Good food for b.dubias that is gonna be food for tarantulas?

[forfun]

Hey guys hope ur having a good day /evening

I bought a b.dubia colony. Im currently feeding a vegetarian diet, nutritonal yeast, oats and dried corn and oranges. I heard stuff that dog food for example could be bad for the b.dubias since high protein diet is not that good for them.

I also heard that the b.dubias should be fed food with less calcium so they because excess calcium for tarantulas is not that good ( maybe a myth? )

Any recommendations?

 

[Moonohol]

I’ve only ever used a mixture of dog food and chicken feed supplemented with fresh fruit once every week or so, and that’s worked great for me.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Hey guys hope ur having a good day /evening

I bought a b.dubia colony. Im currently feeding a vegetarian diet, nutritonal yeast, oats and dried corn and oranges. I heard stuff that dog food for example could be bad for the b.dubias since high protein diet is not that good for them.

I also heard that the b.dubias should be fed food with less calcium so they because excess calcium for tarantulas is not that good ( maybe a myth? )

Any recommendations?

The calcium thing is a myth. I hear dubia like citrus.

 

[forfun]

I’ve only ever used a mixture of dog food and chicken feed supplemented with fresh fruit once every week or so, and that’s worked great for me.

Cool. I had some dog food and as soon as i put it down in their container they rushed the dog food. They seem to like it a lot.

 

[Moonohol]

Cool. I had some dog food and as soon as i put it down in their container they rushed the dog food. They seem to like it a lot.

Yep! They also love sliced oranges, that’s my go-to treat for dubia.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I heard stuff that dog food for example could be bad for the b.dubias since high protein diet is not that good for them.

Their diet would have to exceed 50% protein for the uric acid build-up to cause problems, you're not likely to reach that level feeding dog/cat food.

I also heard that the b.dubias should be fed food with less calcium so they because excess calcium for tarantulas is not that good ( maybe a myth? )

The calcium thing is a myth.

 

[Venomgland]

they love old carrots too. stale crackers.. Dry pet food crumbs

 

[G. pulchra]

I don't care what you read out there, protein is an important part of your feeders diet. Remember, these are roaches and will eat just about anything. I use fresh veggies and fruit, grains (including leftover pasta or stale bread), dry dog food that I let soak a bit in water, etc....

 

[Venomgland]

Does everyone use substrate with there colony? Right now I am not, but I'm wondering if I should add some? I just started the colony in Oct and I don't see any new roaches. I have the room temp set at 78 and put a heating pad under my roach box. Should I add a lid too to maybe help keep the heat in?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Does everyone use substrate with there colony? Right now I am not, but I'm wondering if I should add some? I just started the colony in Oct and I don't see any new roaches. I have the room temp set at 78 and put a heating pad under my roach box. Should I add a lid too to maybe help keep the heat in?

My roach colony is red runners but I don't use substrate (apart from a small tub of moist substrate that's seeded with springtails to keep mites away) with them as it'd make cleaning a ball-ache.

I've never tried breeding dubia but I think you need to keep them in the high 70's - low 80's and somewhat humid (but still well ventilated as mould can quickly decimate a colony) for them to breed so a lid would be a good idea to keep both heat and moisture in.

 

[cold blood]

I use dog kibble as substrate. Add apples, pears, carrots and potato, they especially like sweet potatoes. Mangos and oranges are great, too.

Just don't use fruits with too much moisture, like berries...they will quickly mold and get nasty. Firm things like carrot and potato and apple are great because they just dry if not eaten (although they usually are eaten quickly). Leafy lettuce and spinach are great for moisture.

Many use water crystals...I haven't used any water additions n my roaches for over a year...not wasting any more on those, fruits and vegies provide all the moisture they need IME.

 

[Mirandarachnid]

Is fish food okay, or is it too high in protein?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is fish food okay, or is it too high in protein?

I use it in small quantities mixed in with chick feed or ground up dog biscuits.

 

[Venomgland]

I'm starting to get a bunch of small black beetles in my dubai colony. Are they harmful to anything? Can I feed them off to my slings?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I'm starting to get a bunch of small black beetles in my dubai colony. Are they harmful to anything? Can I feed them off to my slings?

Do they look like this?

 

[Walker253]

I use chick feed and water crystals. No substrate, it just makes a mess. Just egg flats in there. They love citrus. Keep the enclosure, I use a Rubbermaid tub with a cut out and screen glued in the lid, on heat and they will thrive.
If you have a new colony, either don't use them as feed or but a bunch of extras. Let them establish first and the numbers will explode.

 

[Venomgland]

Do they look like this?

yes, exactly

 

[Venomgland]

I use chick feed and water crystals. No substrate, it just makes a mess. Just egg flats in there. They love citrus. Keep the enclosure, I use a Rubbermaid tub with a cut out and screen glued in the lid, on heat and they will thrive.
If you have a new colony, either don't use them as feed or but a bunch of extras. Let them establish first and the numbers will explode.

Mine are starting to grow, not multiply yet but grow. When it takes off. I might start selling some off to the local hardware store to sell to fishermen.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

yes, exactly

Slings might eat them but pre-kill them first, they're dermestid beetles (aka "skin/taxidermy beetles") and will literally eat anything organic (although their preference is dead organic matter), they're an excellent clean up crew for livefood colonies but they are also considered pest animals, they won't harm your roaches if you keep the population in check but don't let them escape.

 

[Venomgland]

Slings might eat them but pre-kill them first, they're dermestid beetles (aka "skin/taxidermy beetles") and will literally eat anything organic (although their preference is dead organic matter), they're an excellent clean up crew for livefood colonies but they are also considered pest animals, they won't harm your roaches if you keep the population in check but don't let them escape.

Awesome! Thanks