# Consolidating Everything! 2 Fold Question-



## Kaddock (Apr 11, 2012)

I am in the process of minimizing stress in life, and trying to maintain my hobbies as well... I've decided the best way to do this is to upgrade my enclosures (fish, roach, and anything else) into as few tanks as possible! I plan to do an insane experiment this summer, and will need a lot less to deal with if I want to make it work! I've also got my baby Neobarretia spinosa hopefully hatching this summer, so that's a whole other enclosure to deal with (several actually!). Now is the time to make a plan. :shifty: 

1. My main question is- what would be a recommended tank size for a sustainable mixed culture of B. giganteus and G. portentosa? I've been keep the hissers in a ten gallon for some time with good breeding success, until crowding occurs. Recently, I chipped a small herd off into a five gallon, and they started breeding again. I've probably given away two other such groups since I got the colony in April 2009 from Hypoponera (thanks again!). I am thinking 45 gallon tall would be good for a larger colony (with wood formations creating a lot of surface area).

-Will B. giganteus breed under such conditions? I currently have three healthy adults in with the hisser colony (and a pretty awesome multi-isopod/springtail culture too!). If possible, I'd like to toss at least one other low-escape-probability species in there as well. I can always get rid of some if there's too many, I just want feedback on a good tank size, and compatibility. Also a recommendation on another species to add would be cool! I'm thinking A. tesselta, G. lyrida, D. orini or T. petiveriana (Not neccessarily for breeding, but if it works, cool!).

2. Back to the "insane experiment"! This is more of a sounding board / feedback situation than a question- I will be attempting to culture _Vanessa sp. _butterflies this summer, starting in a large mesh cage. I will also be raising live Mallow to maintain their host plant, and using false flower feeding stations for the adults. I hope to have a couple generations down before the end of the summer!

This is all part of my life-long dream to have a "jungle room". It came into slight fruition over the summer, as my laundry room with huge window was filled in by a bird of paradise, peace lilies, etc. The spiders last summer went insane, with webs half in-half out of the windows. I was giddy. Now I've got some thinking my home is their home. My jungle room is not impossible! For now, it is a fun experiment. Can I culture painted ladies and mantids loose in my home? Yes. Can I hope that there will be a food chain, and not worry about them leaving out the window (native/accepted sp. only)? Yes! This is gonna be fun. Feedback?! :clown:


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## CoolMantid (Apr 11, 2012)

Raise mantids and painted ladies in the same room...

Let me know how growing nettle in such a dry enviorment goes


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## Kaddock (Apr 11, 2012)

Oh, I will. It's gonna be epic!!!

Nettle? I'm talking about Mallow - http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/NelsonsCheckerMallow/

And there is nothing dry about my environment, inside or out. The room this will be happening is full of plants and fish tanks. Humidity should be juuuust fine! unk:


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## CoolMantid (Apr 11, 2012)

Oh, I am sorry I am think of Red Admiral Butterfly

If so, you have those fishtanks with the top open the mantis might fall in

Mallow should be good.

Make sure your room has bathroom links to it.


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## Kaddock (Apr 11, 2012)

I don't have open tops, but there could be casualties. Oh well. I'm gonna get the 100 pack of nymphs from the nursery.

What do you mean by bathroom links?


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## CoolMantid (Apr 11, 2012)

Like if you room has another room connnected to it such as a bathroom. Make sense


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## Kaddock (Apr 11, 2012)

Hertarem45 said:


> Like if you room has another room connnected to it such as a bathroom. Make sense


Oh! For humans?! LOL. Yeah, the room won't be especially contained, it's just part of the house. I plan to have creatures _everywhere. _


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## Kaddock (May 12, 2012)

Soooo... I've finally secured a single native mallow plant, and plan to get it growing well before attempting an inside jungle of it. I'm not sure it will be happy about not dying back in the winter, we'll see. Once I get that rolling, hopefully I'll be able to try out this dang thang! I've been focusing on outside gardening, and this kinda got pushed down on the list... I still want it though!

Did anyone have advice on the roach tank???


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## CoolMantid (May 12, 2012)

Sounds good!


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## ShieldMantid1997 (Jun 19, 2012)

Please post pictures i am severely confused lol, sounds really cool though!


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## Kaddock (Aug 11, 2013)

Hello Everyone! It's been too long but I'm coming back into the game with a fury!

I've finally had another blessing fall in my lap - a 100+ gallon tank that my landlord says I cannot fill with water in his house so guess what? It's back on! Plus I also have an amazing (although needing repair) large orchidarium and a large mesh cage that are still unused... So many possibilities! :-D

If I may, I'd like to bump this project and see if anyone has fresh ideas (I sure do!):

1. I would like to keep a sustainable mixed culture of B. giganteus and G. portentosa in mind for this tank but I'm down to 2 BGs and will probably have to get more for that. I plan to make this tank a jungle of epic proportions!

2. Will B. giganteus breed under such conditions? Advice on the breeding habits of BG would be much appreciated. If they won't breed in an environment with GPs I'd like to know. Also, advice on sexing would be cool.

3. If possible, I'd like to toss at least one other low-escape-probability species in there as well. I can always get rid of some if there's too many, I just want feedback on compatibility. Also a recommendation on another species to add would be cool! I'm thinking A. tesselta, G. lyrida, D. orini or T. petiveriana (Not neccessarily for breeding, but if it works, cool!).

4. And this is the one I can't seem to find any ideas on (I'm not concerned about the roaches obviously) - if I pull off my dream of modifying this tank (inner boundaries sealed with silicon to create different soil environments for plants, cool experimental features etc) then it will potentially have a very sandy mix of substrate in one section and possible a small open water feature 100% covered by surface aquatic plants to minimize drowning. The big question is do you think that my 2 hermit crabs would be too stressed or possible become sick living in a tank of this size with cockroaches? I will be running the roach areas like a rancher and creating environments they'll specifically like to keep them happy and not bothering each other. I think this idea is rad and really want to do it.

Thoughts?!!! Thanks! :cowboy:


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## patrickfraser (Aug 11, 2013)

I keep hissers and dubias in the same bin. I might have to thin out some of the hissers though, as they seem to be taking over,


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## ScienceGirl (Aug 11, 2013)

Interesting idea.


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## Kaddock (Aug 27, 2013)

It is indeed!

I'm really looking for more ideas and feedback too. Any help would be appreciated!


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## Rick (Aug 27, 2013)

If the room is of standard residential construction I'm thinking mold might be a problem in all the moisture.


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