange) in 24-48 hours dependant on ventilation. you just need to test it out some colonys eat more than others, just start with 1 slice and work your way up until there is a tiny amount of food left over, then just use slightly less food than that.
> hope this helps :2thumb:


Epic help cheers


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## Mysterious_121 (Feb 18, 2010)

just out of interest where did you get yours i have about 20 and its not mearly enough, was hoping to have a few more by now but they are slow breeders lol.


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Is it OK to fed oranges when they are going to be fed to Crested Geckos who cannot have citrius?


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## dannyboy1 (Nov 30, 2009)

hmmmm, interesting, good question????


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## Rico (Jan 5, 2007)

Mysterious_121 said:


> just out of interest where did you get yours i have about 20 and its not mearly enough, was hoping to have a few more by now but they are slow breeders lol.


Theyre slow to start with but once they get going the population explodes. They seem to breed alot faster when theyre crowded probably because of the pheromones.


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## PowerPie5000 (Apr 13, 2010)

I've recently bought 50 small dubia roaches and i've given them a small amount of crushed kitten biscuits, chopped carrot, chopped grape, fish flakes, bug grub and a bit of bug gel. I've placed them all in a large cricket keeper with egg cartons for now (until they get bigger). I've made sure they are warm by placing them on top of the hot side of my Plateds viv (no need for a heat mat 8))... with a box over them as they prefer darkness.

Anyway i'm hoping they don't take too long to grow as i'm sure my lizards can feel their presence :mf_dribble:


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## jimmythetramp (Jul 6, 2009)

excession said:


> Is it OK to fed oranges when they are going to be fed to Crested Geckos who cannot have citrius?


it'll should be fine just while your breeding them, but when you intend to start feeding them to your cresties i'd probs remove them from the collony into a livfood tub and just ffed them on non-citrus foods for about a week, just to ensure that any citrus has been fully digested and passed, or just dont feed the collony orange for a week, lol

oh and purple-vixen try giving your roaches Butternut squash! witht he skin removed! i've had my collony for about 5 months now and i must have put in atleast 700 of all varying sizes in at the beggining, and i feed all mine:

1 large orange cut into slices
1/2 butternut squash - without the skin and cut into strips
2 apples sliced
a mix of dog biscuts/oats and calci-dust

this is replaced every other day! i find they only really eat the apple when the squash and orange is gone, lol
: victory:


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Mysterious_121 said:


> just out of interest where did you get yours i have about 20 and its not mearly enough, was hoping to have a few more by now but they are slow breeders lol.


I searched through classifieds and bought from private breeders, if you want the people or the link PM me, otherwise check out the feeder classifieds : victory:



excession said:


> Is it OK to fed oranges when they are going to be fed to Crested Geckos who cannot have citrius?





dannyboy1 said:


> hmmmm, interesting, good question????


Oh Excession I didn't think of that! And yep, interesting question! I haven't fed any yet, but another month or two was going to start sifting them into seperate tubs and feeding them koi sticks or fish flakes...



Rico said:


> Theyre slow to start with but once they get going the population explodes. They seem to breed alot faster when theyre crowded probably because of the pheromones.


I found that, I have loads of tiddly ones nidding about now, epic win! :no1:



PowerPie5000 said:


> I've recently bought 50 small dubia roaches and i've given them a small amount of crushed kitten biscuits, chopped carrot, chopped grape, fish flakes, bug grub and a bit of bug gel. I've placed them all in a large cricket keeper with egg cartons for now (until they get bigger). I've made sure they are warm by placing them on top of the hot side of my Plateds viv (no need for a heat mat 8))... with a box over them as they prefer darkness.
> 
> Anyway i'm hoping they don't take too long to grow as i'm sure my lizards can feel their presence :mf_dribble:


Haha they will get going, I read it can take up to 4-8 months depending, but I have babies already! Good luck 



jimmythetramp said:


> it'll should be fine just while your breeding them, but when you intend to start feeding them to your cresties i'd probs remove them from the collony into a livfood tub and just ffed them on non-citrus foods for about a week, just to ensure that any citrus has been fully digested and passed, or just dont feed the collony orange for a week, lol
> 
> oh and purple-vixen try giving your roaches Butternut squash! witht he skin removed! i've had my collony for about 5 months now and i must have put in atleast 700 of all varying sizes in at the beggining, and i feed all mine:
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for that mate, that's brill. I will go get some tonight as they need food.

Currently they get orange, pear and koi sticks (high protein and vitamins) and they love them, but would be nice to offer other stuff. Will also dust the koi sticks, what a great idea 

I have around 500 at the moment, and they will nom a whole orange within 48 hours along with the koi sticks. Awesome.

Thanks again guys, epic advice as usual : victory:


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