Ok so i finally decided to start breeding my own turkistans, i have a 2ft exo terra glass viv that im not using so i was thinking of using that to breed them, will this be ok? Also what else woul di need to breed them, what to feed them etc, i really don't know much about caring for roaches lol.

Thanks.

im not too sure about using an Exo Terra, too many gaps at too low a level for my liking. you ideally want a fish tank or a super smooth plastic box (e.g. RUB). with high sides!

then put heat mats underneath, if youre running a thermostat then put the stat probe underneath as well and use the dial to adjust the temperature inside. put the thermometer inside the tank, dont have the probe inside and the wire going outside or its an easy escape route. put parcel tape over any silicone joins. as said, make sure there are no wires or anything that goes into the tank from the top or it will get climbed by escapees. then at the top put clingfilm across the opening with some holes in it to keep humidity high, and put a piece of wood across the top for a lid. it doesnt need to seal, just to keep the heat in more effectively.

use egg trays position vertically to create housing, supply water in some form (either gel, or actual water in a bowl with some cotton wool), and a combination of cat food and fresh veg. and thats pretty much all there is to it! add roaches and wait 3-6 months and youll have a sustaining colony.

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Cool thanks man, what temps do they need to be kept at?

I have a 2ft tank with a 2ft mat under it, as above large egg cartons, water gel and cat food.

Keeping humidity high helps eggs hatch and you need to leave it at least 6-8 weeks without touching it before using them to feed from or you will end up needing to add to your collony like i did.

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i keep mine around 30-32°C for 24 hours a day. at floor level its 32, but its more like 28 at the top of the egg cartons, they like it hot though. their natural habitat is probably hotter than that even.

humidity sits around 70-80% just from the water gel slowly evaporating.

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Cool thanks for the advice guys. But which would be best for a colony then a fish tank or a rub (still not quite sure if that's a brand name or a nick name lol).

either really. i use a fish tank, but i used a RUB before. the RUB escapes were probably down to wires inside, but ive not had any fish tank escapes. whichever you use, tape cardboard all round the outside to keep heat in and make it dark inside.

a RUB is a "Really Useful Box", which is a brand name. any kind of decent sized plastic tub with smooth vertical walls will work. it only takes the tiniest bit of roughness for a Turkistan to climb out though!! hence glass is generally a safer bet.

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Ah ok thanks man. I might try my exo terra then, just tape off the vents just below the doors, if i tape them from the inside and out then i hopefully shoul dbe ok and just use the mesh lid to get in and get at them. By the way do you have to clean then out or can you just leave everything in there and be done with it?