ASF/ Rat Tub Question

Hey Guys,

I just bought a large rat tub off of an old breeder and I found a really good deal on live feeders! I was just curious, if I have a 50 gallon rat tub.. How many Adult ASF's can I house in it at any given time?

It isn't so much the size of the tub, it's how well ASFs do in certain numbers.

To start a good breeding colony you want a 1.2 to 1.4 group. I've noticed that any more than 4 females to the male and you won't get much production out of them.

If you want to use it as a grow out tub you can put a lot more than that in there as the babies wean. Just remember, once they are old enough to breed and females start having babies, if there is more than one male in that tub, the babies will be eaten.

Thanks,

I was actually more curious about using the tub as a holding cage for feeder animals. I found a guy who gets a GREAT deal when he orders live in bulk but that Means Im going to have 2 or 3 feedings worth of ASF's to house (15 medium). I was hoping they will all be able to stay in the bin or would this be a bad thing? thanks

Mixed sexes of adults?

i Imagine lol but from a breeders perspective they could be all males. I'm not 100 percent sure.l

If they all come from grow-out tubs and were pretty much raised together it should be ok but you might see some fighting if strange males are put together with established males that already know each other.

Can you post a pic of the tub with something in it for size reference?

I don't trusts ASFs around plastic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rhasputin

I don't trusts ASFs around plastic.

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??

He means because they chew everything. If given an edge to chew on, they can chew out. That's why I made my ASF tubs with a double layer of mesh screen on the inside of the lid. The hole for the water bottle tube is flush to the tube so that it fits very snug. I have to push hard to get it in there when I refill the bottle. Nothing available for them to chew to chew their way out.

Having an exercise wheel and chew blocks keeps them busy so they don't try to find edges to chew also.

She, but yes. :D
They chew like maniacs. I have mine in glass, and they still chew the plastic rims off the tanks.