Display tank for Panchlora nivea

[sss81387]

I'm just getting into roaches, and decided to start a colony of B. dubia and P.nivea. I got a (probably overly large) waterproof rubbermaid tye container for my future P. nivea colony. They are so pretty, and I'm so into naturalistic terrariums, that I was thinking once my colony got going housing some of them in a display tank would make a great display.

This leads to a few questions:

1. (The most important question!) How on earth do you make a 5 or 10 gallon tank escape proof when you are dealing with such small roaches?

2. What kind of plants would you recommend? I realize roaches eat just about anything, but there have to be some stronger plants that can stand up to them (sanseviera?). Also perhaps some plants that are safe but grow fast? I have a green thumb, and usually have "too many" houseplants, so if they were nibbled on and grew fast, I could usually be replacing it.

3. What kind of companions may be good with them? I'm thinking they would be big enough to freak out most dart frogs, though they would help with potentially escaping tiny nymphs. I'm willing to entertain most any suggestion. If the suggestion were to be another roach, I would want a slow breeder, and one that could also be fed to lizards/frogs if their numbers were getting too high (or could be sold off to enthusiasts).

Thanks, in advance, for all your help!

[Hell-Spawn]

When I kept P. nivea, I kept them completely different than my other roaches. They were kept in a shoebox where I now keep my termites. NO ventilation whatsoever. Completely moist earth from the backyard mixed with ecoearth/cocofiber. It was wet to the touch. The roaches all went underground and only emerged from the burrows (the surface looked like the landscape of the moon) when green leaves were placed on top for feeding. I do NOT think P. nivea are a good display roach given how much they enjoy seclusion and the dark.

I kept them for about 8 months, and only kept them as feeders. So my experience is limited, but they bred quite well in my care. I also forgot to mention the most irritating thing about them! They can climb almost everything, and they're one of the few that can FLY (not just flutter-fall, but actually fly). They're hard to catch escapees, and their legs irritate the heck out of the skin if you grab them wrong.

I would not keep any roach with dart frogs. Dart frogs need nearly 100% humidity and big open areas with light for the plants. Also, if you forego feeding protein to the roaches for a week or two they'll turn on the frogs if they can.

[sss81387]

Yeah, I wasn't planning on dart frogs, I was just trying to come up with some ideas. They have them in a clear tupperware type container at my local reptile shop, and a few usually seem to be showing themselves. I'm perfectly fine with them not being on display all the time. I'm just looking for something that would look natural, and I could maybe spot them at night (I am a night owl afterall).

[RomanBuck]

I know this is an old post but does sss81387 still use the roachforum at all?

[Cariblatta lutea]

I know this is an old post but does sss81387 still use the roachforum at all?

His profile says : Last Active Aug 07 2013 06:42 PM

[RomanBuck]

another fellow Minnesotan that i would have loved to meet or chat with....