B. lateralis Egg Case Problems

[Taceas]

Well I seem to finally have managed to get most of the egg cases to hatch. I think it was just a factor of having enough males around to properly fertilize them. I had far more females than males. I really didn't increase the humidity at all, if anything it's gone down since I took the lid off the tub due to mold problems.

But now I'm coming across a new problem. Several females are developing weird egg cases. Like they're coming out malformed. In some instances it's killed the females, in others the cases usually break open due to the shell that never seems to harden and the others basically eat them out of the female (yuk!).

They're housed in a simple tall Sterilite container, peat moss substrate, typical paper egg crates, fed apples/carrots/powdered diet from Carnivorous Orchid. I've taken to feeding off the females I find with this as they tend to have this problem repeatedly.

Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this?

 

[Skypainter]

Try feeding them cheap dry puppy food. I have noticed this when they aren't getting enough protein.

 

[Taceas]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been leary of using dog/cat food because everyone says too much protein is bad.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been leary of using dog/cat food because everyone says too much protein is bad.

And in cat and dog food is the difference: Cat food has a very high percentage of it and low grade dog food doesn't (in comparison). So it's really ok to give them some dog food. Just make sure it's not some super-brand with an extra high content

 

[Taceas]

Is 21% too much? Or I've got 16% rodent blocks, or 18% chicken feed.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Personally I've homed in on 18% and everything is going fine with mine.