MooreInverts

Pfffft. I should have thought that response through. I read back through the old thread and I'm Near Certain I don't even want to try my hand at fulvescens, but the latta are really appealing. They're so pretty to boot, but I'm not sure just how fast they reproduce. I think that'd be a good question to have answered. I hear that the genus can be tricky to breed because males mature and die much faster than females do, so that can be tricky, but I guess some species are worse than others? Sorry this is a little long-winded, it's confusing, especially since they're not that commonly talked about. I read a lot of other forum posts but they're mostly about other species.

I actually made a thread about that before! While the males flight is "Eh" it seems like they don't do it readily which is a reassurance. I'll likely get P. latta one day, but I don't know if they're enough, feeder-wise. Maybe in tangent with the red goblins? I wanted P. fulvescens, but I hear they're very...panicky, or whatever adjective you want to use. In tangent with their speed, that seems troublesome. I'm not sure exactly how fast that is though. Lateralis are fast, but how do fulvescens compare? If they were cheaper, I might experiment to see how they are in person, but anecdotal evidence of their behavior still makes me hesitate. I wonder if enclosure set up changes that, though. My red goblins were very skittish and most of them took to climbing and trying to escape when they didn't have cover. After giving them tons of hiding spaces, maybe one or two climb once every now and then but it's almost nothing. They're much calmer, but in general they're a very bold and relaxed species until you disturb them, of course. P. fulvescens sound like nervous, skittish roaches from the start, so I'm not sure if their enclosure design would change that. Still, I'm not sure. Having multiple opinions helps though. Have you kept them before, or just going off of research?

