Picky Dubias won’t eat?

[moricollins]

See comments already on this thread:

Up the temperature to around 80F. They like it warm

They need warmth to breed and eat, I keep mine at 85 F using a heat pad on the side of the enclosure with a thermostat

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

See comments already on this thread:

Oh maybe I should get a better newer heat mat or something?? What do you use . I found a second zoo med reptile one but they don’t get hot enough.
I had them breeding for years rooom temp , maybe they just suddenly need more heat ?

 

[DerGraf]

Gestation period is at least 9 weeks. While I suppose you have females, which were fertilized earlier than 1 month ago, it isn't for sure. Be more patient, while keeping up temps, food and places to hide.

Male/female ratio sound good. 20-30 isn't a large breeding group, but that only matters for productivity, not if they breed at all. My colony started with even less.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Gestation period is at least 9 weeks. While I suppose you have females, which were fertilized earlier than 1 month ago, it isn't for sure. Be more patient, while keeping up temps, food and places to hide.

Male/female ratio sound good. 20-30 isn't a large breeding group, but that only matters for productivity, not if they breed at all. My colony started with even less.

Maybe I’ll try a different heat pad , should I set it on the bottom or side of the tank. Side they might not get any heat? I’m using an old weak reptile heat mat .
Any temperature adjustable ones you’d suggest what do you use for Dubias ?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

See comments already on this thread:

Is one heating pad enough? I moved them to an even smaller container hopefully they breed or have nymphs soon female look like they ready to have them for months still nothing.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

lost another one I fed it to a T but besides no nymps they have been good overall.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Seems like there not reproducing and I found another one dying turtling on it’s back .. I’ll probably have to either buy a new colony or stick to super worms, crickets .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I’m going to try the inside of peppers no seeds . I can get them to eat again but not breed no nymphs since I re housed them and made this thread ..
Heat pad on bottom of tank .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I'm glad your WEEKS of experience have worked out for you so far. People who have been keeping them many YEARS are giving advice to keep them warmer than room temperature, so if I was the OP I'd listen to those people...

Do you think inside of peppers could make a good food source?

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Egg cartons work they can’t borrow and soil isn’t good for them.

What?

Dubias love to burrow, one of the main things that makes them slightly annoying as feeders is that they burrow when introduced to an enclosure so whatever they're being fed to can't find them.

While they can survive and breed without substrate if you give them a layer of cocofiber or other soil-like substrate they'll probably be more comfortable and the nymphs will spend most of their time buried.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

What?

Dubias love to burrow, one of the main things that makes them slightly annoying as feeders is that they burrow when introduced to an enclosure so whatever they're being fed to can't find them.

While they can survive and breed without substrate if you give them a layer of cocofiber or other soil-like substrate they'll probably be more comfortable and the nymphs will spend most of their time buried.

Should I add a thin layer of substrate to hold moisture better if there not breeding , and I been waiting months on nymphs haven’t got any despite females looking ready no oothicA lost or anything.. so far all I been doing is losing them had to feed 2 off this week alone .
Should Switch egg cartons out for paper towel rolls or something if they’re not having nymphs???
substrate might block access to the heat pad on bottom of tank so it might not help … unless coco fiber absorbs heat and make it work better or something??

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

See comments already on this thread:

Is this much condensation bad?

 

[DerGraf]

Heatpad: With only 4W, it doesn't matter much, if you put it on the side or on the bottom imho. But with such low power it should be close to the box - which it already is, according to your pictures. If you ever get a heatmat with much higher heat output, then fixing it on the side is more important.

Substrate: There's not really a right or wrong way in this regard. Dubias don't *need* the substrate, but it also won't be harmful. Especially the nymphs like to burrow and I personally like to promote natural behavior for my animals, even my feeders. Many breeders have proven though that substrate isn't a top priority. But they want to have hiding places. So more egg carton than I see in your pictures would be my first step. Substrate is optional.

Condensation: That looks like a lot of water to me, for sure more than necessary. The main concern with such humidity is mold, which will spoil their food quickly. Wipe the condensation away, put less water into the enclosure and improve ventilation by adding more holes (on the sides for cross ventilation). The moisture should level after a few days.

Food: Dubia can subsist on nearly everything, but the better the food, the better for your roaches. Pepper should be fine afaik. A real no-go afaik are highly acidic fruits (like lemons and similar tropical fruits) with the exception of oranges (but don't overfeed those, they are more like a treat). But don't just give them the peelings, like us they prefer the fruit meat. ;-) Oat works well as a staple, dry food.
Add a little (!) bit protein based food to their diet 1-2x times per week. Fish flakes are common, dry dog/cat food also works, assuming it has enough protein (30%+ is what I use). The adult Dubias don't need much of it, but nymphs need more, since they still are growing. Same goes for gravid females.
I noticed my Dubias have a limit how much they eat. Judging from your pictures, your animals don't look hungry. If they don't eat, they're not hungry (enough) yet. Wait 2/3 days for the next food offer and/or reduce the amount you give them. In large colonies, there will always be hungry Dubias, but 20-30 animal won't consume a lot.

Breeding vs. feeding them to your Ts: WIth 20-30 animals you can't really afford to feed many of them off. The breeding needs to kick off and a large enough population be established first. I can't give you an exact timetable how long it will take, but I would expect at least 6 months waiting time. I think you should get comfortable with the thought of buying feeders for a while. Pet shops for sure are expensive. Online ordering might not work well atm, if the temperature in your area is too low. If you're lucky you can find an online store, which sends with good isolation and heat packs. If you're very lucky you can find some local breeder or keeper who has some feeders to give away? Maybe you can find some Facebook(or other social media platform) group specific for your area?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Heatpad: With only 4W, it doesn't matter much, if you put it on the side or on the bottom imho. But with such low power it should be close to the box - which it already is, according to your pictures. If you ever get a heatmat with much higher heat output, then fixing it on the side is more important.

Substrate: There's not really a right or wrong way in this regard. Dubias don't *need* the substrate, but it also won't be harmful. Especially the nymphs like to burrow and I personally like to promote natural behavior for my animals, even my feeders. Many breeders have proven though that substrate isn't a top priority. But they want to have hiding places. So more egg carton than I see in your pictures would be my first step. Substrate is optional.

Condensation: That looks like a lot of water to me, for sure more than necessary. The main concern with such humidity is mold, which will spoil their food quickly. Wipe the condensation away, put less water into the enclosure and improve ventilation by adding more holes (on the sides for cross ventilation). The moisture should level after a few days.

Food: Dubia can subsist on nearly everything, but the better the food, the better for your roaches. Pepper should be fine afaik. A real no-go afaik are highly acidic fruits (like lemons and similar tropical fruits) with the exception of oranges (but don't overfeed those, they are more like a treat). But don't just give them the peelings, like us they prefer the fruit meat. ;-) Oat works well as a staple, dry food.
Add a little (!) bit protein based food to their diet 1-2x times per week. Fish flakes are common, dry dog/cat food also works, assuming it has enough protein (30%+ is what I use). The adult Dubias don't need much of it, but nymphs need more, since they still are growing. Same goes for gravid females.
I noticed my Dubias have a limit how much they eat. Judging from your pictures, your animals don't look hungry. If they don't eat, they're not hungry (enough) yet. Wait 2/3 days for the next food offer and/or reduce the amount you give them. In large colonies, there will always be hungry Dubias, but 20-30 animal won't consume a lot.

Breeding vs. feeding them to your Ts: WIth 20-30 animals you can't really afford to feed many of them off. The breeding needs to kick off and a large enough population be established first. I can't give you an exact timetable how long it will take, but I would expect at least 6 months waiting time. I think you should get comfortable with the thought of buying feeders for a while. Pet shops for sure are expensive. Online ordering might not work well atm, if the temperature in your area is too low. If you're lucky you can find an online store, which sends with good isolation and heat packs. If you're very lucky you can find some local breeder or keeper who has some feeders to give away? Maybe you can find some Facebook(or other social media platform) group specific for your area?

id like to add there not breeding to the first post but I can’t so it’s keep this thread going or make a new one .
Yeah I been waiting 3 months or so or however, long is threads been going? Still zero nymphs… gave them a heat pad and substrate now and plenty of food Weekly now. I’ve had a few die that’s the end result so far no luck. How many months does it take to get babies?
No way I’ll find free dubia around here , everything is expensive a pet store sold me 10 small dubia $10.

 

[coolnweird]

Yeah I been waiting 3 months or so or however, long is threads been going? Still zero nymphs… gave them a heat pad and substrate now and plenty of food Weekly now. I’ve had a few die that’s the end result so far no luck. How many months does it take to get babies?

