How should I administer heat to my Dubia Roaches?

[ospiee]

I got some dubia roaches about a year ago and have been waiting for them to breed ever since. They're all fully grown and I have males & females. I've seen people say that their roaches bred at room temp, but mine haven't. I got a Zoo Med Reptitherm U.T.H. under tank heater, (I have the same one for my crestie) and I don't know how I should place it for my dubias. Their substrate is a coco fiber dirt. They have egg cartons for hides and they get regular feedings of fruit & veggies and water crystals just to make sure they stay hydrated. Honestly, they're kind of like pets at this point because I think they're super cute, but I want to stick to my main intention of feeding the smaller roaches to my crestie. They're in an old glass 10gal tank so I'm not worried about the heat melting anything obviously, but I just don't know if I should put their heat mat under one side, or on the side of the tank. Which would promote faster breeding/is safer for them?

 

[acpart]

I recommend you place it under the tank at one side, the same way you would for a terrestrial gecko. That way, the heat will come up from the bottom but there will be places in the enclosure (the other side) where the roaches can go if they need to be cooler. I feel that this way there will be more concentrated warmth lower down, where they tend to be, rather than have heat dissipating into the air if the pad is on the side of the enclosure.

Aliza

 

[ospiee]

I recommend you place it under the tank at one side, the same way you would for a terrestrial gecko. That way, the heat will come up from the bottom but there will be places in the enclosure (the other side) where the roaches can go if they need to be cooler. I feel that this way there will be more concentrated warmth lower down, where they tend to be, rather than have heat dissipating into the air if the pad is on the side of the enclosure.

Aliza

Ok! I'll do this Even if something bad does happen, I can always peel it off and put it on the side. Thanks!

 

[Josh]

I second what aliza said. I usually put them underneath on one side and stand up a bunch of egg crate like books on a bookcase over the heat pad