Marrader21
First Instar
Hello everyone, I just wanted to get your thoughts on the set up I have for my Gromphadorhina hybrid colony. I apologize about image quality but I am not very tech savy... this took me all morning to figure out 
My goal is a half pet display half breeding project so I am trying to make the enclosure look presentable and also easy to clean and maintain population. There is a 2'-3' petroleum jelly barrier and the screen lid is secured with metal clamps. The colony started on coco fiber as substrate but I found that it was too difficult to keep track of the nymphs especially during cleanings; I switched to a green pet carpet with several layers of paper towels underneath and a hunk of moss which the nymphs enjoy burrowing in. The heating pad is underneath the enclosure but after reading a few post here I decided to side mount it when I get the adhesive. I am always tinkering with the setup and have a few more plans including covering the sides of the aquarium to make the enclosure feel a bit more closed in.
For the water bowl I used to use the the cotton ball method, but I recently came across and article explaining how people can help bees in the wild stay hydrated. The idea is to fill the bowl with marbles giving the insect a surface to walk on while still being able to reach the water. I've also noticed the humidity has gone up a few degrees since I started this, and living in a dry climate like Colorado humidity is hard to come by.
I keep between 25-30 adults at a 1:4 male to female ratio with anywhere from 3x to 5x that in nymphs of varying stages. I had many more at one point but cleared out a bunch to reset the colony once I really got into the hobby. The plan was to let them rebuild, but since thinning the numbers I have not seen a single escape attempt in months; I have also noticed most of the individual specimen are keeping their full antennae for much longer. I take this to mean they are happier so I will be experimenting with keeping the population low... How many adult hissers would be too many for a set up like this?
I look forward to you thoughts.
P.S. I don't know how important this is to the cockroach community but I do not euthanize these guys for population control; they are given to local reptile shops who happily take them and even offer store credit from time to time. This way feels much less wasteful to me.
My goal is a half pet display half breeding project so I am trying to make the enclosure look presentable and also easy to clean and maintain population. There is a 2'-3' petroleum jelly barrier and the screen lid is secured with metal clamps. The colony started on coco fiber as substrate but I found that it was too difficult to keep track of the nymphs especially during cleanings; I switched to a green pet carpet with several layers of paper towels underneath and a hunk of moss which the nymphs enjoy burrowing in. The heating pad is underneath the enclosure but after reading a few post here I decided to side mount it when I get the adhesive. I am always tinkering with the setup and have a few more plans including covering the sides of the aquarium to make the enclosure feel a bit more closed in.
For the water bowl I used to use the the cotton ball method, but I recently came across and article explaining how people can help bees in the wild stay hydrated. The idea is to fill the bowl with marbles giving the insect a surface to walk on while still being able to reach the water. I've also noticed the humidity has gone up a few degrees since I started this, and living in a dry climate like Colorado humidity is hard to come by.
I keep between 25-30 adults at a 1:4 male to female ratio with anywhere from 3x to 5x that in nymphs of varying stages. I had many more at one point but cleared out a bunch to reset the colony once I really got into the hobby. The plan was to let them rebuild, but since thinning the numbers I have not seen a single escape attempt in months; I have also noticed most of the individual specimen are keeping their full antennae for much longer. I take this to mean they are happier so I will be experimenting with keeping the population low... How many adult hissers would be too many for a set up like this?
I look forward to you thoughts.
P.S. I don't know how important this is to the cockroach community but I do not euthanize these guys for population control; they are given to local reptile shops who happily take them and even offer store credit from time to time. This way feels much less wasteful to me.
With enough hides, you could probably fit about 150 adults in that tank, maybe more, it's all about providing enough surface area for them all. Later down the line, egg cartons will come in real handy for that. 