P.regalis good communial?

[gary spencer]

hi there iam after setting up a p.regalis communal tank are they sucsessful as a communal sp? thanks all

[deansie26]

Originally Posted by gary spencer

hi there iam after setting up a p.regalis communal tank are they sucsessful as a communal sp? thanks all

Have heard folk having successful regalis communes, not the most communial but good.

[Silk_Spinner]

I have a trio that live together, they are juveniles at the moment, and have been together since they were slings. They are from the same egg sac.

So far, so good, I have not witnessed any aggression, however I have heard it can go wrong, and am prepared to separate mine if things change.

Good luck.

[gary spencer]

thank you iam after 10 from the same sac and setting up a couple of groups i know not to give them loads of hiding places as this can lead them to be terratorial, is there anymore tips you could give me as to avoid cannabolism? many thanks.

[Silk_Spinner]

As far as I know a smaller enclosure is better, as a bigger enclosure will mean they can set up territories and avoid each other which may lead to hostility or aggression when they do interact.

I also make sure they are well fed.

Hope this helps.

[gary spencer]

so they are always aware that there all toghether and not enough space for one to wonder off and set up camp by itself therefore causing friction and feed them well so there is no fighting over the food,

[Poxicator]

Its important to remember that each community project is an experiment. There's no guarantee that it will work but if you can't afford to lose some, or most then you shouldnt attempt a community. A community can disappear in front of your eyes as they can be very shy and often disappear when one has a moult. The other serious question is separating them, you will have to do this at some point, whether its due to losing individuals or mature males. So you need to have the confidence to do this, a method of doing so or someone that has experience in doing so.

OK, so that's the "concerns" over with.
The best method I've found is to put them in a small enclosure. Smaller than you think seems to work better. Don't provide more than one hide but if you note 2 separate groups then split them into 2 communities (eg. a group in the hide and a group of burrowers).
Feed more than necessary - most of my Ts get 1 cricket each, but my communities get equal to 2-3 crickets per week when small and 1.5 crickets when large juveniles.

Remove any obvious weak ones eg. lots of leg losses. Provide a level of moisture but don't soak. I have noted that many species will come out for food after a downpour, so alternate dry and moist periods.

You're likely to get more males than females and these will grow faster. Don't be too worried about disparages in size, its quite natural but obviously you need to keep a keen eye on communities.

From one of my P. regalis communities (20+)