# Seeding tanks with Dubia roaches



## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

Has anybody here ever seeded thier tanks with dubia roaches.


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

rpmurphey said:


> Has anybody here ever seeded thier tanks with dubia roaches.


 

Why would you want to? Dubia are a large roach. Alot of the darts can not even eat the nymps let alone one that has been growing. 

Now there is always exceptions to the rule but I IMHO do not see how this would be beneficial at all.


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## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

I was thinking that the roaches would be a good cleaner bug. I try to make my tanks as hands off as possible. In the past I have seeded my tanks with springtails, woodlouse, and worms but I was thinking only of clean up. Yes dubia roaches are large and it wouldn't be that beneficail for a food source but I was manly thinking of keeping the tank as clean as possible. The size tanks that I was thinking about putting these guys in are 40+ gallon tanks. I don't know I was just throwing the idea around.


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

With the way they breed ( quickly) I would be worried that it would not take long to take over the tank, not to mention potential harm to the frogs. 

Yeah I personally would skip it.


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## Jellyman (Mar 6, 2006)

I do not think they would do very well in such a moist habitat. I have had a huge colony for some time and they seem to die off very quickly if there is too much moisture.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

You'll run the risk of young froglets and eggs being eaten. True, people that went with Understory reported that gazillions of roaches lived in the leaf litter, but snakes, tarantulas, birds, and other critters live in the rainforest and aren't confined to a small vivarium.

You can't go wrong with isopods living in the tank.


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## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

Rain_Frog said:


> You'll run the risk of young froglets and eggs being eaten.
> 
> You can't go wrong with isopods living in the tank.


Good point I didn't even think about that. That is why I asked this question. You made up my mind. Thank You


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Id also be concerned about Isos in the viv as well.

Unless you have a decent group of frogs the Isos can breed heavily and make swiss cheese out of the plants. Ive personally witnessed this in a viv with a pair of Azureus


I also would be against using roaches to seed a viv

Todd


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

With isopods this is usually the result of the initial boom population upon establishing the population in the tank and the search for nutrients. In a year or year and a half the population stabilizes and the damage to plants really tapers off. 

Ed


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

So Ed, in your opinion, are Iso's a "must have" seeded in a viv with dart frogs? I know springs are must haves, do you rank them equally? Also, is there a way to moderate the plant damage in the begininning by providing them with alternative food?


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## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

since this is starting to steer away from giant cockroaches, what besides isopods and springs are good for seeding a tank? Tropical firebrats? Anything else?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

tim13 said:


> So Ed, in your opinion, are Iso's a "must have" seeded in a viv with dart frogs? I know springs are must haves, do you rank them equally? Also, is there a way to moderate the plant damage in the begininning by providing them with alternative food?


They are efficient in scavenging stuff as well as isopods such as extra vitamin powder (as many enclosures are low in calcium). Keep in mind that extra feedings can further boost the population before it crashes. It is all part of the ecology of getting them established in the enclosures. 

It also appears (at least anectodally, that some of the smaller isopods are not as damaging to the plants as the larger ones). 

Ed


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

I did an experiment a while back for fun.I put a few dubia nymphs in a small planted viv in dart conditions.They lived and molted for months (before they became lizard food) and did pretty well.They will eat plants!They are fine in humid conditions but not with mold.
Lou


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## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

I put dubias in my cresty cages and they seem to thrive, that is where I got the idea about seeding for frogs. I also breed them myself, I probably should have mentioned that in the begining. 

My other tanks that have worms in it seems to be doing the best with plant growth and humidity. Plus, I don't have to spray it but once a month to once every two months. I have no clue why though. It might have to do something with the glass top. I know that it dose not get that much air circulation (no animals in this tank right now).


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

I raise dubia for my leopards and a cresty.I noticed the dubia doing well in my cresty tank which is what gave me the idea to do the experiment.I don't put them in my dart vivs because they would do more damage than good but make great reptile food.They are good for larger nocturnal frogs.I do on occasion give some to my red eye tree frogs and kassina maculata.they don't make it to adulthood in those tanks though

I do seed all of my dart vivs with springs and isos.They do a great job and as Ed said they do seem to stabilize.I never used worms though.What kind of worms do you use?
Lou




rpmurphey said:


> I put dubias in my cresty cages and they seem to thrive, that is where I got the idea about seeding for frogs. I also breed them myself, I probably should have mentioned that in the begining.
> 
> My other tanks that have worms in it seems to be doing the best with plant growth and humidity. Plus, I don't have to spray it but once a month to once every two months. I have no clue why though. It might have to do something with the glass top. I know that it dose not get that much air circulation (no animals in this tank right now).


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## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

oddlot said:


> I never used worms though.What kind of worms do you use?
> Lou


I use redwrigglers. They seem to do fine and they do breed in the tank as well.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

rpmurphey said:


> I use redwrigglers. They seem to do fine and they do breed in the tank as well.


Redwrigglers are typically Eisenia foetida.. I would suggest reviewing Toxicity of coelomic fluid of the earthworm Eiseni... [Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2001] - PubMed result. 

These worms are really good at churning leaf litter and organic mixes like ABG into nothing... and if you put a osmunda or other similar type of background in the tank, they will clog it with material. 

Ed


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## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

Ed,

Thank you for the read. As of right now the 2 tanks that I have worms in have nothing in them (I have alot of tank that are empty). I will make sure that when I do put any thing in there I will change the soil. Once again thank you Ed for the literature.


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