Harlequin Roaches

[SkyeSpider]

I just placed an order for some harlequin roaches (Neostylopyga rhombifolia). I know they're pretty easy to keep, but exactly how easy? What kind of set up should I be using?

I keep my lobsters on aspen bedding, to keep their smell down, and use lots of egg crate in a giant rubbermaid bin. My hissers are in a fairly large display case (pioneer plastic's largest size) with no substrate and lots of egg crate. Would either of these set ups be ideal for the harlequins?


Thanks for any advice! I'm really looking forward to having these!

 

[galeogirl]

I haven't kept harlequins, but I was wondering about what you said about lobster roaches smelling. I had a colony for years and never noticed any bad smell. I kept them in a bare tank with plenty of egg crating and just wiped down the floor of the tank with a wet paper towel every few days.

Could their diet be contributing to their smell? Sorry, thinking out loud.

 

[SkyeSpider]

I haven't kept harlequins, but I was wondering about what you said about lobster roaches smelling. I had a colony for years and never noticed any bad smell. I kept them in a bare tank with plenty of egg crating and just wiped down the floor of the tank with a wet paper towel every few days.

Could their diet be contributing to their smell? Sorry, thinking out loud.

It's not really a bad smell. It's just a musk. I prefer the aspen smell over the musk, to be honest. That's all it is.

 

[Alakdan]

I caught 5 specimens last October without knowing exactly what they are. I kept it in a small container 6x8x4 (LxWxH) inches. Dry coco peat substrate and a claypot hide. I also placed a slab of wood for a climb. I fed it the same food as my dubias. It has laid several egg cases already, and I already have almost a hundred nymphs. I'm not sure if they are parthenogenic because I haven't seen them mate. Anyway, they are expert climbers even on glass. I use the nymphs to feed my arboreal Ts. The don't smell as bad as P. americana, but they secrete a sticky stuff when in defensive mode.

 

[SkyeSpider]

I already have almost a hundred nymphs.

What size do the nymphs hatch out at?

 

[Alakdan]

What size do the nymphs hatch out at?

They were almost 2mm. I'm guessing +/-20 nymphs per egg case.

 

[galeogirl]

It's not really a bad smell. It's just a musk. I prefer the aspen smell over the musk, to be honest. That's all it is.

Ah, understood. Still better than the smell of crickets.

 

[SkyeSpider]

Still better than the smell of crickets.

YES! YES! YES!!! :clap: