Ok. So you want to get a big bug of some sort. The best type to start with *GENERALLY* is an arachnid, millipede, or cockroach. To be more specific, one who lives on or in the ground. Good examples are Chilean Rose Tarantulas, Giant African Millipedes, Hissing Cockroaches and Emperor Scorpions. Those are actually some of THE best to start out with. But these aren't your garden variety bugs, and they can't live too long in a "mayonaise jar with a stick and a leaf" in the words of the late, great Mitch Hedberg. These guys/ gals need to be treated as if they are a small terrestrial lizard...only with a smaller tank...and no UV lights required...nor vitamins.
The list is as simple as any list for any animal can be. They need a lot of stuff to live longer than a few hours. They need a lot of love, but not so much that they feel the need to attack you. So here's the basics of what you're gonna need:
*HOUSING*
1 Five gallon or more terrarium (cheapest and easiest being the exo-terra faunarium)
1 Hide at least as long as your future bug buddy (except in the case of millipedes because they can curl up.)
1 - 2 bowls for water and in the cases of millis and roaches, food.
1 bag of peat moss or clean potting soil
1 branch is optional depending on species
*HEATING & LIGHTING*
Lighting is often optional with these animals because of they're crepsular to nocturnal nature. But if you insist, red or blue lighting is best as not to disturb they're natural day/ night cycle.
1 .75 Watt LED gooseneck lamp is optional
1 UTH, 4 Watts or up depending on your housing choise
*FOOD*
Most of the time, these things only go after things that they can drag into their burrow kicking and screaming. But then again not always. Millipedes and roaches are detrivores, meaning they eat rotting organic matter, or in most cases, fallen leaves.
Scorpions and spiders will eat crickets of any size happily.
Roaches and millis will eat sliced cucmbers or even Iguana pellets with gusto.
So you take your pick.
Do you want a 10 - 12 inch millipede or a 3 - 5 inch roach with a taste for month old salad?
Or do you want a spider with a 5 inch legspan or a 6 inch scorpion with a tast for the blood of screaming crickets? Take your pick. OR after reading this, you might not want a bug at all, and might just settle with a nice USUALLY safe fish. Only you, or in a child's case what you parents say can decide.
But it's mostly up to you, so take your pick.
Oh and the price for all of this stuff usually tops out at around $40 - $50 US, or however much that is in £.
Due to a recent request, I will now post individual caresheets on these four animals.
Chilean Rose Tarantula
Size: 4.5 - 5.5 inch legspan
Lifespan: Males 2 - 5 years, Females: 15 - 20 years
Housing: 2.5 - 10 gallons
Decor: A few hiding places, like coconut halves, rock dens, coffee mugs, ect.
Substrate: I myself, personally use sand but other substrates like peat, potting soil, coconut bark, ect. are ok.
Temperature: 70F - 85F
Humidity: 50% - 70%, a shallow, wide water dish will keep it in check.
Feeding: Crickets will often do. Just drop in 1 - 5 every week or so and come back in a few hours to clean up the exoskeletons.
---------------------------------------------------------
Emperor Scorpion
Size: 4.5 - 8 inches long
Lifespan: 5 - 8 years
Housing: 5 gallon for 1, 10 gallon for 2, 20 gallon for 3, ect.
Decor: A few hiding places, like coconut halves, rock dens, coffee mugs, ect.
Substrate: Peat, Potting soil, coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 75F - 85F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish plus daily misting will keep it in check/
Feeding: Crickets will often do. Just drop in 1 - 5 every week and come back in a few hours to pick up the peices.
----------------------------------------------------------
Madagascar Hissing Roaches
Size: 3 - 5 inches long
Lifespan: 3 - 5 years
Housing: 2 - 10 gallon, depending on the number of roaches.
Decor: A branch or two, some hiding spots, ect.
Subtrate: Peat, Potting soil, coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 75F - 80F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish with a sponge in it plus daily misting will keep it in check.
Feeding: The usual veggies, but these guys will adapt to eating iguana pellets quite readily.
Just place it in a bowl.
------------------------------------------------------
African Giant Millipede
Size: 8 - 12 inches long
Lifespan: 6 - 8 years
Housing: 5 - 10 gallon depending on size or number of millipedes, cage must be twice as long and at least as wide as the biggest individual in the tank.
