New Lateralis Tote

[l4nsky]

I decided to upgrade my lateralis colony to a new tote as they've exploded in population and I was having trouble with them maturing at small sizes (I also reduced the colony size and increased their food intake to address this). I found a wheeled, 103QT, gasketed tote at The Container Store that fits the bill well (big upgrade from their previous 10g enclosure). I imagine I'll have to dial it in a bit in the next few months (it's holding around 80 degrees and 80% RH right now, but it's summer here), but overall I'm pretty pleased. I also used this move to address an issue I got tired of dealing with, that being the roaches constantly dragging substrate into their food and water bowls. To do that, I made an elevated dish holder out of light diffuser panel that I can slide the bowls in and out of. There's a piece of window screen on the top that has cutouts allowing the roaches to get to the bowls underneath. The cutouts are only cut on 3 sides, allowing the window screen to rest in the bowl, under the food or water crystals, and providing a ramp for even the smallest nymphs. There is also a ~5" screen overhang that rests against the cardboard eggcrate, allowing the roaches to reach their food and water. So far, I'm the only one who's gotten substrate in the water bowl (knocking egg crates into a bowl to get feeders). I've had it setup for about a week and I'm curious how well this is going to work long term. Anyways, here they are:


Thanks,
--Matt

 

[Frogdaddy]

What are you using for substrate?

 

[l4nsky]

What are you using for substrate?

Same substrate mix I use for practically all my inverts.

• 2 parts Zoo Med Reptisoil
• 2 parts dry, loose Zoo Med Eco Earth
• 1 part dry sphagnum moss
• 1 part vermiculite

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Do you see any benefit using a substrate vs. bare bottom?

 

[l4nsky]

Do you see any benefit using a substrate vs. bare bottom?

Better odor control and a stable humidity that doesn't require consistent misting. This colony has been kept bioactive, bare bottom, and on shallow substrate. I've found shallow substrate to be the best method for me.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Better odor control and a stable humidity that doesn't require consistent misting. This colony has been kept bioactive, bare bottom, and on shallow substrate. I've found shallow substrate to be the best method for me.

The reason i asked is because i have always kept my bins bare with harborage. Highsided dishes help keep frass out and food in.
I don't mist or anything and have pretty wide open screened lids. I do keep them in an area where the humidity is consistently in the sixties, though. I've never had issues with reproduction or anything and not having a substrate makes things easy when it comes time to split or clean. Sifting out nymphs and ootheca seems like it would be a pain if there were substrate.

 

[USNGunner]

@l4nsky, I like that. Could you post a little more detail on how that's set up if you have time? I'm struggling with my colony and odor right now. That would really be awesome.

@DomGom TheFather, how do you sift out the nymphs and ootheca?

 

[l4nsky]

The reason i asked is because i have always kept my bins bare with harborage. Highsided dishes help keep frass out and food in.
I don't mist or anything and have pretty wide open screened lids. I do keep them in an area where the humidity is consistently in the sixties, though. I've never had issues with reproduction or anything and not having a substrate makes things easy when it comes time to split or clean. Sifting out nymphs and ootheca seems like it would be a pain if there were substrate.

When I was doing bare bottom, I had some pretty bad odor problems that required me to clean their enclosure more often. With substrate, it's not really an issue. As far as pulling ootheca and nymphs, I found a few tricks. This is a large colony, so I'm not too concerned about getting all the egg cases and nymphs. I found that if I put a few eggcrate pieces back in the enclosure and gently blow on the substrate to cause the nymphs to scatter, they majority would end up on the eggcrates a few minutes later when they were calmed down. As far as ootheca, my females usually laid the majority of them behind the angled egg cartons near the heatpad, so I'd just scoop up the majority of them there. I think I also have to mention that I freeze my old substrate and eggcrates for a week prior to throwing it out, so I'm not concerned about any I miss becoming established and invasive (I'll probably catch heat for that statement, but it's something I think everyone keeping potentially invasive species should do)

 

[DomGom TheFather]

how do you sift out the nymphs and ootheca?

