# Simandoa Conserfariam



## Dark (Aug 20, 2016)

From a remote location in a cave mined to nothing to my living room, I present to you my adult pair of Simandoa conserfariam and their enclosure. Anyone else have these guys? They're fast as hell for anyone thinking of getting some but they're very cool in my opinion.

I picked these guys up at Roachcrossing btw, HIGHLY recommend ordering stuff from him, everything always arrives alive and well!

Eric

Reactions: Like 7


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## BobBarley (Aug 20, 2016)

Glad to see the hobby is keeping species that are extinct in the wild, that's so awesome!  Pics please!

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## nepenthe (Aug 20, 2016)

This is a beautiful species!  It's at the top of my wish list.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Dark (Aug 20, 2016)

BobBarley said:


> Glad to see the hobby is keeping species that are extinct in the wild, that's so awesome!  Pics please!


I noticed a second after I pressed post that the pictures didn't load, try refreshing the page!

Eric


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## BobBarley (Aug 20, 2016)

Dark said:


> I noticed a second after I pressed post that the pictures didn't load, try refreshing the page!
> 
> Eric


Thanks!  Hope they reproduce for you!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Hisserdude (Aug 20, 2016)

Very nice, been wanting this species for a while but haven't had the space for the large enclosure they would need, these guys like to nip each other's antenna when they are overcrowded. Hope they do well for you, they are supposed to be pretty easy to keep and breed!


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## Dark (Aug 21, 2016)

BobBarley said:


> Thanks!  Hope they reproduce for you!


Of course, thanks! Me too 



Hisserdude said:


> Very nice, been wanting this species for a while but haven't had the space for the large enclosure they would need, these guys like to nip each other's antenna when they are overcrowded. Hope they do well for you, they are supposed to be pretty easy to keep and breed!


I don't know if you need a large enclosure necessarily, the one I have them in is roughly the size of a shoe box. It was actually made to be a shoe box for women who want to show off their shoes in an acrylic box. I mean I know they chew antennas but as long as they don't kill each other I'll be content. 

Eric

Reactions: Like 1


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## InvertsandOi (Aug 21, 2016)

Love these guys! They're gorgeous as nymphs and adults. I bought seven tiny nymphs about 7 or 8 months ago and my first adult emerged a few weeks ago. Now I have five adults. They're very active and fun to watch, and did I mention gorgeous? Not exactly the most handleable species though. They're very quick and they'll jump right out of your hand. I almost lost one a couple weeks ago. Had to chase it around my kitchen for a while like a jackass, haha. The adults squeak when disturbed. I'm assuming they do it with their wings, but I don't know. It's also just very cool to know that they wouldn't exist if nerds like us (no offense) didn't keep them as pets. Then again, I guess it would be even cooler if their natural habitat hadn't been destroyed :\ Anyway, I'd recommend them to anyone.

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## Hisserdude (Aug 21, 2016)

Dark said:


> Of course, thanks! Me too
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, the standard containers I use for many of my other roaches are a bit smaller, and I currently don't even have space for more of those, so I definitely can't get any of these until I get more space. I know it's just the antenna, but I'd still feel a little bad seeing all of them with really short antenna. Once I have room for a larger enclosure I'll definitely have to get some, they are beautiful!

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## Tenodera (Aug 22, 2016)

The Insect Zoo I'm at just bought a few of those boxes. You've got a great-looking display in there!
I have been thinking about getting these one of these days, they are quite active?

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## Dark (Aug 22, 2016)

Nick H said:


> Love these guys! They're gorgeous as nymphs and adults. I bought seven tiny nymphs about 7 or 8 months ago and my first adult emerged a few weeks ago. Now I have five adults. They're very active and fun to watch, and did I mention gorgeous? Not exactly the most handleable species though. They're very quick and they'll jump right out of your hand. I almost lost one a couple weeks ago. Had to chase it around my kitchen for a while like a jackass, haha. The adults squeak when disturbed. I'm assuming they do it with their wings, but I don't know. It's also just very cool to know that they wouldn't exist if nerds like us (no offense) didn't keep them as pets. Then again, I guess it would be even cooler if their natural habitat hadn't been destroyed :\ Anyway, I'd recommend them to anyone.


First off, I'm 100% not a nerd. Second off, how dare you. lol Also, yes they're extremely fast, hence me saying so in my original post. I nearly killed the female (Thank GOD I didn't) when I first opened the deli cup they were in when I got them. It ran under a bag full of PVC parts and I pulled the bag away and it was on it's back not moving. A second later it was flipped over and speeding away. Almost lost her again taking these pictures, she ran outside the container but then I persuaded her back in. They're scary fast.



Hisserdude said:


> Yeah, the standard containers I use for many of my other roaches are a bit smaller, and I currently don't even have space for more of those, so I definitely can't get any of these until I get more space. I know it's just the antenna, but I'd still feel a little bad seeing all of them with really short antenna. Once I have room for a larger enclosure I'll definitely have to get some, they are beautiful!


I have faith you'll find room some day . But I understand your desire to not overcrowd and not over stretch yourself with animals, I should really downsize soon.



Tenodera said:


> The Insect Zoo I'm at just bought a few of those boxes. You've got a great-looking display in there!
> I have been thinking about getting these one of these days, they are quite active?


Thanks! I wouldn't know on activeness, I only look at them at night for a minute or two a day. I got a whole zoo at home to look after, my roaches aren't neglected though. If anything they're spoiled. I'm off to feed them now actually. I wouldn't imagine someone would buy these and regret them (unless they need to see their roaches actively moving around all day).

Eric


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## Philth (Aug 23, 2016)

Very cool roaches. They are only extinct until someone finds more though  

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## Dark (Aug 23, 2016)

Philth said:


> Very cool roaches. They are only extinct until someone finds more though
> 
> Later, Tom


You're just oozing with jealousy, I know it. I'm sure if they aren't extinct in the wild entirely yet they probably will be within a few years. Most things will be sooner than later if we keep up our "fantastic" species killing work. 

Eric

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## Stugy (Aug 23, 2016)

Dark said:


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Amazing and dare I say beautiful roaches you got there. I have been eyeing the roach hobby for a few months and even more specifically Simandoa conserfarium. Would you recommend them as a good starter roach for the careful and experienced arachnid keeper? What do you feed them? Do they have the ability to climb glass/plastic? Can they fly/glide?

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## Hisserdude (Aug 23, 2016)

Dark said:


> I have faith you'll find room some day . But I understand your desire to not overcrowd and not over stretch yourself with animals, I should really downsize soon.


Oh I definitely will, it might just take a little while. 



Stugy said:


> Amazing and dare I say beautiful roaches you got there. I have been eyeing the roach hobby for a few months and even more specifically Simandoa conserfarium. Would you recommend them as a good starter roach for the careful and experienced arachnid keeper? What do you feed them? Do they have the ability to climb glass/plastic? Can they fly/glide?


They are apparently pretty easy to care for, so I'd say they would make a good beginner species.

The staple roach diet is dog/cat food supplemented with fruits and veggies, fruits in particular are an important part of the diet for live bearing roaches like these and they may not reproduce if they are not fed fruit regularly.

This species can climb smooth surfaces, but they can not fly.

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## Dark (Aug 23, 2016)

Stugy said:


> Amazing and dare I say beautiful roaches you got there. I have been eyeing the roach hobby for a few months and even more specifically Simandoa conserfarium. Would you recommend them as a good starter roach for the careful and experienced arachnid keeper? What do you feed them? Do they have the ability to climb glass/plastic? Can they fly/glide?


I don't think there are many roach species in the hobby that your average arachnid keeper would have difficulty with. The only things I'd say that make Simandoas less "beginner" than hissers or dubias is that they're fast as fuck, can scale any surface with shocking speed and are sometimes difficult to breed. If all roach species were on a spectrum between green easy, yellow medium, and red hard, they'd be yellow. I don't know how experienced you are with tarantulas but if you can deal with a quick spider which can bite you then you shouldn't have much trouble with a quick roach that can't. Plus if you drop a tarantula it can be fatal, if you drop a roach you gotta pick it up fast before it's gone (especially simandoas!). Personally I'd recommend starting with some dubias or some hissers (best quality stuff is available on Roachcrossing) because they're slow moving, easy to breed and sturdy. You can definitely start out with Simandoas though, it's just like starting off with a pokie instead of a Chilean Rose Hair (Tarantula to Roach-wise). Maybe the comparison isn't as great but it's something .

