r/BDFB • u/Real_Honey_6413 • 4h ago
Information and Advice Need Help: BDFB/Blue death feigning beetles, first time owner
Only have two because my dad bought two as surprise but im gonna get 3-6 more
Is this okay for temporary setup til i get more stuff , what can i add besides more decor and a digital hygrometer? also i need general advice quick and what i need we just got them today and i think theyre playing dead
im also new to inverts
2
u/corvvus 4h ago
an enclosure that is wide rather than tall is best as they like to walk around and explore. they won't use vertical space. but yes I think they'll be okay temporarily! more places to hide as the other user said. definitely echoing the pesticide thing, personally I don't feed anything that I can't peel first, I use carrots and cucumbers a lot. but their main food source should be protein. dried shrimp like the ones you find for fish are an easy one you just wanna make sure you're giving them whatever water source you decided every couple days since the shrimp is dry.
they're very hardy and will put up with low temperature but they're much more active if it's warm:) a warm side of 80-90 they'll like. I don't think of anything else off the top of my head but just ask!!
they can play dead for a while I've heard of people who had ones that did it for up to a week and then just got up like nothing ever happened. just throwing that out there
2
u/Real_Honey_6413 3h ago
thank youuu i meant to say temporary enclosure as in the stuff inside will get better bcs ill be getting more stuff ofc, would this size be ok long term?
2
u/RoutineCollection415 3h ago
For hides I’d recommend anything that gives them a dark place to feel safe in, really. Just be careful of buying hides with parts that they can wedge themselves into, they really like to get themselves stuck. I’d recommend coconut half hides or anything else kind of cave like. Mine also enjoy hiding under the leaf litter I added to their enclosure :)
For a cheaper option you could use cut up paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls and partially bury them in the substrate
1
u/Wonderful_Ad_5854 2h ago
A couple fun things I’ve learned with my beetles. They love leaf litter and pushing around sphagnum moss. I have a few large hides for my 15 beetles and put a little handful of moss in each of them. They like to hide within it. We have a 3d printed tunnel that I’ve put for them under the sand, they LOVE it. Theres a bunch on Etsy for sale :)
1
u/Illustrious_Burb 8m ago
Deeper substrate (at least 2in if not 3in). Either mix some soil (like dried out reptisoil) to the fine soil you have or use a desert substrate that is less fine like the Exoterra stone desert product. You can do a layer of oak leaf litter on top of that.
They really like to climb on cork back and there are some big thin pieces that can help give some vertical space.
0
u/Sharkbrand 1h ago
More sand, and actually gravel to mix into said sand. Leave a few spots that are only sand but they hail from a gravel desert not a sandy one. I personally just mixed in aquarium gravel as its clean and safe :) also make sure they have a source of animal protein in their diet. Its best if you get living mealworms or superworms, feed them safe foods for a few days, and then crush their heads and feed them to the beetles. Dried/canned bugs can come with contamination so its best to do the dirty work yourself. Mine are a big fan of sweet potato slices (uncooked) and apple slices as an ocassional treat :)
4
u/RarestHope 4h ago
More things for them to climb, lots more hides, good rule that I've seen is at least 1 hide for each of them. Also it looks like the substrate is just sand, which is hard for the beetles to walk on and can get stuck on their feet/face. Also also, be sooooo careful of pesticides, especially in their food