Dubia babies!

[vastra]

Hello, it's my first time posting on this forum.

Last night I was feeding my adult dubias and noticed one of them was in the process of laying babies! I haven't checked back on them yet so hopefully they're okay but I was wondering if the nymphs would need any special care? Like different foods that might give them a good start or moving them to another tank, that sort of thing?

I have a smaller bin where I keep the older nymphs and I could move the new ones there after they've wandered off but it has Dermestidae beetles in it and I'm not sure if that's a problem or if the other dubias might be aggressive towards them. I also have some coolwhip containers if need be.

Also if anyone has any tips on breeding them based on their own experience I'd like to hear.

Thanks!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome aboard!

I keep all my dubia in a 10 gallon enclosure with a sliding screen top. I don't do anything differently for the nymphs.

I keep them about 70*F room temperature. I add a 15 watt incandescent bulb overhead 24/7 all the time.

To see exactly what I do click & scroll to Blaptica dubia: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ckets-blaptica-dubia-hornworms-silkworms.html

Let us know if you have questions.

 

[vastra]

Thanks! That was a very helpful link.
I don't have a separate heating element for my breeders, they're just nudged up against the side of my gecko's lamp which sort of gives them a warm and cool side to their tub, do you think this is enough? The room stays between 50-64ish degrees I think.

My crickets have a heat mat but I'm pretty sure taking it for the dubias or leaving them out in the garage (Warm but the temp swings) would kill them, and the eggs.

 

[vastra]

Right, so, they're gone now.. I don't know if picking the bin up yesterday scared the dubia into an early birth or if they ate them (the male to female ratio is off a bit).. that's disappointing.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks! That was a very helpful link.
I don't have a separate heating element for my breeders, they're just nudged up against the side of my gecko's lamp which sort of gives them a warm and cool side to their tub, do you think this is enough? The room stays between 50-64ish degrees I think.

My crickets have a heat mat but I'm pretty sure taking it for the dubias or leaving them out in the garage (Warm but the temp swings) would kill them, and the eggs.

Right, so, they're gone now.. I don't know if picking the bin up yesterday scared the dubia into an early birth or if they ate them (the male to female ratio is off a bit).. that's disappointing..

You're welcome.

Have you a way to measure the temperature the dubias get -- something like a probe of a digital thermometer? I understand how they are getting warm. But room temps of 50-64ish? Where is that? That's not nearly warm enough to breed dubia. Something is off.

• Scroll down the link a little lower than what I do. You'll see some necessary temps for dubia breeding.
• What do you feed the dubia 24/7?

 

[vastra]

Hey, sorry for the late reply, I moved dome things and was monitoring the temps.
Lately the room they stay in (my bedroom) has stayed about 64 to 70, although it feels colder sometimes.

I'm using a digital thermometer, previously the side of the bin facing the lamp had been in the low to mid 80s, which didn't get far into the bin. Now they're over the cricket's mat, since I'm getting rid of those, and they're staying between 81-86 over half the bin. The heat diffuses better over the bin making the cool point a couple degrees over room temp.

I was feeding them lot's of dandelions at first but since the plants in my yard aren't safe anymore I feed them mostly organic oranges, carrots, the occasional dandelion leaf from a plant I potted, a small fruit scrap here and there (like bananas and cherries) and a very small amount of oats or even smaller amount of birdseed for something dry.

I don't like this mix but it's all I have in the house, ordering online isn't an option, so I'm growing my own greens to feed them this month.

 

[vastra]

Today was hot so it ran a little higher, high of 94 in one spot but they kept to the 85 spots.

 

[Nika]

I move my little Dubias to a separate container, to make easier to feed them and track their growth. They breed pretty fast at 86-94 F. I have 60 grown Dubias, not too many females. But within a month they brought 180 small Dubias. As lower the temperature, the slower they breed, and the babies grow slower.

In the beginning I was leaving babies with grown ups, but I noticed that because of that they don't get much food. Besides, babies need more moist to grow and shed. SO I decided to separate them.

My baby Dubias get juicy food - peaches, apples, bananas, watermelon, grated carrot, and this jelly Food for Crickets | Roach Food | Pangea Reptile

For watering I give them water gel, because they need 2-3 times more water than grown ups. If my Phelsuma Grandis don't finish her fruit mash, I give it to Dubias, especially the small ones. It has calcium inside, so they get it with the food. I also noticed they grow faster this way.

It is more work to keep them this way, but it's easier to grow them and track growth.