As for diet, I put in some rotting wood and dried leaves in the habitat, fresh carrot slices (which last a week or so), occasionally a grape or apple slice, and fish flakes. Lots of people feed their roaches dog and cat food which I do too with my hissers / dubias but I have grain mites so I try and remove as much grain from their diet as possible. I only have to open my Simandoa container once a week tops, maybe once every two weeks. I have water crystals in there to prevent them from dehydrating and to keep me from having to mist the cage often (which can make their food rot fast and bother them), the carrot slices dry on the outside which prevents rotting but keeps the carrot fresh for when the roach decides to chomp on them, and the fish flakes are put into a dry dish to keep them from getting moldy. The roaches LOVE the fish flakes so they rarely last more than a day. Plus the fish flakes are a very thin surface area so they're great for roaches to eat cause it's effortless.

Honestly though, I try and spoil my roaches and my Simandoas are like my trophy roaches so they get especially nice treatment. I also keep everyone else nicer than most people keep their roaches but it's not always necessary. I'd say browse roachcrossing and see what species you like and read the descriptions, there are some pretty gorgeous stuff out there and most of them are easy as cake! Plus the owner is very friendly and will answer any questions you have.

My final advise for anyone entering the roach hobby is to decide how concerned they are with being infested, 90% of the species available couldn't infest your home even if you begged them to but there are a few out there that people keep that could infest your house VERY easily. So be sure to ask the right questions . None of my roaches can infest my home in New York thankfully but I'm careful anyway .

Get roaches man, get as many as you can, they're awesome! There are so few animals you can keep in colonies in your home that don't smell, bite or require a shit load of attention and time. Plus it's fun watching them interact when you got a bunch of them. Dubias are the easiest if you want to start with water wings in the shallow end. They can't climb, they breed in my room despite it being room temperature and lower, they're slow moving, and they're pretty neat.

Eric

P.S. I also recommend keeping springtails in any /all roach enclosures as they help with mold and survive off the waste and moisture of the cage. Once you got a few thousand of them (they reproduce very fast and are beneficial) they get rid of mold before it becomes noticeable. I keep isopods in with some of my roaches but I've noticed that they can sometimes over-breed and compete for food and space if you're not careful.

P.P.S. 90% of the things I give my roaches are luxury, you can easily keep most feeder roaches in containers with zero bedding, just egg crates or paper towel rolls, a food bowl and a water gel dish and they'll be more than fine.

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## Stugy (Aug 24, 2016)

Dark said:


> I don't think there are many roach species in the hobby that your average arachnid keeper would have difficulty with. The only things I'd say that make Simandoas less "beginner" than hissers or dubias is that they're fast as fuck, can scale any surface with shocking speed and are sometimes difficult to breed. If all roach species were on a spectrum between green easy, yellow medium, and red hard, they'd be yellow. I don't know how experienced you are with tarantulas but if you can deal with a quick spider which can bite you then you shouldn't have much trouble with a quick roach that can't. Plus if you drop a tarantula it can be fatal, if you drop a roach you gotta pick it up fast before it's gone (especially simandoas!). Personally I'd recommend starting with some dubias or some hissers (best quality stuff is available on Roachcrossing) because they're slow moving, easy to breed and sturdy. You can definitely start out with Simandoas though, it's just like starting off with a pokie instead of a Chilean Rose Hair (Tarantula to Roach-wise). Maybe the comparison isn't as great but it's something .
> 
> As for diet, I put in some rotting wood and dried leaves in the habitat, fresh carrot slices (which last a week or so), occasionally a grape or apple slice, and fish flakes. Lots of people feed their roaches dog and cat food which I do too with my hissers / dubias but I have grain mites so I try and remove as much grain from their diet as possible. I only have to open my Simandoa container once a week tops, maybe once every two weeks. I have water crystals in there to prevent them from dehydrating and to keep me from having to mist the cage often (which can make their food rot fast and bother them), the carrot slices dry on the outside which prevents rotting but keeps the carrot fresh for when the roach decides to chomp on them, and the fish flakes are put into a dry dish to keep them from getting moldy. The roaches LOVE the fish flakes so they rarely last more than a day. Plus the fish flakes are a very thin surface area so they're great for roaches to eat cause it's effortless.
> 
> ...


Well thanks for the essay lol. I'm no tarantula person but I love my true spiders so does that count? I'm not really into breeding roaches I just want one or 2 as just pets as there are already enough dedicated breeders for this extinct species. Well there is never enough but I hope you got the idea.


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## Dark (Aug 24, 2016)

Stugy said:


> Well thanks for the essay lol. I'm no tarantula person but I love my true spiders so does that count? I'm not really into breeding roaches I just want one or 2 as just pets as there are already enough dedicated breeders for this extinct species. Well there is never enough but I hope you got the idea.


lol it's fine, and you're damn welcome. Get two males then, they won't breed.

Eric


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