New colony thoughts:

[Matt K]

It seems to me that people who get into the roach hobby are always wanting to buy a new species in groups of 50 or 100. What ever happend to buying a couple pairs or a dozen and trying to grow and establish a colony that way? Is it a need for instand (and fleeting) gratification? Part of the hobby is to see if you can successfully culture a species, and to me that means starting with a few nymphs and growing them into hundreds. Buying too many at once leaves you with just maintaining a colony and leaves little to the challenge and fun of it all. Most of mine started from 3 to 10 specimens of a species and cultured them into a full colony.

Now I realize that there are people who buy a half dozen hissers, or a couple dozen of somethng, and culture them into a colony... but I can't tell if thats the common way or not...it seem not from what I can gather.

Thoughts?

[Roachsmith]

I wish I could afford to buy that many at once. Some species I only have 2 or 3 of. Mostly because of cost though, or I would have more of them.

I agree with you that it's very satisfying when you are able to start a whole colony from just a few roaches.

[BugmanPrice]

I think alot of it could be how they are marketed. At least for commonly kept species, it seems to me, most people sell them for X$ per dozen or 50 instead of X$ per roach or half doz. I guess that's alright though because if you buy just a couple at a time and shipping is a problem for you or the seller it could easily happen to kill four nymphs in a shipment but if you had a dozen sent then there is a lot higher chance more will arrive alive for you. I don't really understand buying the shipment on the 50+ end of the spectrum if your tryng to culture instead of feed them off though. Until last summer I had a small colony of hissers (about 200-250 I guess) that I raised from two females and one male over the course of few years. Just a thought I suppose.

[recluse]

I started my hissers with 20 adults about four years ago. I have a large colony of them now and have given many away. My lobsters were started with about 20 adults also and well you know how that went. I have had several other species of roaches with some if them in small numbers. Some did well others did not. There is some satisfaction in watching them mature and colonize. Hopefully my D. paulinoi will grow into a large colony. Thanks Matt.

[This Island Earth]

I gave up roaches about 10 years ago and only recently got back into them. I love seeing all the new species that have been introduced since then. I've been buying small starter colonies of the collector species but, I try try getting colonies of at least 50 - 100 of the feeder species such as B.dubia, B.latteralis, and P.nivea. It's more fun to watch a collector species grow from a few individuals to an out of control colony. Instant roach colonies aren't much fun.

[Gsc]

I understand Matt- I love to get 12-20 when starting a colony- just gives you a tad of a head start. But of course I'm trying to establish colonies as small as 1pr. currently.... I'll be darn proud one day if I get 50-100 out after starting with that single pair.

I think people purchasing feeder/common species are buying in bulk nowadays because of availiability...but most of our collector species are being sold individually. Crap- I wish I could drop $300-$500 for 50 panesthia sp. to have an "instant colony" but they just aren't availiable.

Liek you always tell me- Patience is important in the roach hobby...

Graham

[Hornet]

I'm actually trying to get a colony of Ellipsidion australe going. They are local to my area but hard to find, so far only have 1 but should find more. I agree it would be alot more exciting to raise a colony from just a few individuals than from a few hundred.