I just sift the frass over a tote.
Old molts can be blown off. The nymphs scatter, leaving only egg cases which i then put in a small container for hatching. I put a piece of eggcrate in the empty bin I'm working with and any nymphs will be removed with it the following day.

 

[USNGunner]

I just sift the frass over a tote.

What do you sift with though? the bottom of my tote ends up full of shredded egg carton, cat food, and other nonsense. Oh yeah, and buffalo beetles.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

What do you sift with though?

Wire kitchen strainers.

 

[l4nsky]

@l4nsky, I like that. Could you post a little more detail on how that's set up if you have time? I'm struggling with my colony and odor right now. That would really be awesome.

I will in a bit, but I don't know yet if I'll have to modify this design to address odor or not (it's only been about a week). I'm not a roach expert by any means, but IME, controlling odor and maintaining a productive colony involves a fine balance between ventilation, moisture, heat, and population.

• Too high of a population results in too much waste and odor.
• Too much moisture or too little ventilation results in stagnant conditions that allow bacteria to thrive on the droppings and create odor.
• Too little moisture, too little heat, or too much ventilation results in decreased reproduction.
• Too much heat and too much moisture results in bacterial buildup, the associated odor, and that odor being spread through the room (hot air rises out of the enclosure, dispersing the odor)

 

[USNGunner]

So how does one know when one has "too many"?

 

[USNGunner]

I use a double tote setup. A smaller tote, that I cut the lid out about 80% to fashion into a screened lid. That is placed inside a larger tote that I've installed a heat pad running off of a PID controller to keep it both dark, and at 76F/24C. They weren't breeding at first, but started breeding nicely after that. But, they do get funky.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Thus far I've been going bare bottom. But winter is approaching and substrate may help me maintain a stable humidity once the furnace kicks on and dries out the air.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

So how does one know when one has "too many"?

A drop in reproduction.
Tattered wings on males.
Chewed ootheca.
Odor.
An obvious lack of space for the number of individuals.
They can do fine pretty packed and some of those things are a sign that they're lacking protein or moisture but you'll sort of know and get a feel for it.
Unfortunately, a bin with loads of roaches will always have an odor. It might be mild in newly cleaned bins with fresh harborage but it isn't something you can avoid completely. Good ventilation and limiting moist food can help. Also, be sure to pick out your dead. In a large colony, there's gonna be some and if left it contributes more than anything.

 

[l4nsky]

I use a double tote setup. A smaller tote, that I cut the lid out about 80% to fashion into a screened lid. That is placed inside a larger tote that I've installed a heat pad running off of a PID controller to keep it both dark, and at 76F/24C. They weren't breeding at first, but started breeding nicely after that. But, they do get funky.

My last setup was a double tub as well (a 10g with screen lid inside a ventilated, gasketed tote. When I started noticing odor issues, I drastically increased the ventilation of the tote (went from nine 2" ventilation inserts in the top to 8 inserts and a 6"x6" screened panel) and that worked until the population increased too much.

 

[USNGunner]

@DomGom TheFather , thank you. I actually think I may be at that point. So, what does one do then? Can O' Raid?

JUST KIDDING ABOUT THE RAID FOLKS, stand down.

Seriously though, what can you do?

 

[USNGunner]

I'm going to have to rethink this colony setup thing big time.

 

[l4nsky]

@DomGom TheFather , thank you. I actually think I may be at that point. So, what does one do then? Can O' Raid?

JUST KIDDING ABOUT THE RAID FOLKS, stand down.

Seriously though, what can you do?

Get a bigger enclosure, give them away or sell them. I have friends that have beardies and I just pulled out about 8 dozen mature females and gave them away (I don't feed off adult females as I don't want an ootheca laid in my heated, moist Asian tarantula enclosures).