Breeding hissers; is vaseline necessary?

jared

jared

Fourth Instar
Hey, so I just picked up this 2.5 gallon for a breeding pair of hissers; it has a very tight-locking mesh lid and I was wondering if this wold be enough to prevent any L1 and L2 escapees. If my roommates found one I'd be toast heh. Also note I'm only planning on having one brood and then getting rid of the female before she can produce any more so I won't be opening it much until they're L3 at least.

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That should be sufficient but when you have a bunch they could crawl out all over the place or get squashed when you shut the lid. Vaseline is kind if messy and melts if heated, in a recent thread somoene mentioned Teflon coated tape as a better alternative.

Is that a DIY tank? I like the design.

 
A company up in northern California called Southland Reptiles made it. My local pet store had a few and I loved the cube shape of it. It seems as though their physical location is gone but they're scheduled to be at an upcoming herp show, so they must still make them. I'd totally order them in bulk from them if I could. This company seems to make a similar product; http://www.lllreptile.com/catalog/162-other-reptile-cages-and-habitats I'm going to order the 5 gal and see if it has the same tight-shutting lid that this one does.

And yeah I've thought about that... I guess I'll just have to wait until first brood and see.

 
I've tried Teflon tape and it didn't work very well. There's Fluon which is like a liquid Teflon. It's used to keep ants contained, but it's very expensive. The best option I've found is just regular petroleum jelly.

 
1st instar hissers are escape artists. I don't think you'd notice the petroleum jelly barrier much until it gets dirty.

 
If I don't keep the vasoline fresh, the first few instars like to get out. Mostly they don't go anywhere. I think they still want to be with the colony.

 
Hey guys, thought I'd update this thread with some pictures of the enclosures set up with fluon.

The barrier I ordered seems to be pretty effective; it's super slick and adheres very well to the glass. My female pictured below is gravid and I'm extremely confident the nymphs won't be able to escape which has really put my mind at ease. The 5 gallon I ordered seems much flimsier than the solidly built 2.5. Whereas the 2.5 gallon came with a secure metal locking mechanism, the 5 gallon screen is only secured by an easily bendable plastic peg and the screen seems to be coming off in the corner. Again, I'm confident the fluon barrier can keep colonies secured in the tank. I'm going to be stocking the new 5 gallon tank with Tiger Hissers and Halloween Hissers I ordered from Kyle at roach crossing. I'm expecting them to come tomorrow. Having hissers in the USPS postal service has been extremely stressful thus far. :wacko:

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Male: Kurt in back, Female: Bertha in front

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It appears the female is more gravid in this picture.

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The 5 gallon all set up for the incoming critters.

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EDIT: Thought I'd note, I mixed a dry food mixture for the various species I'm going to be keeping: It consists of very high quality dog food, high quality fish food, oats, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and chicken feed I bought from a local pet store. Also feeding the breeding pair greens and fruits on a bi-weekly basis.

 
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Very nice enclosures, love the log with toilet paper rolls in it! ;) That is a really nice diet, your roaches should love it!

 
The female seems to be enjoying the raisins and fish food! The male also got really fat off of this diet, he almost looks like a gravid female haha. The Grandieri and Javanicas arrived from Kyle today and they seem to be adapting well to their new home. They appear to be L1 and L2's and they don't dare cross the fluon line.

My female is as fat as a hotdog, I hope she pops soon.

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EDIT: They're lovin' the grub

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awesome pics! gotta get me some hissers. ! :) and thanks for sharing about the barrier! i will have to get me some.

 
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Hey, just had one other question; I added this red 50 watt zoomed heat bulb because the heat pad just wasn't cutting it. Do you think the light is too close to the enclosures for the hissers' comfort? The big male grandiederi seem to bask in it while the javanicas and portentosas shy away from it. I could place it higher but it wouldn't heat the tanks as much as I'd like it to.

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Also here's a grandiederi nymph lookin' cute. They grow so fast! By far my favorite sp so far.

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Update on the exoterra red light, they do not seem to appreciate it. I think it has hindered feeding and health but I'm continuing to use it for lack of an alternative atm. I'm looking to invest in a second heat pad or an acrylic heat bulb that gives off no light.

 
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