How often do you change your Dubia Food/Water?

I got my first start on Dubia's about a month ago and I don't know if this is normal or what but the food goes bad (shrinks / stinks) within 2 days. I feed them sweet potatoes, Apples, Limes, Grapes, Oats and Carrots. Their water crystals also dry up really fast. I assume its the heat pad that is doing this.

I clean the cage once a month and put down fresh oats. I change the food and water out daily. I like to give them a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I also mist the cage once at night before I go to bed as they lick the glass.

blackbetty said:

I clean the cage once a month and put down fresh oats. I change the food and water out daily. I like to give them a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I also mist the cage once at night before I go to bed as they lick the glass.

Click to expand...

Hmm I haven't misted them. I just use the water crystals.

I dont use crystals.I keep a shallow water dish witha paper towel in it..but the do lick the glass to drink too..and it helps the humidity for breeding.

My dubias just arrived today:d a kinda small quantity, but there are not too many mouths to feed. So im looking forward for advices about food changing too...

In the Zoo, every other day was a food changing day. There were loads(hundreds) of dubias so it was necessary. The food was in some big lettuce leafs, and it was mixed greens and vegetables as i remember. So it was a change on every second day.

ps: we dont have any water crystals here

For my breeding colony I only use dry food and water crystals. Veggies go to the feeding group I pull out.

You can rehydrate the crystals by adding a little water to the bowl they are in. You can do this as long as they don't dry up completely. Once they are hard again no go.

I don't rehydrate the crystals in the crickets cage because they are disgusting creatures and turn them brown. It works great for me in the roach bin.

Ryan Jarosek said:

For my breeding colony I only use dry food and water crystals. Veggies go to the feeding group I pull out.

You can rehydrate the crystals by adding a little water to the bowl they are in. You can do this as long as they don't dry up completely. Once they are hard again no go.

I don't rehydrate the crystals in the crickets cage because they are disgusting creatures and turn them brown. It works great for me in the roach bin.

Click to expand...

I should also mention that the crystals provide plenty of humidity so misting is not necessary. Not saying misting isn't a good thing just that I don't do it.

All mine are in one tank. I thought about making just a breeding colony but then I just figured they are happy where they are and I dont have the space for another 10 gallon..

Do you feed cat food Ryan? Ive heard people do that...

I use oat bedding as they like to bury themselves over the heating mat. I use paper towel rolls and 2 Mcds carriers flipped over and stacked for hiding..they have holes so they can climb in and out. I just had a small load born. Im hoping the redeye will take to eating them so I can be done with crickets..

Ryan Jarosek said:

I should also mention that the crystals provide plenty of humidity so misting is not necessary. Not saying misting isn't a good thing just that I don't do it.

Click to expand...

Showoff.

blackbetty said:

Showoff.

Click to expand...

LMAO

Ryan Jarosek said:

LMAO

Click to expand...

What type of dry food do you use?

Also oats all over the bottom? or just in their food dish? I have a glass 6 gallon tank with a heat pad on the bottom.

Sancho said:

What type of dry food do you use?

Also oats all over the bottom? or just in their food dish? I have a glass 6 gallon tank with a heat pad on the bottom.

Click to expand...

I use cricket crack in a dish. They devour it.

we used wood chip as "substrate" (at the zoo) at home i try the oat, lets see if it is working

I use oats as bedding. If they choose to eat it, so be it but I have yet to see this..They just like to hide in it. I only put about 1 inch. I just buy a large thing of it at the dollar store and whala..Happy Roaches.

Is cricket crack as good as organic fruits and veggies? I dont think the roaches have cricket crack in the wild.

Haven't you seen a cricket crack store? They are usually in the bushes.

Tim,
Do you have the heat pad under the fruit and veggies? That can make it spoil very fast. I have my heat pad only under the eggcrate/tubes and not the food side.

i always offer a little at a time.

Orange slices
Carrot
Apple
Melon
Strawberry
Cooked egg yolk mixed with my own dry recipe
Dog food with rabbit food, grinded and mixed

Just make sure you have a set scheduel so you know you're not over doing one thing.

I never mist my dubia.

I keep them in a dark closet, with a red light over them, and a small heatpad underneath the bin I keep them in. Tons of egg crates, paper towel rolls, fast food cup holders, crumbeled up paper.


I never let the bins get over crowded.

Feeding them orange slices, in my experience, gives their close up odor a more citrus smell to it. Not as bad as their other scent with the other foods :]

Is the red light for heat?

ponders said:

Tim,
Do you have the heat pad under the fruit and veggies? That can make it spoil very fast. I have my heat pad only under the eggcrate/tubes and not the food side.

Click to expand...

Nope the heat pad is only under the tubes not the food. The food is roughly 4 inches from the heat pad. Do you leave it just glass on bottom or use oat along the bottom?

Oats on top of the glass. I have an emprty tank, dump a container of oats. Spread them out, then put the tubes and crates on top of that on the heat pad side.

Are you using any other heat source? Is it in a room with lots of light? My carrots i put int he frog tank will mold within 2 days due to substrate and humidity. I havent had any probs with the Dubia tank yet.