I need some insight

RikkiL

Established Member
Hi all, my egg is due to hatch in about 3 weeks. Super excited only now I am more nervous. I have started my fruit fly's so I can keep a rotation going. My question is when do I order dubia roaches and the other insects ? I don't know how fast dubia's grow. I don't want to order to soon and have dubia roaches that are to big.
 
Hi all, my egg is due to hatch in about 3 weeks. Super excited only now I am more nervous. I have started my fruit fly's so I can keep a rotation going. My question is when do I order dubia roaches and the other insects ? I don't know how fast dubia's grow. I don't want to order to soon and have dubia roaches that are to big.
Panther chameleon sorry I did not add that in the original post
 
most are feeding fruit flies, bean beetles, and pin head crickets for hatchlings. Your pin head sized crickets are going to grow though if you order them too much in advance. I would order them when you see the egg starting to actually sweat. Then you know it is close. Since you already have your fruit flies you have something to start feeding right off the jump.
 
I think in the first month or two you’ll only be feeding fruit flies and pinhead crickets. I don’t honestly know how big Dubia nymphs are. I would order any baby bugs about a week before your egg hatches which might be hard to estimate since hatching can be affected by temps and humidity.
 
Your gonna go broke "buying" baby dubia in an amount that would sustain a clutch.

Most of the time hatchings wont even eat them for the first 3-6 months.

So if i were you, i would be the biggest you can get, so that you can have a dubia factory in about 90-120 days. week old dubia are about 2-3 week old crickets.
 
Your gonna go broke "buying" baby dubia in an amount that would sustain a clutch.

Most of the time hatchings wont even eat them for the first 3-6 months.

So if i were you, i would be the biggest you can get, so that you can have a dubia factory in about 90-120 days. week old dubia are about 2-3 week old crickets.
I only have the one egg so I am hoping I don't go broke. I am trying to do the research to start a colony of dubia's but for now I just want to be prepared for the baby's arrival
 
I forgot to say hi and welcome! I think the three of us were posting at the same time. Do you have a cage set up for this new member of your family? Now would be the time to do it and get everything in place before this little one makes its debut.
 
I think in the first month or two you’ll only be feeding fruit flies and pinhead crickets. I don’t honestly know how big Dubia nymphs are. I would order any baby bugs about a week before your egg hatches which might be hard to estimate since hatching can

I forgot to say hi and welcome! I think the three of us were posting at the same time. Do you have a cage set up for this new member of your family? Now would be the time to do it and get everything in place before this little one makes its debut.
Hi, yes I have had the cage now for about 3 months, I did post a bit ago about it and made changes that were suggested thankful there was only 1 or 2 I think.
20210914_175848.jpg
 
most are feeding fruit flies, bean beetles, and pin head crickets for hatchlings. Your pin head sized crickets are going to grow though if you order them too much in advance. I would order them when you see the egg starting to actually sweat. Then you know it is close. Since you already have your fruit flies you have something to start feeding right off the jump.
Thank you so much
 
most are feeding fruit flies, bean beetles, and pin head crickets for hatchlings. Your pin head sized crickets are going to grow though if you order them too much in advance. I would order them when you see the egg starting to actually sweat. Then you know it is close. Since you already have your fruit flies you have something to start feeding right off the jump.
I have not looked into bean beetles but after your comment I will be thank you so much. I am really trying to stay away from crickets if possible
 
I have not looked into bean beetles but after your comment I will be thank you so much. I am really trying to stay away from crickets if possible
Yeah your probably going to be stuck with crickets as well. They eat as much as they want the first 3 months. I mean your going to be going through tons of feeders every single day. Crickets are really inexpensive to buy.

I have not used bean beetles and do not know much about them but I know others that do.


If your starting baby off in the big cage you need to think about how you will feed. Feeder runs will not hold these tiny feeders very well. I would consider a shallow plastic bowl that is not clear. Should be like white. Placing it so that the top sits right below the basking branches so baby can shoot and aim into the bowl. You can use a piece of banana in it so that the fruit flies stay in that little container.

Cage looks really good. Do you have your lights lifted off the top?
 
Yeah your probably going to be stuck with crickets as well. They eat as much as they want the first 3 months. I mean your going to be going through tons of feeders every single day. Crickets are really inexpensive to buy.

I have not used bean beetles and do not know much about them but I know others that do.


If your starting baby off in the big cage you need to think about how you will feed. Feeder runs will not hold these tiny feeders very well. I would consider a shallow plastic bowl that is not clear. Should be like white. Placing it so that the top sits right below the basking branches so baby can shoot and aim into the bowl. You can use a piece of banana in it so that the fruit flies stay in that little container.

Cage looks really good. Do you have your lights lifted off the top?
Thank you, no my lights right now are on the cage except for the heat bulb. The closest branch to the top is about 7 inches from branch to bulb, and the warmest spot is about 82.
 
Thank you, no my lights right now are on the cage except for the heat bulb. The closest branch to the top is about 7 inches from branch to bulb, and the warmest spot is about 82.
Keep in mind babies screen climb constantly.

What uvb type and strength are you running?
 
Keep in mind babies screen climb constantly.

What uvb type and strength are you running?
Yes I have been thinking about that, I do have the leads to attach to ceiling if need be.
My uvb is a 6% Arcadia and the plant light is a t5 HO 3500k I think.the heat bulb is what was recomended to me by the egg dealer lol its an 25watt appliance bulb which is raised off the screen so no heat burn should occur. The cage I have is amazing as far as the screen goes. I have had the lights on during the hours I have set for almost 3 months the lights are hot but screen does not get warm at all to the touch.
 
Yes I have been thinking about that, I do have the leads to attach to ceiling if need be.
My uvb is a 6% Arcadia and the plant light is a t5 HO 3500k I think.the heat bulb is what was recomended to me by the egg dealer lol its an 25watt appliance bulb which is raised off the screen so no heat burn should occur. The cage I have is amazing as far as the screen goes. I have had the lights on during the hours I have set for almost 3 months the lights are hot but screen does not get warm at all to the touch.
ok so from the angle I am looking at the cage pic it looks like there are multiple ways that baby can get up to the screen top. This would be a bad thing with lights on the top.

So with your UVB fixture type and bulb strength you need to raise the fixture off the top 4 inches. then the branches below it would be 5 inches down from the screen. This will make total distance to branch 9 inches putting baby in a 3 uvi at branch. Now where you get at the screen should be more like a 6 uvi which is within limits for exposure. But baby being on top of the bulb on the screen will cause major overexposure issues.

Trust me you want to be the least stressed as possible and have them raised prior to baby hatching.
 
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