Kaddock
Well-known member
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:
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:
