Rainforest insects

[patexan]

I just bought my son a Biosphere from the Discovery Store (http://shopping.discovery.com/store...toreId=10000&productId=53980&catalogId=10000).

What would be a good insect species to keep in a rainforest type setup? Would a hissing cockroach be ok?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[bugmankeith]

It's actually bad for insects, they can drown in the lagoon, and even if you dont fill that up with water, they will get trapped.

It's actually good for plants, BUT, if you filled the lagoon up with dirt so nothing gets trapped, you could raise small caterpillars, grow the plants they eat inside.

You could possibly put a spider in, one that spins a web, but you would need lots of sticks so it can spin a web away from the ground.

Still, plants are best for this, humidity control is mainly used when it comes to plants.

 

[Randolph XX()]

hissing cockroach is not from the rainforest
and i guess masquitos would be a very good choice since they actually breed in water

 

[bugmankeith]

and i guess masquitos would be a very good choice since they actually breed in water

What Mother would allow her Son to breed Mosquitos in the house? LOL

 

[Galapoheros]

Are you dead set on an insect? What about a smaller tropical millipede? It might eat the plants though. I think a small tropical spider would work. Where to get it though.... Or what about a small treefrog sp? Or a small species of salamander or newt. Some cool salamanders in PA aren't there? You sure you didn't get that for you ? My dad would by me gas powered COX cars when I was around 10 in the early 70's for Xmas and then he'd go play with'em haha. That biosphere's kind of interesting. Not a whole lot of money either. I'd like to hear what you find that works out in there. Looks good for a desk if you have an office job.

 

[cacoseraph]

i don't see why a hissing cockroach wouldn't work in there.

they do just fine with open water in my colony cage, no reason to expect them to go all stupid in a cage like that. come to think of it, i don't think i have ever seen a drowned hisser. maybe one or two babies out of thousands. seen all kinds of other roaches manage to drown themselves, though

you could always add a couple rocks to the water feature to allow for even easier water escapes if that is a concern

 

[patexan]

Are you dead set on an insect? What about a smaller tropical millipede? It might eat the plants though. I think a small tropical spider would work. Where to get it though.... Or what about a small treefrog sp? Or a small species of salamander or newt. Some cool salamanders in PA aren't there? You sure you didn't get that for you ? My dad would by me gas powered COX cars when I was around 10 in the early 70's for Xmas and then he'd go play with'em haha. That biosphere's kind of interesting. Not a whole lot of money either. I'd like to hear what you find that works out in there. Looks good for a desk if you have an office job.

NO, not dead set on an insect, just wondering what would work. It was 50/50 an insect or an amphibian, really up to my son. He is really into insects and wanted to be prepared if he wanted to put one in it.

Thanks for the quick answers

 

[roach dude]

how big is this thing?:? also hissers might work

 

[GailC]

It really is too small for a frog or salamander, only 12" across and 7.5 high. I'd try a hisser and see how it goes.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Try leafhoppers.

 

[Galapoheros]

Some of the dart frogs are pretty small. I think it might work for a small sp. They have some in an exotic pet store here that are in nice looking small terrs. Hey maybe mosquito larvae in the lagoon would make some sense then ...food for the darts when the larvae turn to adults:? . There is the Pygmy salamander that averages about 1 1/2 inches in the eastern US when adult. There's a Redback that will average 3 inches when adult in the eastern US. But you would have to wild catch stuff like that. You could put baby things in there until they outgrow it... hmm, you could try allot of things.

 

[titus]

Dart frogs are wonderful animals I had many over the years, their farily hard to maintain and even the smallest at just over 2cm would need a larger viv. Fire sallys are small and eazily maintained though are mainly aquatic.

 

[Randolph XX()]

well, not all mosies are blood sucking creature, and that depends on the mother

 

[the_frog_kid]

if you get a adult or even any hisser over a inch it will work
they are smart about water
i guess since they are slow they wont run into it when you move or disterb the tank




thanx froggy

 

[Stylopidae]

I'd vote for a phiddipus species

 

[roach dude]

Id say a hisser or two would be best......;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P ;P

 

[Randolph XX()]

HISSERS ARE NOT FROM the RAINFORESTS!
and BTW, they could get drowned, i had seen that b4

 

[roach dude]

yes although they are not from the rainforest they like fairly high humdity and would do fine in that thing aslong as long as thier is not alot of water in the *pond*.