I just got my beardie about two weeks ago and I've been feeding her red runners along with a bought spring mix(no spinach, no iceburg) but I've been reading alot about silkworms and was wondering if they might not be a better staple. I'm not really concerned about the price, just the quality of the nutrition she'll be receiving. Are there any other feeders that might be better than either of those? What about crickets? Lastly, what would be the best salad/veggie mix to feed her? She's about 6 inches long so I'm guessing MAYBE 2 months old. Any other advice would definitely be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Welcome to the boards! This is an excellent question! Firstly, it sounds like you've done your research on salad items so I'll focus on your insect dilemma. Here is website you may or may not have come across, but is an excellent tool for deciding on what to add to the salad and it also provides some info on feeder insects as well: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Now to your feeder insect question - I really like this one. Your Turkistan roaches are an excellent staple feeder for her. Roaches are incredibly high in protein, lean and low in fat, and are generally a far superior feeder insect to a variety of the common insects we see in the pet trade such as crickets, mealworms, superworms, etc. In all honestly, I would keep a colony of those roaches going and keep feeding her these as a staple insect, but add some variety using other insects like silkworms. Variety is key, and the more you offer you better! Silkworms are absolutely phenomenal feeders; debataely the best out there from a nutrional standpoint. They are soft bodied, high in calcium, low in fat, high protein, and they even contain an enzyme called serrapeptase that aids calcium metabolism and is known to break down arterial plague and reduce pain and inflammation. Cheri Smith wrote up a small article on the effects of feeding silkworms to ill dragons and the results were excellent. Now, the reason I suggest your roaches as a primary feeder is due to her age. She is still very young and growing, and we believe that the exercise and stimulation involved with feeding prey that must be chased and hunted down is very beneficial to growing dragons. While silkworms and other soft larvae like soldier grubs (phoenix worms/calci-worms) and hornworms (captive raised only!) are some of the best feeders out there, they are slow moving and don't quite provide that same hunting experience. Feed primarily roaches for now, and offer silkworms and other feeders occasionally for added variety to give your dragon the best care possible. Pick up a dozen crickets to feed here and there, some silkworms, soldier grubs, etc. When she's older you can also supplement with some superworms (zophobas, not mealworms). Once your dragon is into sub-adulthood/adulthood, then you can begin to transition to a more heavy silkworm base. Your dragon will become more vegetarian as as adult, but once it does you can begin looking at silkworms as a main prey item due to their highly beneficial and lean properties. Don't get me wrong, silkworms would be a fantastic primary feeder for her now too, but I believe the babies really enjoy and need the experience of the 'hunt.' Hope this helps! Let us know if you have anymore questions!
Ok. That makes since because she does seem to enjoy "running them down" haha. So I'll stick with the roaches for now. How would I go about starting a colony? Does it have to be in one of those HUGE tubes that most people use? Right now I'm keeping them in a plastic tub of the same design but of more modest dimensions. It's about the size of two shoeboxes sitting next to each other. I'm guessing that's not big enough. But how big is big enough, without it becoming a piece of furniture in whichever room I decide to keep it. I don't mind the big tub but my wife is understandably opposed, lol.
You can keep a pretty decent sized colony of Blatta lateralis in a 10 gallon plsatic tote - no need for anything fancy. It can look something like this with either egg flats or drink carriers: Your turkistans will be easy to breed, and I think the only potential problem you may run into is with hatching the egg cases. Set them up in a bin (the one you have may be fine until the colony gets larger) and keep them warm and well fed and hydrated. Provide a dry gutload at all times and offer salad items as a hydration source... this is convenient when keeping beardies because you can feed the bugs the stalks of greens or unwanted parts and salad items that are just starting to turn that you may not wish to otherwise feed to you pet. The biggest player will be temperature - if you can keep the roaches alive and well and provide the right temps, they will inevitably breed. I would pick up a small undertank heater (UTH), some flexwatt heat tape, or you may wish to use a lamp pointed at the bin for heat. You want things to get into the upper 80's for optimal reproduction. Here is a brief caresheet for breeding this species: http://aaronpauling.com/information-type/care-sheets/blatta-lateralis I also sticked an extensive roach informational topic in this Feeder Forum, it can be found 'stickied' and highlighted in blue at the top of the forum page. This will be additional reading if you want to continue your research. http://www.reptileboards.com/threads/how-to-keep-and-breed-roaches-extensive.64560/ Anywho, I hate to send you off reading things instead of directly answering your question, but I'm a little pressed for time right now. If you have any follow-up questions feel free to aska way and we'll get to them as soon as possible! One additional note with this species; I've always had best result using a substrate/bedding with them. This helps to retain some moisture and prevents direct contact with the heat source for the egg cases, preventing them from drying out and allowing them to hatch. I'd lay down a 1/2" layer or so of coir (coconut fiber, commonly sold as 'bed-a-beast or eco-earth) or some peat moss or similar substrate in the roach bin. They will take a little time to become fully established - I would buy a decent quantity to start off with if you wish to feed out of the colony as soon as possible.
When you mentioned the Water Crystals are you talking about the kind that you can buy at the home improvement store? Or is there something more specialized for roaches?
Just in case you were still curious - the male lats do not fly, but they are capable of "flutter-falling." It is not a very common occurance, but if encouraged off of an edge they can sort of flutter to guide down but they are not truly capable of liftoff from the ground otherwise (if that makes sense). As for the bin - try to avoid the rugged or heavy duty plastic brands that have texture. The tiniest of nymphs will be able to climb up slightly, almost intangible texture so it is important to get a smooth bin. Clear bins work just fine, but there are a variety of very nice smooth opaque colored bins as well that work. I tend to prefer the opaque bins because roaches are shy and thrive in darkness and seclusion but clear bins will most certainly work (especially if kept in a dark area of the home). Generally thinner walled bins have smoother plastic that they cannot climb. I buy water crystals online from bug suppliers, but I assume they are fairly similar to those sold in improvement stores for plants, etc. They are very cheap, usually about $1 per ounce of dry crystals which equates to nearly 1 gallon of usable water crystals once soaked in water. Here is one website that sells them: http://aaronpauling.com
Yea I posted both of those questions before I read the other thread you started and when I did read it I realized that you had answered both of them. One other question I did have though, I live in the U.S. and I've been looking and looking but I can't find any b. lateralis for sale online. All I can find are Dubia and Madagascans. Do you know any retailers that deliver in the U.S.?
Just shot you a PM = ) Here are some additional online suppliers; haven't checked stock or pricing prior to linking: http://aaronpauling.com http://gregsexoticinverts.com http://roachcrossing.com There are some others out there, I'm just not as familiar with the big sites and big suppliers because I haven't bought roaches in ages, lol.
