# breeding ghosts



## ibanez_freak (Aug 29, 2005)

hi,

I have a male and female sub-adult ghosts/Phyllocrania paradoxa and am wanting to eventually breed these. Any tips because I have heard they can be a challenge from the male not doing any thing but wanted to hear peoples experiences with them. Should I put them on a particular diet? I'm currently feeding them crickets and wax moths just because they are easy to feed them since they are such wimps about eating any thing else. If the female matures quicker than the male and lays a few ootheca (unfertile) If I bred them after would the others be fertile or is it too late?

How long are they receptive for? Do they need to be much hotter? They are currently very active (especially the female) and I keep them at about 25-27 degrees celcius. Also how long would ootheca take to hatch and how would I keep them?

Tanks, Cameron.


----------



## Jwonni (Aug 29, 2005)

from reading other thread i would say that after them getting jiggy future ooths would be fertile whether she has laid infertile ooths already or not

also from reading i think they will be receptive from 2-3 weeks after reaching adulthood till they lay all ooths or die? (dont know if they lay till they die or if they know how many eggs they got in em so will not "do it" after these are layed)

to keep the ooths i have read that you should keep them in the same conditions you keep the adults as if this is their right temperature (their homeland temps) it would be the natural temp the ooths would be in


----------



## Leah (Aug 29, 2005)

> Should I put them on a particular diet? I'm currently feeding them crickets and wax moths just because they are easy to feed them since they are such wimps about eating any thing else.


No special diet is needed, although flying prey is always preferred by this species.



> If the female matures quicker than the male and lays a few ootheca (unfertile) If I bred them after would the others be fertile or is it too late?


They mature at similar rates, determined by normal growth factors, same environment, virtually the same growth rate. If you breed them after, they will still be fertile, however, the hatch rate doesnt seem to be as good after the first few ooths have been laid.



> How long are they receptive for? Do they need to be much hotter? Also how long would ootheca take to hatch and how would I keep them?


They are receptive from about 3 weeks after final moult to just before death. They do not need to be any hotter. Incubate ooths the standard way, takes 5-7 weeks to hatch.


----------



## ibanez_freak (Aug 29, 2005)

wow,

Cheers guys. I see you must have bred these before leah. Once adult is it ok to just leave them in the same tank to mate or should I always watch them. Because I heard they do well together. When I say leave them in the same tank I mean as in treat them like they're a communal species or is that a bit risky?

Cheers, Cameron.


----------



## Jwonni (Aug 29, 2005)

lots of people with experience say that any even those considered communal can still turn so if you want 100% neither to be dead i'd not treat them as communal


----------



## Leah (Aug 30, 2005)

> wow,Cheers guys. I see you must have bred these before leah. Once adult is it ok to just leave them in the same tank to mate or should I always watch them. Because I heard they do well together. When I say leave them in the same tank I mean as in treat them like they're a communal species or is that a bit risky?
> 
> Cheers, Cameron.


I've bred them for years. You can leave them together in a LARGE (like 10 gallon tank) enclosure, otherwise, I wouldnt do it. Sure they get along just fine most of the time, but females get agitated with a male around and often strike at them, and kill them unintentionally. Its been done before, of course, but most people dont have a surplus of males should theirs be killed.


----------



## ibanez_freak (Sep 2, 2005)

hi,

oh one more question. what heat should the ooths be. I keep my ghosts at about 25 degrees celcius and keep them quite humid. is this ok for ootheca?

thanks, cameron.


----------

