#roach care

[tser]

i have some questions !! do hissing roaches make good.. "starter inverts"? and about how big of an enclosure would a pair or a trio of girls need? also do you think aspen would be an ok substrate, or do i have to use cocoa fiber?

Yes, hissers are a great first invert. They’re quite hardy and easy to care for. 

As for size, it would depend on which kind of hissing cockroach you got; there are many species and they vary in size. I talked about enclosure size for hissers here. Three females of all species would do well in something like a five gallon, but it’s quite possible, depending on species, to go smaller.

Cockroaches do need some moisture in their substrate, because humidity is important for them to molt. I would suggest using coco fiber, or a mixed substrate like ABG mix or NEHerp mix, or something like a combination of orchid bark, coco fiber, coco chips, and milled sphagnum moss. That way you can keep part of the substrate damp to create a moisture gradient.

[tser]

i've seen people bedazzling/decorating their hissing roaches, do you know if that's okay to do? it looks awfully cute but i wanna make sure so i dont hurt my friend!

Beetles have been worn as living jewelry for a very long time, and gluing crystals to them started around the 80s. Cockroaches were not far behind. They’re often fitted with little leashes glued to them to attach to their owner’s clothing.

I think it comes down to the fact that animals are not decorations. They’re not fashion statements. 

Gluing jewels to their pronotum (the shield-like structure of a roach’s exoskeleton which covers most of the thorax and head) could be immediately harmful depending on the glue and “jewels” used. Or, it may not immediately harm them but there are several reasons that this would be harmful to the roach. 

Gluing them to nymphs would cause deadly problems with molting. Getting glue or other materials on unsclerotised cuticle of adults could cause disabling issues with movement and internal regulation.

Roaches groom themselves (some roach species even participate in social grooming!). Having something attached to them that doesn’t belong there will prompt frustrated grooming behavior. Also, it is a trap for detritus and germs that the roach will not be able to remove.

It could impede natural hiding behavior and movement as the roach tries to navigate their environment with additional bulk on the pronotum. 

I think it is much better to simply enjoy the natural beauty of the many different roaches. 

Perhaps decorate the outside of their habitat instead, and inside create a beautiful habitat for them to live in!

[tser]

hey! so, i was wondering- can you keep madagascar hissing roaches alone (or maybe a pair of 2 females)? and if so, how big should the enclosure be? i would like a roach, but every website seems to think i want a big colony ! sorry if this is weird

You can keep them alone but they do better in a group. Many roach species are considered “presocial”, and some roach keepers have found that Madagascar hissing roaches tend to do better when they have competition. 

A group of females would be fine! 

It depends on which Madagascar hissing roach you get. Some are much bigger than others! Knowing which species you mean by scientific name would be helpful. I’m going to guess that you mean Gromphadorhina portentosa which is the common hisser and the one I’ve seen most often in pet stores.

Two females would do just fine in something like a large “critter keeper” tote, two and a half gallon aquarium, or even a large fish bowl (with a proper lid, they can climb glass and plastic!) or similar-sized tub. Bugs are one of the only animals I can recommend for small enclosures.

All of the large sized hissers would do just fine in this enclosure size. Smaller species, like a couple tiger hissers (Gromphadorhina grandidieri), dwarf hissers (Elliptorhina chopardi), or Halloween hissers (Elliptorhina javanica), would do well in even smaller enclosures, like a shoebox sized tub (1.5 gallons)! 

Any enclosure you get should be at least double the adult’s size in height. If you get nymphs (baby roaches that still have growing to do) they will usually molt on vertical surfaces, so enough space is very important; otherwise they can have a mismolt, which can cause deformities and other problems. 

Hissers like to climb, and will usually spend their time off the substrate. You should provide climbing opportunities like cork bark or other wood, fake plants, or even just strips of plastic craft canvas. They will climb the walls of the enclosure as well, but appreciate cover and hiding places. 

Whatever you do, make sure you have a secure lid. An escaped hissing roach is unlikely to survive. If you get all females, however, you at least don’t have to worry about nymphs (babies), which are tiny escape artists.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

[tser]

do you think a pair of female halloween hissers would work out well in a.. about a 1/2-3/4 gallon critter keeper? sorry for all the questions!

I would personally use the “Small” Kritter Keeper (about 9 1/8" long x 6" wide x 6 5/8" high, approximately 1.5 gallons including lid height) or larger for two Halloween hissers, rather than the mini ones. 

Once you have decor in there it would take up too much of the space in the mini (under a gallon). You’ll see more natural behaviors from the roaches in a larger enclosure.

And don’t be sorry, ask as many questions as you need to!

[real-peacock-blog]

Im not sure what to do about my roach bc i heard one roach alone will be loney but i only have the one, and im afraid to release him into the world where he might get hurt and i don't know where his family is.

[penanggalan]

Hi, I'm getting some Banana Roaches soon & I wanted to know what you recommend for substrate (I have some spare coco husk, would that be okay?) & food? I've done some research already, but you're so knowledgeable about roaches haha ;w; Thank you! c:

I've kept these before, and one thing you absolutely NEED to keep them alive and thriving is humidity, humidity, humidity. A good amount of heat is also necessary, so use a small heat lamp on one side (black or red bulb). