Panchlora Nivea

Roachsmith

Roachsmith

Sixth Instar
I had a p. nivea get stuck in a moult this weekend. I was wondering if I might have had the humidity to high (or low). What humidity do you guys keep yours at?

 
P.nivea tend to be kept at really high humidities, low moisture is more likely to adversely affect small nymphs.

 
Ok. It was pretty hot this weekend so that might be why. I'll raise the humidity and hopefully the rest will be able to moult ok.

 
Roachsmith said:
Ok. It was pretty hot this weekend so that might be why. I'll raise the humidity and hopefully the rest will be able to moult ok.
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If you use a substrate, you might try adding some water crystals to the substrate, they will chew on them from time to time, but you can always add more later.. holds the humidity great. I use it in all of my humidity loving inverts enclosures with no problems. Less opening enclosures for misting.

 
Mine live in a tank that has potting soil for a substrate and a live English Ivy and a live small Ficus benjimina, along with two pieces of egg carton leaning on one side. The soil is loaded with nymphs of various ages, and the adults sleep all day on the plant leaves and egg carton. basically, I water the plants and them mist them once a week ish, maybe more often with less mist. Makes for a nice boatload of roaches considering I started with 20 nymphs!

 
I have always had really good luck with P. nivia colonies. I use Orin's Bucket Method (discussed in the AllPets Roach book)....with a THICK layer of substrate consisting of rotten wood and leaves... they love it....it helps hold alot of humidity also.... Good luck...they are a cool species!

Graham

 
I need to get that book! I lost a few more last week so I need to try something new. I just have them on moist peat with oak leaves right now. I just added the oak leaves so hopefully that will help a bit till I can make a new set up for them.

 
The leaves will help out alot. If at all possible try to add some rotten hardwood also. The book is great- I had never thought to make cages out of buckets...it's really easy and cheap once you get all the supplies. I stack them 3 high no problem. You can hold alot of roach colonies in a small area... Good luck!

 
Here is a pic of my Panchlora tank. Behind almost every leaf is a/few roaches, and the eggcrate part is full of adults. The potting soil/sphagnum substrate is LOADED with nymphs. You can also see how they have nibbled the leaf edges when I go too many days in between adding some food items. Note: young Avicularia sp. enjoy Panchloras for dinner!

Panchloratank.jpg


 
Is the Ficus benjimina a dwarf variety? I always thought they grew as bushes? What kind of light source are you using?

 
jbrd said:
Is the Ficus benjimina a dwarf variety? I always thought they grew as bushes? What kind of light source are you using?
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I think the Ficus sp. was something I got for $2 at a store that had alot of 2-4" potted "indoor plants" so I thnk its just a very small common Ficus 'benjimina'. The ivy came from a nursury in a 4" pot off a flat labeled "English Ivy", usually grown outdoors but its nearly indestructable and I have used it in larger enclosures because of its indestructability. There are lots of other ivys that work well too, but roaches tend to eat some kinds more than others.

Here they are behind a leaf I moved to the side just an inch or so!

The light source is the nearby window a few feet to the left of this cage.

Also- roaches will eat some live plants and not others, depending. Non of them seem to care for any type of Ficus.

Panchlorasp.jpg


 
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