Gsc Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Today I made up a new group of Bucket Cages and decided to document the experience and share with the fourm members. Firts off, credit for the idea/design goes to the ALLPET ROACH GUIDE book- if you don't already have it, you should REALLY get it...worth every penny. Bucket Cages work VERY well for smaller/pet colonies. They are: Stackable (don't take up much space) Light Weight Cheap To Fabricate etc. Here is what you need to get started: - 5 gal. Bucket (I but the cheap ~$4 from Lowes, Home Depot, etc) - Tight Fitting Bucket Lid - Dremel w/ cutting wheel - Hot Glue Gun - Metal/Aluminum Window Screening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Once all you supplies are gathered it's time to move to Step #2: Cutting a vent hole(s). I use one vent hole BUT the ALLPET ROACH GUIDE book suggests 2 vents (1 in the lid & 1 in the side- this would work very well). The dremel makes cutting the hole(s) easy...remember to use all suggested safety guidelines when using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 After the hole is cut out, it's time to hot glue the metal/aluminum screen in place. You should make sure that the pieces of screen cut are larger than the hole(s) you cut. You'll be glueing a piece to BOTH the inside and the outside...this will give you double protection from escapes in the event that one is damaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Vola- you're done. I was able to make 6 bucket cages with 1 1/2 hours... ready to get some new species! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 These cages can easily be stacked in a small amount of space. If you're interested in making the cages I strongly suggest Orin's ALLPET ROACH book... it has this info and much more in it... these cages are great in my view for smaller colonies of pet roaches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 These cages can easily be stacked in a small amount of space. If you're interested in making the cages I strongly suggest Orin's ALLPET ROACH book... it has this info and much more in it... these cages are great in my view for smaller colonies of pet roaches! Are the buckets you use screw-on lids or snap-on lids? All mine are in bins not buckets. However, I have had occasion to want to put a specie in a bucket that seals up tight, but is easy to open (snap-on lids can be difficult to open). ??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 I normally just use the cheap "snap on" lids BUT I do have one screw top lid. A military/camping surplus site called Chaeper Than Dirt sells screw on lids (the thread part snaps onto the top of the bucket)...I really need to invest in more of them...they work MUCH easier... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I normally just use the cheap "snap on" lids BUT I do have one screw top lid. A military/camping surplus site called Chaeper Than Dirt sells screw on lids (the thread part snaps onto the top of the bucket)...I really need to invest in more of them...they work MUCH easier... It would be nice if there was a screw-on lid with a gasket in the lid. Many snap-on lids have a gasket so tiny nymphs that are climbers like Drymaplaneta, Pseudomops, even Gromphadorhina and Elliptorhina though much larger nymphs like to climb and weasle into tiny cracks. To me the screw-on lid is the easiest to use but I can't tell how tight it fits, so would be reluctant to put tiny climbers inside. The trick is to find a supplier who has tight gasketed scre-on lids for 5 gallon buckets! But it really depends what species you are keeping in the bucket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Lids that fit hold in air and water and certainly keep in ANY roach. Some places sell buckets with lids that don't match up and those should be avoided (usually the wrong lids don't even stay on or are impossible to close so check before buying). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crittergu Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Lids that fit hold in air and water and certainly keep in ANY roach. Some places sell buckets with lids that don't match up and those should be avoided (usually the wrong lids don't even stay on or are impossible to close so check before buying). But the nymphs if they can find a crack to squeeze into will be waiting when you open the bucket to fall out and run under the heaviest object nearby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Crittergu, have you used the bucket cages before? I have NEVER had a problem with nymphs or adults waiting to escape...I've used the bucket cages for probably 5 years now with a ton of different species... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roachsmith Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Those bucket cages are cool. What an awesome idea. Saves space too. Most of mine are in glass tanks right now that take up a lot of room, so If I get more species I might have to switch to the bucket method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Those bucket cages are cool. What an awesome idea. Saves space too. Most of mine are in glass tanks right now that take up a lot of room, so If I get more species I might have to switch to the bucket method. It's nice to have a few "display" tanks of your favorite species, but the bucket cages are great on saving space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crittergu Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 GSC: Nope never had them. However, I've seen that happen with a lot of other similar enclosures if they have any cracks along the lid for the nymphs to squeeze in. If this is only meant for non climbers or if something makes this unappealing to the roaches I stand corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I like the 66 quart tubs I use. More surface area for ground dwellers, more room for object for climbers to climb on. My tubs are modified with screen, vaseline, and now I am trying out teflon to see what I think of it. Only escapees I have had were from not closing the lid on a flying species (Gyna lurida and Panchlora sp. 'giant', found a few in my window sill/ window box plants !!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 It's nice to have a few "display" tanks of your favorite species, but the bucket cages are great on saving space. It would be nice if roaches actually sat around in the open in the daylight and looked cool for an audience! In my dreams... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tleilaxu Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Very nice but what about the surface area? Buckets are not very spacious IMO and I like to pamper my feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Very nice but what about the surface area? Buckets are not very spacious IMO and I like to pamper my feeders. Several pieces of egg carton go in on thier side for climbing space to crowd up. You can put several hundred in one bucket and they are fine. First time I used a bucket I just ahd wadded up newpaper in there but they chewed it up.... you could also try folded (bent) strips of cardboard, but I recommend egg cartons... They prefer to climb more than run around on the surface of the substrate (which you dont have to use, but I do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gsc Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 For feeder species you may use a more spacious cage. I LOVE the bucket caging for my small colonies of "pet"/collector species that I maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Very nice but what about the surface area? Buckets are not very spacious IMO and I like to pamper my feeders. You can use more buckets or you can use trash cans. It's pretty easy to increase the space if you have the room and $. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntsman Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Interesting thread, and a perfect way of creating a bucket colony... One variation I have made is to put the vent in the top only. This certainly limits - actually... eliminates! - the possibility of stacking, but I have P. pallida in mine, and find that the little buggers can somehow get out of the wire mesh screen, small that it is. I therefore smear a broad band of the ubiquitous Vaseline round the side and keep the egg crates low. So far so good... Regarding the concern for size of colony, I use Rubbermaids for my full colonies but use the bucket to feed from. It's easier than the big tubs and I just add roaches to this from time to time, let them breed and then...FEED! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad About Cichlids Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Me bumping two old thread in day has never happened before but just wanted to say thanks for the ideas on this. I just made three storage bin roach enclosures using this method. Only difference is I cut hole on top instead the side, wish I would of cut the holes on the side instead so I can easily stack them on top each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Me bumping two old thread in day has never happened before but just wanted to say thanks for the ideas on this. I just made three storage bin roach enclosures using this method. Only difference is I cut hole on top instead the side, wish I would of cut the holes on the side instead so I can easily stack them on top each other. The original bucket cages have vents on the top and sides (even when stacked the top vents make a difference as there is not an airtight seal). Of course the size and construction of the vents, temperature, airflow and chosen species are all factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
910eckogal Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I raise hissers...so about how many adults would you say could be housed in one of these enclosures? I am finding it very difficult to stop babies from escaping the rubbermaid/sterlite type containers. I have found that airtight food containers with vents cut in them work the best but limit size. Vaseline is a joke for hisser babies so please don't tell me about that solution. :-) My thought was that I could house maybe 10 adults in one, when I get a fair amount of nymphs...simply move the adults to a new bucket so that my babies are together. Sine these buckets are round I figured I would use toilet paper tubes stacked for hides. Does this sound OK or what considerations am I missing? ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rousseaux Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Hi Just red that post and I was wondering, does the window screaning allow to avoid the very tiny larvae to escape? Are there sizes of wholes small enough to keep them in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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