The addiction continues...I'm now up to five tarantulas, with four more on the way. It's not a problem though, I swear. This is a long update not for the faint of heart, so I'll break it down by species to make it easier. I'm not that funny but I hope it gets at least a smirk out of someone. (Deceased) Neoholothele incei "Gold" - First as an update, Goldfinger sadly pass away within a month of getting it. Little guy just didn't make it one day, was in a death curl and everything. I asked several people and showed pictures, and they said it wasn't anything I did wrong. I'm still doubtful, but I guess it happens. Cyriocosmus elegans, Hapalopus sp. "Colombia large" - The other two are really going strong though. Heart Ass (now given a slightly nicer name of Conté*, like the crayons) is rarely out, and has been in deep premolt for almost a month now, but when it is out it's awesome. Such a pretty spider but it's a real savage at feeding time. Those poor little kenyan roaches, my goodness. Pumpkin Butt (also named Turnip*) has finally molted after over a month of premolt. It made a snazzy new burrow overnight, and I found it the next morning waiting for food like the ungrateful asshole that it always was. You disappear for weeks and come back immediately demanding food. Thanks, I missed you too, buddy. Neoholothele incei "Gold" - I also got two more Ts (N. incei and GBB) in early December, and for a steal too. $45.00 for them both, and both were great sizes. 2" and 3/4" or so, respectively. I let my partner chose the N. incei, and of course he picks up the one that was bolting around the enclosure like mad. Thanks, honey, I really appreciate that. It's named Lucifer, or Lucy, and was a real skittish thing at first, it certainly gave me a run for my money during rehousing. But has since then, chilled out into one of my easiest to work with tarantulas. It's the farthest thing from nervous, it's always out and about, webbing, calmly poking around, and it usually hides for a second if you pick up the enclosure, but is right back out within a few seconds. It's so relaxed and bold. Honestly, why do I get the calmest Ts? I feel like this is setting me up for a jinx. I bet I'll get a curly hair or something and it'll be the actual incarnation of Satan himself, while my "skittish" lads are the chillest mothertruckers on the block. Chromotapelma cyanepubescens -The GBB is named Kitty, because it was so bold and cute. It acted like a cute cat, grooming itself and drinking water in plain sight within a couple hours of purchasing, even after a lot of jostling from the car ride back. It's still very calm, and has never given me any problems. It just molted last week, and is now 1.25" of handsome. I'm not sure when it will happen, but I'm well aware it'll likely turn into quite the little spitfire as it grows...but if it continues to be this pretty, it's worth it. (And honestly, I'm looking forward to a little change of pace, I really hope it happens. Is that a weird thing to be excited about?) Brachypelma vagans - Earlier this month I picked up a 2" Brachypelma vagans from the same vendor I got the last two from. I named it Kessler, like David Kessler from "American Werewolf in London." It looks like a weird werewolf-colored thing, but it's been a real dear. So curious and calm, I don't handle my spiders but I wish I could handle this one, it's so sweet. And so considerate to boot, it so graciously gifted me with a mountain of substrate deposited on top of its decor within a day of rehousing. I appreciate that so much, thank you for burying your plants, Kessler, that's so helpful! It was my fault for ever daring to make your enclosure look nice, you clearly know much more about interior decorating than I do. First Fear Not Tarantulas order - The new Ts coming in are pretty cool! Lots of handsome lads. Grammostola pulchra, Homoeomma sp. "Blue peru 2", Pseudhapalopus sp. "Blue", and a freebie Brachypelma albopilosum. If you don't know what the middle two species are, check them out, they're gorgeous!! These are all some of my favorite tarantulas ever and I'm so lucky to have gotten them all at once. Their names will be Winnipeg, Hollis, Hale-Bopp, and Flaveri. Winnipeg like the famous black bear that inspired winnie-the-pooh. There's something so endearing about that name. I mean think about it. Imagine being shown someone's small tarantula collection. Mostly dwarves and cool-looking Ts under 5" or so. And then they pull out this big enclosure, and sitting there is the most handsome G. pulchra you've ever seen. "And this, this is the crown jewel of my collection, my biggest lad, my 7" beast of a tarantula...Pooh-Bear." It'll be a long five plus years, but God, it'll be so worth it just so I can do that. On a more serious note, Hollis is a reference to one of my favorite Ray Bradbury stories, "The Kaleidoscope." He's my favorite author, and that was one of my first short stories by him. I highly recommend anything by him if you want an easy to comprehend but interesting writing style, and more "relaxed" science fiction. Less scientific jargon and more of morals and human nature. He can also be downright hilarious. I highly recommend "The Cat's Pajamas," the collection, I mean. The story about the U.S. senators gambling away the united states is just amazing. Back to "Kaleidoscope," that story specifically really stuck with me. Captain Hollis. Sometimes a name just clicks, and this one is perfect. I like silly names but that one is important, somehow it's meant to be. Moving along to other equally as important names, Hale-Bopp is the most amazing name for the famous comet from the 90's. It's beautiful, I wish I had been around to see it! I was really struggling with a name for this species, but I liked the space-theme of "The Kaleidoscope," and ran with that. Pseudhapalopus sp. "Blue" have a very unique color scheme, and the Hale-Bopp comet captures it perfectly. It's an incredible coincidence, and the name is too cute to pass up. Ah, and "Flaveri" of course. If you can't tell what it is, I'm not ashamed to admit this is actually a mash-up of "Flavor (Town)" and "Fieri." I'm not sorry, it has to be done. I don't make the rules, it's the only acceptable name for this species, and I refuse to call it anything else. The only other acceptable alternatives are "Flavori" and "Triple T" (Terrible Tarantula Title) there are no other proper names for curly hair tarantulas. So come April, I'll have...Kitty, Conté, Kessler, Lucifer, Hollis, Hale-Bopp, Turnip, Flaveri, and Winnipeg. So many amazing names, with even better origins and nicknames. And for anyone who actually read all of this, a gold start for you!! Achievement get! Again, I'm not very funny and I ramble like a grandma, but this was fun to write, at the very least. I love thinking of ironic and clever names, and it's fun to share them. Of course sometimes a name has to be serious, but there's nothing wrong with being meaningful and having fun. Goodness help us if I actually have to be in charge of naming a human child though. Considering these names I don't know if I should be aloud to. *And as for the C. elegans and H. sp. "Colombia large"...I'm not a fan of renaming, but it was a disservice to not give them appropriate names. The nicknames stay, of course, but the official names, Conté and Turnip, are fitting for the species. I'm an art student, and I learned how to use conté in my first year. It's one of my favorite media to work in, and the classic colors are exactly the same as a C. elegans. It's a nifty coincidence, but I shouldn't have to repeat that I Am an Art Student, I've seen a lot of shit, and lemme be the first to say that C. elegans looks like something right out of a teenager's DeviantArt. The entire genus is like someone's magical girl OC. Unassuming C. bertae schoolgirl during the day, C. elegans heart-themed magical girl superhero by night, with a C. leetzi alter-ego during the mandatory "edgy" phase. Come on, for anyone who knows what I mean, you know I'm not wrong in saying that. You'll never look at them the same way ever again. Moving along...I like irony, and Turnip is a cute name for a feisty little bastard. Plus, turnips were the original jack-o-lanterns. Hapalopus sp. "Colombia large" are also called "pumpkin patch." Get it? "Pumpkin patch," "jack-o-lantern," "turnip"? It was meant to be...and my partner said their abdomen pattern looks like a turnip from Animal Crossing, for some reason? I kinda see it, but it's a stretch.

Alright, alright...I'm still pretty damn adamant that I Do Not want to keep Blatta lateralis. They breed so much it seems downright overwhelming, and their potential pestiness really turn me off of the idea of starting a colony. However, as my tarantula collection grows (I have five right now, with four more coming in April) I start to wonder if one day there will be a necessity to start one. I know I've asked similar questions before, but I have a clearer idea of my situation now and I'd really appreciate some help. With my spiders, I'm already finding great annoyance with burrowing feeders. I hate the idea of pre-killing just because they'll burrow, it's such a waste if they don't eat it, and I'm honestly sensitive to it. Non-burrowing roaches are a boon in that department, but it's hard to find non-lateralis that are also practical as feeders. The closest I have are my Paratemnopteryx couloniana, the red goblins, they're really the whole dang deal. They set the bar high for me when it comes to the "ideal" cockroach, and so far they're perfect for my needs and comfort level. But I'm worried in the long run, they won't breed fast enough for my future needs. Maybe a large, very well established colony could do it, but I haven't gotten to that point yet to say if it would be enough. Bottom line though, I really dislike lateralis, but I don't want that to prevent me from getting more tarantulas, if it comes down to it. I talk a lot, so I'll isolate the questions to make it easier. So I want to know, for those of you who keep lats: At what point did you decide you needed them? Are they really that worth it as feeders, specifically for tarantulas? What do you do with overpopulation, or do you have enough insectivores to keep it in check? How do you even catch these dang things if they're so fast?? How often do you have escapes, and can they breed at room temperatures (68-75F)? I ask because of the pestiness controversy. And I know I've asked this before, but seriously. Are there any other non-burrowing, practical feeder alternatives...? Would keeping a few smaller colonies of other species be practical, or is it not worth it? Sorry this is so many questions, but I'm really worried about the future of my tarantula hobby. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I don't want to let this get in the way of my hobby and future endeavors. I know it's easy for a lot of you to just say "get them anyway", I can understand that, getting One of these colonies would solve everything, right? But it's not that simple. Even if I got used to them, there's also my partner and roommates' comfort to keep in mind. I know my partner isn't partial to the idea of anything potentially pesty, and the controversy with these guys is enough to be wary about. He's already so patient with my tarantulas and other inverts, I don't want to break the trust he's given me. He's been amazing and extremely accommodating, and the least I can do is make him feel comfortable enough in our own home. I don't want this to effect his life negatively in any way. He was never that interested in spiders and cockroaches to begin with, but he's learned to love them, especially my B. rothi which he now takes care of by himself. They make him so happy, but he has his limits and I don't want to go past that. So saying I guess it's kinda pointless to be asking about this species if he isn't ok with it? But I just want to know how badly it would effect my hobby if I don't do it. I want to know why it would be worthwhile, why I'd ever want/need to do it, and if I can please just...have an alternative for the long-haul. Sorry this is so many words, but thanks guys, you've always been great with answering my questions, even if they are a little dumb or repetitious. c:>

