I got my dubia today, thank you demon amphibians. I set up their cage with plenty of egg crates, water crystals, dry food and carrots to help them recover from shipping. (Everything seems to take an extra day to ship to me). For as cold as it is they arrived in good shape, a little lethargic but the heat, water and carrots has them scurrying for cover anytime I try to look at them.

First and maybe most important: The heat is left on all the time, right? I don't turn it off at night or should I? Room temp in my house is 68-70 at night.

I put a heating pad under their cage and have some temperature questions:
The temp between the heat pad and the plastic is 105-106.
Temp on plastic inside 100-102
Temp mid way up in container is 81-82.
Heat pad set on lowest setting.
House temp is 68-74

I know the range from all the advice I have gotten here. 85-95 is what I am shooting for. I plan on turning the heat pad up tomorrow to see where that takes the tank temperature.

What I really need to know is that temperature gradient about right? The entire container is over the heat pad. The egg crates are the same temps as the open with the same gradient. This should give them the ability to heat and cool themselves right? They are all in different levels of the egg crates, most nymphs are lower down with larger ones mid way up the crates and a few walking around the upper part of the crates until they see me and then they scamper for cover.

I don't plan on using the heating pad for long. Only until I can find the right light and dome to heat them from above.

On a side note, don't put the water crystals right on top of the heat source! I had a nice little fog machine going with the entire inside all steamed up from condensation! Probably not a bad thing for the roaches until mold gets going from the dampness. Water is now on top until I get the light I need.