Lobster or Turkistan roaches?

[Sunset]

I have 1 male dubia to 8 females, Im just starting a small breeding colony for my leo but it's not going to get going for a little while. So until then, I was wondering which is better for a leo to eat....Lobster or Turkistan roaches?? She wont eat crickets, and she's really picky and will only eat giant mealworms right now....which I know is not a good staple diet. But, she does eat roaches which is why I want to get some for her and get her off of souly mealworms. Any input on which is better for a leo? And easier to take care of and wont die easily? Cause Im going to buy at least a 100 at a time. Thanks!

 

[ReptileWorld]

Hello Sunset,

I personally only keep Dubia but i do have close friends that keep many species of roaches. and as far as best food source for a roach excluding that some climb some dont and some may or may not infest. aside from all the debate. hands down everyone says lobsters are the way to go they say that they are meatier by far then any of the others. again just want i am told during discussion with friends that keep many specie of roach. My geckos seem to like them since they are a climbing species i do not keep them in the home but i do have friends bring me over a few in a container and i feed to change it up a bit from the dubia, super worms, butter worms, wax, worm diet i give my geckos.

i hope this helps.

 

[NRG]

I would go with turkistan. They don't climb so that makes them less likely to escape.

 

[BadKelpie]

Crickets don't climb either, yet they inevitably escape. I have heard that turks are more likely to infest if they get out. I have lobsters, they don't escape their container. You just make a barrier with vaseline, they can't climb over that.

 

[reptilenut]

I agree with BadKelpie, I purchased a breeding colony of Lobsters last Saturday at a local reptile show. I placed them in Large Plastic totes, with about an inch wide band of Vaseline smeared on the sides close to the top, no escapees. I am using no substrate, and some egg crate for cover. I cut holes in the side of the tub, and hot glued screen over to provide good ventilation. I just went in for my weekly cleanings and I now have somewhere around 150 roaches, in less than a week. I am guessing I will have plenty of feeders for a very long time

 

[lillith]

I like turks, but I haven't tried lobsters yet. I don't like that they climb, though...

 

[Magic Merlin]

I have bred and fed both Lobsters and Turks.......without a shadow of a doubt Turks are a FAR superior feeder because they move around a lot more than lobsters and cannot climb..........kindof hard for your gecko to eat something that crawls up out of its reach. I would also like to mention that Turks CANNOT INFEST....it is not possible.....unless the temp in your house is above 75 with 100% humidity they cannot and will not reproduce.....the egg casings will never hatch.......like dubias, turks are a tropical species and are basically a solitary roach that will not gather together for any reason unlike oriental or german cockroaches. I have turks get loose all the time (daily) while I am packaging them for shipment or gathering them up for feeding to my geckos and the only place I have ever found them in my house is in the bathroom and that is only about once a week.......I guess the other 5000 or so that have gotten loose either died or went outside......LOL, I find more little mediteranian geckos in my house than escaped roaches.

 

[Wowoklol]

I find my "escaped" dubias laying on their back on the floor somewhere the next day.. They aren't dead, but they aren't very happy... Always cracks me up.