Around this time last year I got my first isopods from Captive Isopoda. I started with 20+ mixed P. scaber "Lottery ticket", a nifty idea where you get a random assortment of non-visual isopods from experimental cultures. They may or may not come with recessives for other genes, and what you get is a mystery! If you're into isolating for morphs or want a nifty display colony, these guys are great. I started with a mix of grey, dalmatian, orange, orange dalmatian, and one calico. Early on, I ended up with my first new morph, some lovely orange pieds! They're hard to get pictures of but I think this one's decent. They're much larger now and I can still recognize my original isopods. They're doing very well and it's fun waiting to see what they'll make next. Second picture is a little blurry, but you can clearly see the difference between an orange pied and a normal orange. It's pretty neat, each one has a different amount of white that increases as they age. The pied markings are much softer looking than the crisp spots of a dalmatian. I also just realized the mass of at least four orange isopods camouflaged in the upper right hole in the cork bark, that's so neat. I ended up with tons of oranges so I'll likely isolate them sometime and see if they have any hidden recessives...I have no idea what's actually making these orange pieds, maybe it's them, so it'll be a fun project to see if it is.

Oh my goodness. Well, this is why I ask, haha!! This is REALLY good to know, thank you. How do you feel about other parcoblatta? Even if I don't use the genus as feeders, I'm really in love with their appearance, especially B. lata. Just a general opinion, I mean.

That's good to know! Are they fast in general, or only when startled? I notice that the red goblins readily climb and absolutely panic if they lose their shelter. They can be darn fast when they want to or are spooked, but with lots of shelter they hardly ever climb and are pretty chill. How do parcoblatta compare to that? Does shelter help them feel calmer, or are they constantly "gotta-go-fast"?

I've been revisiting my roach notes and I'm on the quest for the most ideal feeder roach to get next. I've now had some more experience with my current species and I'm starting to figure out what I like best. As my collection grows, I'll need a faster breeding species soon enough. I keep little kenyans and p. couloniana, but the former are only good for the little insectivores and the goblins don't breed fast enough for the long haul. Unfortunately, most of the options I have possess some serious negatives. Of all the species I've found though, I'm happy to say that I think fulvous wood roaches of all things seem (nearly) perfect for me. They have a wide temperature range, breed quickly, females and nymphs are pretty, they can't infest, and they don't burrow! They have all my favorite traits from my red goblins but have faster breeding, and they're so ideal! They seem perfect, but the males have me pretty concerned. I'm aware that they can fly, and it makes me horrifically anxious. I've had so many horrible experiences with beetles getting trapped in my hair during summer nights (as many as five in there at once) and anything with non-obvious wings are really unnerving to me, so it's pretty clear that flying roaches are not an exciting prospect. I want to hear from others though. So how bad are flying roaches, really? Does this species fly frequently? What do you do if one escapes? Do they fly less if they have more shelter? And most importantly, is there anyone else out there who was iffy about fliers too? Was it worth taking the plunge into flying species even if you were nervous at first? EDIT: I almost forgot. I'm aware that they're a little small. How do they compare to others in the genus, like the larger p. lata? They're both such gorgeous species, and it's nice that p. lata are much larger. Do they produce as much as the fulvous do?

EHH, I wouldn't count on that! I appreciate the Summoning, but I'm afraid I'm still too much of a novice in the hobby, and I won't lie about that! I may have gotten a strong start into my hobbies (reptile keeping and horticulture, mainly. inverts of course, but not nearly as well as the other two) due to my too many years of research and talking to people, but I have a lot more to learn and I wouldn't say I know too much. Sorry!! But I won't make things up or exaggerate my experience/knowledge. c:> Still, reading this, regarding toads specifically I'm not sure, but frogs in general I have one suggestion. Josh's Frogs has been fantastic to work with so far. I haven't bought animals yet, but I hear good things about them, and they've been around long enough to make a name for themselves. I also like that they are at least really serious about how they ship their plants and inverts, and I've only had one plant get injured in shipping out of the Too Many times I've ordered. For amphibians, they mainly sell dart frogs, but recently they implemented their "certified breeder program" and are offering a few more new species, including hourglass tree frogs and pac man frogs. If you're looking to get more of those, this might be a good place to try. They also have a few other cool non-dendrobatid species...I'm partial to the solomon island leaf frogs (if they didn't bark like a small dog, that is!), borneo eared frogs, and the mossy frogs. Vietnamese mossy frogs especially are very handsome in person, and their call is pretty cute. Maybe not quite what you're looking for, but it's worth a shot! Otherwise I'd suggest hitting up dendroboard, but it sounds like you've already asked on other places.

Actually I don't think these show the scale of how big they really are! I know what you mean about jars like that, and one day I'll be moving them up to deli cups and later bigger jars. These things are actually REALLY SMALL, the base can fit in the palm of my hand. They're just little craft jars, I guess? I found them in the craft jewelry section of walmart. The incei is really easy to find in them, and the other two are VERY TINY and harder to see but its not impossible. I do understand what youre saying though, I've read and notice the same things, and even though the jars might be a little big for the smaller two its definitely not unmanageable. Thank you for the advice anyway! c:

Listen, it was bound to happen someday! I already spent a good deal of time considering these, and I did already put a solid 2 years of research under my belt, and after a really cool visit to a local reptile show it looks like I have three tiny lads joining me!! Somewhat impromptu, but I am prepared and thrilled to have them. While it's hard to get pictures since they're tiny and it's really only the golden boi out and about, they're really cool and I'm so glad I have them. As positive as I can be, life has been really rough this past year, especially recently, and these hobbies really keep me afloat. c: Also, all three are from Jessica at FangFarm and I really loved talking to her and I'm very happy with my Ts. She's very knowledgeable, her collection is a really cool mix of new worlds and old worlds, and she was very patient with my questions and enthusiasm. She even gave me the H. columbia for free, since I was so torn between all of the species and wasn't sure what to choose. In the words of a friend, "those are the cutest tarantula enclosures I've ever seen." Well listen, it was the best I could find. I got lucky and got two three packs for $4, and they're nice and very small while being easy to modify. And yes I see in hindsight only one of the labels is in italics, I'll change it later. Now they just need names, since "Heart Ass","Pumpkin Booty", and "Goldfinger" aren't the greatest names out there. [Now to keep from getting more to fill the other three jars I bought... ]

Honestly, even though I've been interested in inverts for a good few years, I never really imagined keeping so many inverts so soon. But of course life has a way of throwing curve balls for sure! I'd like to joke "do bugs, not drugs", but admittedly invert keeping is an addiction itself. My first few bysotria rothi and my bad influence of a friend became like a gateway drug (and dealer!) into an ever-expanding collection, and it's only getting better. Here's my current list, and future acquisitions, and of course the "happy accidents" and surprises that happened along the way. Byrsotria rothi [Everything started with my friend showing me the Roach Crossing website, and one day in college suggesting Bysotria rothi. Shortly after that I got my first 5. I don't regret a thing. I owe so much of this to her...she's the one who got me into Eurydactylodes and inverts, and I can't thank her enough] Paratemnopteryx couloniana [Feeders for the eurydactylodes] Blapitica dubia [Accidental new colony after my dumb geckos decided not to eat them, so I now have 25+ nymphs and nothing to do with them] One blaberus craniifer [A happy accident that hitchhiked into my isopod culture] MANY porcellio scaber morphs [The result of said friend introducing me to Captive Isopoda] Porcellionides pruinosus "orange" [Gorgeous isopods, and an unexpected free gift from Alan] Trichorhina tomentosa Springtails Rice flour beetles [For the future sphaerodactlyus notatus trio] And as for reptiles, I have a eurydactylodes vieillardi and eurydactylodes agricolae. The one's I'll never shut up about, heh. These were also a suggestion by my friend a couple years back, and I never forgot it. She's also the one giving me the notatus soon. Noticing the trend here? She's a real riot, and a huge influence on me. She's been a very kind and wonderful friend to me, and she's the one who got me into reptiles I never imagined having, roaches I never planned on, and even my strong interest in tarantulas. While I don't have any of those yet, I'm very excited about getting a few of those someday too. c: All of this may not seem like much to people with big collections, but I still feel like it's sizable, and it's only getting better! Soon I'll be getting little kenyan roaches, and I'll start culturing fruit flies for the future micros too. I also have two extra nano vivs for a couple more micro gecko species. I'll also be getting more p. scaber morphs at some point, and might fiddle with culturing a few bean beetle cultures, if the microgeckos like them and I'm fine with dealing with them. And of course I'll be getting tarantulas one day. We're even going to a reptile show on the 4th, and I know people will try and peddle me Ts like they did before...but this time I might actually accept the offer, lol. And of course here are some pictures of the current collection. Yes, it's primarily by my bedside. It's the best I can do right now, lol. But after the gecko's stand is made, as much as I can get to fit will go in there. Top to bottom: roach gaskets, b. craniifer's future enclosure, springtail culture. rice flour beetle and isopod 6 qts. b. rothi enclosure, which still needs more cork and loads of leaf litter. springtail culture--the stuff on top of southern palm bark. And that's that! Here's to the future, and many more inverts and reptiles to come. Still, I'll never get more than I can handle or have the space for, and I'll be as responsible as I can be. c:

