# Heat lamp for Roach colony?



## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

just got a 4 foot fish tank to get my roach colony going a bit faster as my AWD's are eating faster than they can breed! 

Question is - I know the roaches like it dark, infra red heat lamp still to bright to use to keep the temps up or should i just stick to a ceramic heat bulb? 

Have a heat mat as well, but being a glass tank i know keeping the heat is going to be difficult...

Just wondering whats everyones thoughts...

and before everyone asks why i didnt just get a rub - I already have a colony in one rub and got the fish tank for free, only cost me a couple of quid to black it out! :2thumb:


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

Thank you mods for moving : victory:


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

NicolasB said:


> just got a 4 foot fish tank to get my roach colony going a bit faster as my AWD's are eating faster than they can breed!
> 
> Question is - I know the roaches like it dark, infra red heat lamp still to bright to use to keep the temps up or should i just stick to a ceramic heat bulb?
> 
> ...


i think the best idea is to put in a heated room then you will have no problems heating a glass tank but if you cannot do that i would put put 2 heat mats under the tank 

also this may not be the same case for everybody but when i had blacked out rubs my colony didnt seem to breed as quick as they are doing now i have transparent rubs maybe its cause it gives them day light and pitch black when dark at night

hope this helps

Daz


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Daz.

the heating hasnt been turned on yet, but the house never gets below 20c, so they basically just need something to get that extra 10c to keep them happy. I have a couple of heat mats i can use, but that means buying a mat stat to control the temps?

I have a habistat thermostat, not sure if it can be used for the heat mats, hence looking at a ceramic heat bulb on the stat...

interesting point about yours being in clear rubs, i was under the impression that the darker the better?

I have blacked the tnk out with fablon, so its not pitch black but wont exactly have a massive difference between day and night...



popitgoes said:


> i think the best idea is to put in a heated room then you will have no problems heating a glass tank but if you cannot do that i would put put 2 heat mats under the tank
> 
> also this may not be the same case for everybody but when i had blacked out rubs my colony didnt seem to breed as quick as they are doing now i have transparent rubs maybe its cause it gives them day light and pitch black when dark at night
> 
> ...


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

NicolasB said:


> Thanks for the reply Daz.
> 
> the heating hasnt been turned on yet, but the house never gets below 20c, so they basically just need something to get that extra 10c to keep them happy. I have a couple of heat mats i can use, but that means buying a mat stat to control the temps?
> 
> ...


i was advised by FireDragon (owner of the roach hut) to use clear rubs thats how he has his and its working fine for him and now works fine for me

you should have a look at his website if you havent already it will help you with hell of alot of stuff Cockroach live foods for your reptiles from The Roach Hut 

i dont think they need darkness all the time i believe they need also need day light as they are nocturnal and if its always black it may confuse them as of when to go to hide or stay out and play if you get what i mean maybe its me just thinking to hard about it lol

Daz


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

dont think too hard, i can see the smoke from here! :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:

Thanks for that, i will have a look at the site too, i know i have been disrupting them far too often and not leaving them to do their thing, but my Aussies need food! ha ha!

will try a few things and see if i manage to get it going strong again!

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated! :2thumb:



popitgoes said:


> i was advised by FireDragon (owner of the roach hut) to use clear rubs thats how he has his and its working fine for him and now works fine for me
> 
> you should have a look at his website if you havent already it will help you with hell of alot of stuff Cockroach live foods for your reptiles from The Roach Hut
> 
> ...


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

NicolasB said:


> dont think too hard, i can see the smoke from here! :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:
> 
> Thanks for that, i will have a look at the site too, i know i have been disrupting them far too often and not leaving them to do their thing, but my Aussies need food! ha ha!
> 
> ...


lol my lil brain cant take all that thinkin lol

glad i could help you  

Daz


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

then my brain must be tiny if im getting advise off you?! :lol2::whistling2:

just popped home to put the small colony i ordered in the rub and decided to pull the heat mat off the sides and bottom where i had it taped and just put it inside the actual rub kind of wrapped around the egg crates and the temp shot straight up 27c! before i was struggling to get 25!

what temps are yours being kept at and whats the humidty in yours like?



popitgoes said:


> lol my lil brain cant take all that thinkin lol
> 
> glad i could help you
> 
> Daz


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

NicolasB said:


> then my brain must be tiny if im getting advise off you?! :lol2::whistling2:
> 
> just popped home to put the small colony i ordered in the rub and decided to pull the heat mat off the sides and bottom where i had it taped and just put it inside the actual rub kind of wrapped around the egg crates and the temp shot straight up 27c! before i was struggling to get 25!
> 
> what temps are yours being kept at and whats the humidty in yours like?


well i uped my temp and on the warm side its at the bottom its 32 and cold side 28-29 and up top of egg trays its at 30 and i dont no my humidity but they are fine i have not had 1 dead yet  what size is your rub and size of colony???


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

popitgoes said:


> well i uped my temp and on the warm side its at the bottom its 32 and cold side 28-29 and up top of egg trays its at 30 and i dont no my humidity but they are fine i have not had 1 dead yet  what size is your rub and size of colony???


i'd be lying if i said i knew mate! i think the rub is 80L and i dont know how many are in there but i just added another small colony of 30 adults, and around another 150 of mixed sizes, mainly larges though, so i hope those will mature and start breeding more!

do you think taking all the adults out and putting them in the fish tank to start a new colony would work???

I was contemplating putting the adults in there and just leaving them be and feeding off of the existing colony?

i go through about 40 a week, so i need a decent size colony! ha ha!


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

NicolasB said:


> i'd be lying if i said i knew mate! i think the rub is 80L and i dont know how many are in there but i just added another small colony of 30 adults, and around another 150 of mixed sizes, mainly larges though, so i hope those will mature and start breeding more!
> 
> do you think taking all the adults out and putting them in the fish tank to start a new colony would work???
> 
> ...


why dont you get a 40litre tub and buy 100 dubia 85 female 15 male and leave them for a few months dont touch them then see how it goes


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

popitgoes said:


> why dont you get a 40litre tub and buy 100 dubia 85 female 15 male and leave them for a few months dont touch them then see how it goes


cash is a bit tight at the moment, but thats why i bought another small starter colony, going to seperate the large nymphs and the adults and put them in a seperate rub and just leave them be for a while. gonna have to start buying some morio's to keep the AWD's fed while the colony establishes properly...

If i have cash at the end of the month I am going to try get my hands on like another 50 or so females, just to make see there is enough young coming through to keep the colony strong enough to feed from...

Thanks for all your help mate, really is appreciated! :no1:


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