Xenoblatta Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Hello there :-) I've been thinking on a way to make funnier a Pycnoscelus spp. enclosure. I'd like to try a communal colony between P.surinamensis, P.nigra and P.striatus just because they are visually different. ¿What do you think? ¿Maybe not healthy? Some of these species could be disadvantaged by the others? Like... P.striatus for not being parthenogenetic :-P Regards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxu Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 (edited) I think your parthenogenetic species would dominate. That said I'd mix a P.surinamensis and one or two Periplaneta species, this way you have two different species occupying different areas of the container, and it's no big loss if a Periplaneta ooth gets nommed in the process. Of course if you want ooths, just provide high off the ground hiding spots to increase the odds. Where as all the Pycnoscelus species would occupy the same areas. Edited June 26, 2017 by Tleilaxu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenoblatta Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 Hey Tleilaxu! Thanks a lot for your answer... I completely agree :-) Actually I think Pycnoscelus species could make a very good cleaning crew for colonies of big species. But I was thinking about a colony exclusively of Pycnoscelus, I mean, in my case, to really enjoy these species I use to remove the substrate and watch them, because they always have available food they don't use to make any big display when I trow food to their containers :'( hahaha... So, I was thinking on something that occupy the same space, and to watch them on the same way... I guess would be acceptable to this end to use Eublaberus spp. or some other great cavers :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxu Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 (edited) Actually they don't according to Orin's For the love of Cockroaches and reports from a few other people Pycnoscelus do eventually kill off colonies of other species. Either through sheer number or predatory behavior towards ooth/tiny nymphs. My mixed colony is solely for my own amusement, and for practice/troubleshooting, I have no doubt that given time the Periplaneta would eventually be eaten out of said enclosure. I'm not expecting long term viability. And if I do decide to take any roaches back with me, they will be in single species enclosures for their permanent dwelling. Edited June 26, 2017 by Tleilaxu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenoblatta Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 Well.... I meant Pycnoscelus could make a "good cleaning crew" with big species and... of course not oviparous ones :-D. (Like Blaberus, Eublaberus, Blaptica, Byrsotria... Archimandrita). As you said they may eat ooths and maybe small nymphs; but that's something you could find even in the conventional cleaner species, they can´t be used in the container of any species (same case if the population of the cleaner species is not controlled by removing a part every some time). At this point... I wasn't thinking on the possible predatory behavior of Pycnoscelus over the nymphs of different species of the same genus. I guess, as you said, in long term some species would predominate the population 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxu Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I still wouldn't chance it with your more "valuable" species. Perhaps @Hisserdude shall chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 The P.surinamensis would definitely eradicate the other two Pycnoscelus species, which are a lot slower breeding. Also, I think they wouldn't even make good tank mates with other, larger roaches, because they would out compete the smaller nymphs of those species. P.surinamensis is a really prolific and competitive species, they don't play nice with others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenoblatta Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Many thanks for your opinions @Tleilaxu & @Hisserdude I'll think better about it... About the communal Pycnoscelus species tank, I still think that with some work routine it could work. Taking away parts of the overpopulating species every some while, and keeping the ratio to taste haha. The potential of Pycnoscelus spp. as a cleaner of big species tanks seems like another extensive topic to me :-D... Because really, it would depends again on the species you choice and the control you apply over the cleaner population. Even with P.surinamensis, giving the right care I can't imagine them causing problems to nymphs of... you know, big ovoviviparous species 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxu Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I'd say that the Surinames would make a better sabotage mechanism rather than cleaner crew, they can even take down Hissers colonies. They aren't worth the risk. @Hisserdude http://arachnoboards.com/threads/introducing.294323/#post-2634197 Quote I found one with my Hissers. I thought, "OK, that's kinda cool." I had 1000s of hissers. It didn't take long before I had 1000s of Surinams and only about 20 Hissers, they took over that house! It took a while to re-establish the Hissers. Then I kept a few Surinam roaches in a one gallon jug like you have there for a while. I used them for feeders now and then. I found some nymphs in my wood pile, looked like that but I was fooled, they turned out to be green banana roaches. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenoblatta Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Wow! well... that's impressive. Now I'm agree... They certainly aren't worth the risk Thanks for sharing that incident @Tleilaxu!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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