Not an issue! c: I always hear mixed things, and this is the biggest concern I had, since I know in isopods at least that's exactly what happens. I'll definitely play it safe then, and maybe just get more rothi so I can have a nice roomy space for them. It has really deep substrate and I'll be adding more cork and loads of leaf litter too. My other guys LOVED that, so I'm more than happy about just that species. I'm also getting a couple sterilite latch CD box as we speak for the little kenyans, and the extra dubia. The dubia will get a bigger space in the future. c: I think this'll work out best, and will totally mitigate risk of them overhwhelming each other. Thanks!

Kinda mentioned in a previous post, but I figure it's best to make a proper post. I've finally upgraded my bysotria rothi to a 20 qt gasket, with very deep substrate, leaf litter, and cork bark. I used their old and favorite cork flat, with a hollow for hiding in, and I'll be adding some more pieces soon enough. Right now I only have three good-sized adult rothi* in there, and once my new springtail culture is going, I'll add some of those too. Needless to say, there's a lot of free real estate. I'm already looking into getting little kenyan roaches soon, and I know they can be cohabitated fine with the rothi, but now I also have a few dubia nymphs from the batch that I ordered for my Eurydactylodes that are too big for them to eat. I know Estragon would love to try, but I really would rather he didn't choke like an idiot, so I need to do something with them. Is it possible to house dubia with these two species, and if not, is there a reason why it wouldn't be a good idea? And if they got to reproducing, would any of these species overwhelm the other? Obviously I want the little kenyans too, but what about the dubia, specifically? And as final question...would it be okay to get a few more rothi? I'm strongly considering it, even if the strange hole in my heart isn't fully healed yet. It's just a what-if thing, and I'm not even sure if I should be worried about it, really, but it's better to ask now than be sorry later. Thanks in advance. footnote: *The fourth rothi had. An accident. While I was trying to find it in the substrate to move to the new enclosure and it was my fault. It's in its own container now, and here's hoping it recovers but I'm doubtful. I know not everyone will care, but these guys have been with me for some time, and mean a lot to me. It hurts a lot. I've maimed my kiddo, my little guy, who's been with me through too many rough times. It's a weird and difficult feeling to deal with. I'm going to do the best I can though, and even if it means having to euthenize it, I'll do what's best. I already dealt with that very early into keeping them when one of the nymphs fell sickly. It was horrible, to me, but I didn't want it to suffer anymore. I'll continue to provide for them all and hope the other three can at least thrive as best as they can in their better digs. It's a big reason as to why I'm asking so much about this. I can't afford to hurt my last three, if it's by something I can prevent. It might not matter to anyone else, but it matters to me, and if cohabbing can potentially harm them, then I don't want to risk it.

Holy crap I've never heard of that happening before...it's both awful and interesting, I wonder if you're right and their protein needs explain that. I guess they just take whatever they can, but wow that's certainly new information for me.