The breeding needs to kick off and a large enough population be established first. I can't give you an exact timetable how long it will take, but I would expect at least 6 months waiting time.

 

[DerGraf]

Yeah I been waiting 3 months or so or however, long is threads been going? Still zero nymphs… gave them a heat pad and substrate now and plenty of food Weekly now. I’ve had a few die that’s the end result so far no luck. How many months does it take to get babies?
No way I’ll find free dubia around here , everything is expensive a pet store sold me 10 small dubia $10.

True, the thread started early January. The usual reproduction cycle is about 70 days + up 5 month for females to become adult. Depending on the conditions it might (if you already had gravid females) or might not (if you didn't have gravid female and/or the conditions weren't fitting) be time for nymphs to emerge, we can't say for sure through the internet. But I wouldn't assume it's already time. When I started with my first Dubias, it took me some time and tinkering as well to get reproduction going.

Here you have two comprehensive guides. The first one regarding the reproduction cycle and reproduction yield: LINK 1. The second one is a general but detailed care guide, with a lot of good info: LINK 2. Their website helped me a lot with my Dubias, they have other good articles online as well.

It sucks, that you've lost your colony and don't have a better supply in your area. If you have a significant number of Tarantulas (which you have, according to your profile), my call would be that you'll need to spend the money for a while, until your diy feeders are established again. The more you buy early, the higher the chances your colony will be productive sooner.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

True, the thread started early January. The usual reproduction cycle is about 70 days + up 5 month for females to become adult. Depending on the conditions it might (if you already had gravid females) or might not (if you didn't have gravid female and/or the conditions weren't fitting) be time for nymphs to emerge, we can't say for sure through the internet. But I wouldn't assume it's already time. When I started with my first Dubias, it took me some time and tinkering as well to get reproduction going.

Here you have two comprehensive guides. The first one regarding the reproduction cycle and reproduction yield: LINK 1. The second one is a general but detailed care guide, with a lot of good info: LINK 2. Their website helped me a lot with my Dubias, they have other good articles online as well.

It sucks, that you've lost your colony and don't have a better supply in your area. If you have a significant number of Tarantulas (which you have, according to your profile), my call would be that you'll need to spend the money for a while, until your diy feeders are established again. The more you buy early, the higher the chances your colony will be productive sooner.

Am I better off switching to two species and add orange heads or something ofc separate tank . It could be a year til dubia are established again, I added substrate for the first time to see if it’s a humidity problem. I’m down to 13 Ts I think had a lots of issues and most my Ts were males on my old lists like 80% wish id had taken the time to sell them , sold 0.. it’s hard when allergic to the hairs . I’ve had this dubia colony 5-7 years now it’s finally dying out.
ouch long wait …

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Edit

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

True, the thread started early January. The usual reproduction cycle is about 70 days + up 5 month for females to become adult. Depending on the conditions it might (if you already had gravid females) or might not (if you didn't have gravid female and/or the conditions weren't fitting) be time for nymphs to emerge, we can't say for sure through the internet. But I wouldn't assume it's already time. When I started with my first Dubias, it took me some time and tinkering as well to get reproduction going.

Here you have two comprehensive guides. The first one regarding the reproduction cycle and reproduction yield: LINK 1. The second one is a general but detailed care guide, with a lot of good info: LINK 2. Their website helped me a lot with my Dubias, they have other good articles online as well.

It sucks, that you've lost your colony and don't have a better supply in your area. If you have a significant number of Tarantulas (which you have, according to your profile), my call would be that you'll need to spend the money for a while, until your diy feeders are established again. The more you buy early, the higher the chances your colony will be productive sooner.

Had two more die , so I’m down to 24-27 I think or so . How small of a number until they won’t breed I been waiting 1-2 months for nymps so far nothing .

 

[Liquifin]

This is probably the most troublesome thread in getting a colony started for dubias that I've ever seen. The simplicity it takes to start a colony and the troubles of this thread is all in awe to me. I keep mines so simple and they do relatively fine for my colonies. As someone who raises feeders with multiple colonies, simple is great as it allows managing and cleaning colonies much more easier and more conveniently. I'm surprised how people are using substrate to keep dubias. I just do the simple egg crates, food dishes with the occasional fruit/veggie. Warm temps and frequent checks for dead dubias and waste clean up and that's really about it for me. My goodness do people go such lengths for a feeder colony. But hey, that's just my two cents.