Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, first let me say that crickets are out of the question. I can't have them in my apartment for breeding purposes. They will produce too much noise and smell. Going to the store every other day will get annoying.

Next, let me describe the enclosure. its a 4'W x 2'D x 3.5'H enclosure. Some vents in the back with really small holes (1/8" maybe). The top is a "closed canopy" which has a radiant heat panel for the winter and a 36" flourecent and incandescent combo. with a 2" hole drilled for wires to go through the back. the light and rhp sit on 1/2" hardware cloth. I also have cypruss mulch as a substrate. Sliding tempered glass on the front.

It will soon house a Tokay gecko or two, but is empty and being set up right now.

So i'm figuring my options are roaches or superworms. with crickets added into the diet when i can get them in small quantities at the store/baitshop.

My guess is that roaches are going to be tricky, even non-climbers will probably escape, this cage and thier breeding container.

Superworms are easy and I will use those.

But back to roaches, are there any large non-climbing roaches that wouldn't squeeze through the sliding glass door gap? (i can figure out a way to run the wires and "seal" off the hole, probably some sort of gromet and silicone.
I've herd of hissers used as feeders, but have no idea how loud the hiss really is... but a Tokay makes noise too so little hisses about the level of a old loud computer fan should be fine.

Anyway, basically i'm asking if there are any large non-climbing (non flying too i guess) easy to breed roaches? (I know hissers are climbers but that they are big enough that it wouldn't matter most of the time, i just want to be sure.) And what should i do about the gap in the sliding glass door?

There are many species you can use. Blaptica dubia and Blaberus discoids are just a couple that get big enough and are very easy to keep. You can even put them in a food dish and they will not get out. Just keep your colony in a 18 gallon or so rubbermaid bin with some ventilation and they will grow and breed and not escape. Lots of info under the help & support section. Many people sell these roaches under the feeder classifieds including myself.
James
www.blaberus.com

>>But back to roaches, are there any large non-climbing roaches that wouldn't squeeze through the sliding glass door gap?

>>I've herd of hissers used as feeders, but have no idea how loud the hiss really is... but a Tokay makes noise too so little hisses about the level of a old loud computer fan should be fine.

>>And what should i do about the gap in the sliding glass door?

When roaches are first born, it is amazing what they can fit under or through - so I would say NO.

The hiss of a hissing roach is not as not really that loud and it continue constantly.

Don't keep your roaches in the cage without being in some kind of food dish. When I want to feed roaches to our geckos, I place them in a plastic food dish that has either vaseline or Bug Boundary painted around the rim - the geckos can climb the walls, so they climb down into the dish and get their snacks.

Hope that helps some,
.

well... ordered 20 Blaptica dubia.

going to do the feeding in a bowl of sorts... don't have the actuall bowl yet, but its not like it is hard to get a plastic bowl... probably get a salad next time i'm at wendy's or something.

Don't have my Tokay yet, still getting the cage set up... stupid extremely high temps and humidity is preventing me from sealing the inside. oh well... it'll be atleast a month before i actually get a Tokay. Planning on feeding crix and superworms until the roaches are ready.

thanks for your help guys.

Once you use roaches you never go back to crickets tho I find roaches were harder to get going. Once they did my lizards seemed to prefer them to crickets.