Elbow-deep in Banana Roach Babies. In need of advice!

[Distasty]

I'm beginning to setup a large cage for some Green Banana Roaches I've been catching, so in the meantime they've been residing in a dinkie jar until I got the cage roach proofed (still working on a good lid as they have proved themselves to be crafty little buggers in the art of escape) when I woke up this morning, the apple slice I put in there was covered in newborn nymphs!
I'm guessing one of the ones I caught was pregnant

So I need to move them quickly to a larger temp tank which brings me to my questions. I want to make sure I do this right as I'm a newbie to bugs, and I can't find ANY information on Cuban Roach care via internet (It seems that everybody just copied and pasted the information that allpet roaches had to say about the species) .

Any advice on soil, humidy/moisture, foods to make the young survive to adulthood?
And do these guys give live birth??? I KNOW there wasn't any egg cases as I just stuck them in the jar for only one night

Any tips or answers would be great. :worship:

 

[Brad Ramsey]

They are ovavivaporous ("live birth").
Higher humidity and apple. Keep them warm (80's)
Don't panic about getting the new set-up fast....they'll be fine.
I had about 200 in a half gallon olive jar for months and they did great!
A large plastic container like the ones pre-washed salad comes in works great....poke teeny tiny airholes in the lid and you're done!
Baby panchlora can escape through most screen so be careful how you contain them....they won't infest your house or anything like that but you don't want to lose them!
Babies tend to like to burrow down in the substrate (I use shredded bark and peat for these)
Make sure you change out the apple slice often....with the high heat and humidity it will go bad fast and mold will kill these guys quickly.
I only use one slice at a time since they get so squishy, I don't want to have to clean out more than that every day or two.

-Brad

 

[Matt K]

My 2 cent setup:

I found a 20 gallon "reptile tank" that had a sliding screen top. The top fits in a groove all around so there are no (obvious) openings. The bottom of the tank has 2-3 inches of potting soil with some spagnum moss mixed in and scattered on top, and a small ivy and small ficus planted in there. On one side I have 3 pieces of torn egg carton stuff leaning against the right wall of the tank. The soil and egg carton material are full of the roach, and none ever escape. (Though I do think if it starts to get too crowded they may try). I water the plants in there (ergo the soil) once a week-ish, and they cruise around in the moist soil alot. For food I throw in a few pices of dry dog food, a 2 inch piece of banana, the core from an apple I just ate, etc, just whenever I dont see food visible on the floor of the cage. (Fish food pellets here and ther also). Never clean the cage out at all. Have hordes of assorted tiny bugs in the soil (springtails, at least 3 different mites, some isopods, and a few others). Food goes in, it all gets eaten before I add more. On occasion I toss in some water crystals too. Room temp is around 78 most of the time.

I like 'em!

 

[xelda]

Here's my care sheet on them. http://bugchick.com/nivea/

 

[Distasty]

Thank You!

:worship: THANKS EVERYBODY! :worship:
All that information was EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

Okay, right now, they have been transferred to a 2 gallon plastic pretzel jar, and I used some sterile potting soil for substrate that I moistened.
When the new nymphs mature, I'll probably get a 10-gal tank with a sealed glass top (and with a Vaseline barrier just in case) and maybe a plant or two.

Thanks to bugchick on the advice about carrots and other roots until the colony grows! I was having significant problems with mold on food. Hopefully that ends.

:drool: MORE QUESTIONS! :drool:

The female that just gave birth is quickly dying. Is this normal?

And does any body have any tips besides changing food sources regularly to prevent mildew and mold from occurring in the substrate ? Since the nymphs are TINY little buggers and are well camouflaged, I'd rather not play "Where's Waldo" when picking them out of foul soil

Thanks a bunch again everybody!
When the nymphs mature, I'll be abig nerd and send pictures

 

[Digby Rigby]

Isopods

Isopods eat all kinds of dead and decaying things. They also eat mold and mildews and fungi. Try putting some of them in there.

Digby Rigby balboa28279@mypacks.net

 

[Distasty]

??

Isopods eat all kinds of dead and decaying things. They also eat mold and mildews and fungi. Try putting some of them in there.

Digby Rigby balboa28279@mypacks.net

Is that really a good idea? Earlier in this thread, Brad said mold and mildew (particularly with thier food source) could kill off your colony.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

And it can.
What is being suggested is to add sowbugs or millipedes to eat the mold and old food so it won't cause a problem for the roaches.
You could try it.
I keep isopods with other inverts in larger exoterra enclosures for that purpose...don't know how it would work in a smaller less ventilated enclosure.

-Brad

 

[Digby Rigby]

Perhaps I should have...

typed, Put some ISOPODS in there. Sorry for the confusion. Not put some mildew and fungi! See these kind of things dont happen when we are conversing via telephone.;P

Digby RIgby balboa28279@mypacks.net.

 

[Distasty]

Oh! I get it XD

OHhhhhh I get it now. Just having a stoopid moment there, please excuse me :drool:
Good thing I asked for clarity, because that's actually not a bad idea!

Not only that, I think pill bugs are quite charming
That can definitely be done. Although do you know if they carry any kind of parasites? I have fifty billion of the little guys hanging around my house, but I wanna make sure I don't infect my tank with mites and such.

Also, will dead leaves be needed substance for keeping pill bugs or will they be alright just residing on what I put in for the roaches?

 

[Digby Rigby]

Captive bred

Being that they are scavengers, they could have nasty things. However if you get captive born and bred there should be no worries. Most people like the bright orange isopods because they look pretty Of the four species we sell the screaming tangerine ones are the most popular for use as terrarium denizens.

Digby Rigby balboa28279@mypacks.net

 

[Nobody important]

They are ovavivaporous ("live birth").
Higher humidity and apple. Keep them warm (80's)
Don't panic about getting the new set-up fast....they'll be fine.
I had about 200 in a half gallon olive jar for months and they did great!
A large plastic container like the ones pre-washed salad comes in works great....poke teeny tiny airholes in the lid and you're done!
Baby panchlora can escape through most screen so be careful how you contain them....they won't infest your house or anything like that but you don't want to lose them!
Babies tend to like to burrow down in the substrate (I use shredded bark and peat for these)
Make sure you change out the apple slice often....with the high heat and humidity it will go bad fast and mold will kill these guys quickly.
I only use one slice at a time since they get so squishy, I don't want to have to clean out more than that every day or two.

-Brad

Why wouldn't I have to worry about them infesting my house?

 

[Hisserdude]

Why wouldn't I have to worry about them infesting my house?

Because it's impossible, considering houses don't have nearly enough moisture, air humidity, or proper food for them to survive much more than a week, let alone breed and infest.