Good Feeder to breed for a few frogs and Ts?

[skilletsteve]

I'm getting sick of dealing with crickets all the time and am wondering what a good feeder would be to breed for my pets. Currently the only insectivore pets I have are three small tree frogs (about 1.5-2 inches), a brown anole, a 2 inch B. smithi, and a 2 inch OBT.

I have an extra ten gallon tank sitting around that I could use to raise the feeders, any suggestions?

 

[Edd Eskimo]

If I were you I would get B.Latt roaches. They are a good size for you little guys

 

[skilletsteve]

how many do you think I would need to get initially so that I could feed off about 30 a week? well maybe not 30, but I tend to feed about 30 "small" crickets per week. 25 to the frogs and anole, 3 to the OBT and 2 to the B. Smithi.

 

[wraith]

At least a thousand. It takes them about two to three months to become sexually mature and it takes their egg cases two to three weeks to hatch. If you feed out 30 a week that's 120 a month. Assuming one fifth of your population are breeding ready females with 1000 roaches that would give you 200 laying about one egg case a week with each egg case producing about 20 young. So you'd be feeding off 360 in the time it'd take for those offspring (about 4000 nymphs a month). Though those are perfect figures as far as how many you'll get. I'd expect more like 1000 a month. This way you have plenty of extras. If you need to decrease the population start feeding off females.

 

[skilletsteve]

what size setup would I need for 1000 roaches?

 

[wraith]

When I first got mine I used a ten gallon rubber maid container. Make sure it's blue or black and not clear as excessive light tends to slow down production since it makes them stressed. Unlike with crickets roaches shouldn't be kept with substrate as they don't need it to reproduce like crickets do. The only species I keep with substrate are Dubia and Hissers since they seem to feel more secure that way. Though they can't climb the smallest nymphs will once the bin gets a little dusty so use mesh screen for air holes, and put packing tape around the top (not the lid). Toss in some egg crates, some water gel, and some powder ground dog food and you're good to go.

 

[Crysta]

instead of water jell just put in some peices of oranges, nutrition!! lol

 

[Matt K]

I would not say a thousand. I use about 30 ish a week and I try to keep my colony between 300-500 most of the time. So really 500 or so would do it if you keep them well fed.

 

[paul fleming]

I feed my frogs,scorps and spids on various sized crix.
Have been doing for years and no problems so far
Not as if you need that many and they are pretty easy to keep alive and healthy using weetabix as substrate and feeding them tropical fish flakes and remembering to use gel and not water.
I take as much pride in keeping the feeders as I do the animals they are being fed too......honestly.

 

[ZephAmp]

Any roaches are an excellent choice.
Also, you may wish to consider isopods, milkweed bugs (captive raised on sunflower seeds) or silverfish/firebrats as supplements.