B.craniifer setup and tips

[NS exotics]

I just got 200 mixed sized nymphs and would like to know do you keep them with substrate or not and which one is the best? I put them in plastic tub with egg crates and food and they seem to be very shy and all gathered around bottom under few eggcrates,so I suppose they would like substrate...I keep mine E.distanti in 30cm soil substrate and they like it What temps would they like mostly? I keep my others around 28-32 degrees Celsius.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ralph]

You definately want substrate. Mine come out more when they're in a natural kind of setting (plants, wood, etc.), and I use 3/4 to 1 inch of regular soil for the substrate. I don't really know Celsius, but 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit seems good. Help is needed for that.

 

[NS exotics]

I don't want to make it as natural as yours I can only put some coconut bedding for substrate if that will help. I don't want to make it more complicated for cleaning.

 

[OBJ]

I don't want to make it as natural as yours I can only put some coconut bedding for substrate if that will help. I don't want to make it more complicated for cleaning.

When my E.distanti was only having egg cases, the nymphs were getting too little moist and the death rate was too high.As soon as they got a layer of hard wood leaves they could hide and the moist would last longer for the nymphs.

Today I use decaying wood, soil and topped of with leaves. They love that, but they can only be studyed at night, of course

 

[Allpet Roaches]

The original stock was kept at a constant 85F in a controlled room but they'll do fine from 70-90F. Of course at lower temperatures they won't breed as well.

 

[NS exotics]

Ok, thanks! I do keep all my insects in speacially buit chambers where the temperature is around 32 mark ofcourse Celsius

I didn't know if they are true deathheads, but some molted to adulthood today and they look pretty much like they are, so I am satisfied.

 

[Pharma]

Hi NS

Keeping them at 32°C is the upper limit. I would, if possible, keep them at ~30°C or switch off the heating during the night. A higher temp. causes a faster development, shorter life cycle, and faster reproduction but (!) the nymphs maybe die more often from dehydration (and constantly > 32°C will kill them). I kept mine in different settigs, from humid to dry soil and without substrate and it seems to me that especially the small nymphs do best in soil which is mainly dry and wetted at one edge every one and then (so they can choose their microclimate).

If kept without substrate I would give them enough fresh (juicy) food and if kept on/in humid soil the adults seem to prefere dry "platforms" and will only reproduce (don't know why) if a dry place is present.

Right now I keep mine in boxes which are split in two parts, one without substrate (but hideaways, where the adults usually are) and one with soil wetted at one side 2 times per week (where the small nymphs are). "Intermediat" nymphs and subadults usually wander around, sleep in the soil and feed in/on "dry lands"...

But this critters seem very hard to kill...

Grüessli

Andreas

P.S. Do you never use phrases like "Hello" or "Greetings" here in that forum (or in the US in general)? :blink:

 

[BugmanPrice]

P.S. Do you never use phrases like "Hello" or "Greetings" here in that forum (or in the US in general)? :blink:

Hello Pharma,

I think it's mostly just assumed in posts but every PM I've gotten has one and I give one when I send a PM. I've never really paid much attention to it until now. It seems in retrospect that most European users do use greetings in their posts however. I did use one just now to test it out because of the subject...