Decor: No need for hiding places, but they help. A branch for climbing.
Substrate: Peat, Potting Soil, Coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 70F - 80F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish plus daily misting will keep it in check.
Feeding: The usual veggies, but they will readily adapt to eating inguana pellets. Just put it in a bowl.
The list is as simple as any list for any animal can be. They need a lot of stuff to live longer than a few hours. They need a lot of love, but not so much that they feel the need to attack you. So here's the basics of what you're gonna need:
*HOUSING*
1 Five gallon or more terrarium (cheapest and easiest being the exo-terra faunarium)
1 Hide at least as long as your future bug buddy (except in the case of millipedes because they can curl up.)
1 - 2 bowls for water and in the cases of millis and roaches, food.
1 bag of peat moss or clean potting soil
1 branch is optional depending on species
*HEATING & LIGHTING*
Lighting is often optional with these animals because of they're crepsular to nocturnal nature. But if you insist, red or blue lighting is best as not to disturb they're natural day/ night cycle.
1 .75 Watt LED gooseneck lamp is optional
1 UTH, 4 Watts or up depending on your housing choise
*FOOD*
Most of the time, these things only go after things that they can drag into their burrow kicking and screaming. But then again not always. Millipedes and roaches are detrivores, meaning they eat rotting organic matter, or in most cases, fallen leaves.
Scorpions and spiders will eat crickets of any size happily.
Roaches and millis will eat sliced cucmbers or even Iguana pellets with gusto.
So you take your pick.
Do you want a 10 - 12 inch millipede or a 3 - 5 inch roach with a taste for month old salad?
Or do you want a spider with a 5 inch legspan or a 6 inch scorpion with a tast for the blood of screaming crickets? Take your pick. OR after reading this, you might not want a bug at all, and might just settle with a nice USUALLY safe fish. Only you, or in a child's case what you parents say can decide.
But it's mostly up to you, so take your pick.
Oh and the price for all of this stuff usually tops out at around $40 - $50 US, or however much that is in £.
Due to a recent request, I will now post individual caresheets on these four animals.
Chilean Rose Tarantula
Size: 4.5 - 5.5 inch legspan
Lifespan: Males 2 - 5 years, Females: 15 - 20 years
Housing: 2.5 - 10 gallons
Decor: A few hiding places, like coconut halves, rock dens, coffee mugs, ect.
Substrate: I myself, personally use sand but other substrates like peat, potting soil, coconut bark, ect. are ok.
Temperature: 70F - 85F
Humidity: 50% - 70%, a shallow, wide water dish will keep it in check.
Feeding: Crickets will often do. Just drop in 1 - 5 every week or so and come back in a few hours to clean up the exoskeletons.
---------------------------------------------------------
Emperor Scorpion
Size: 4.5 - 8 inches long
Lifespan: 5 - 8 years
Housing: 5 gallon for 1, 10 gallon for 2, 20 gallon for 3, ect.
Decor: A few hiding places, like coconut halves, rock dens, coffee mugs, ect.
Substrate: Peat, Potting soil, coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 75F - 85F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish plus daily misting will keep it in check/
Feeding: Crickets will often do. Just drop in 1 - 5 every week and come back in a few hours to pick up the peices.
----------------------------------------------------------
Madagascar Hissing Roaches
Size: 3 - 5 inches long
Lifespan: 3 - 5 years
Housing: 2 - 10 gallon, depending on the number of roaches.
Decor: A branch or two, some hiding spots, ect.
Subtrate: Peat, Potting soil, coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 75F - 80F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish with a sponge in it plus daily misting will keep it in check.
Feeding: The usual veggies, but these guys will adapt to eating iguana pellets quite readily.
Just place it in a bowl.
------------------------------------------------------
African Giant Millipede
Size: 8 - 12 inches long
Lifespan: 6 - 8 years
Housing: 5 - 10 gallon depending on size or number of millipedes, cage must be twice as long and at least as wide as the biggest individual in the tank.
Decor: No need for hiding places, but they help. A branch for climbing.
Substrate: Peat, Potting Soil, Coconut bark, ect.
Temperature: 70F - 80F
Humidity: 75% - 80%, a shallow, wide water dish plus daily misting will keep it in check.
Feeding: The usual veggies, but they will readily adapt to eating inguana pellets. Just put it in a bowl.
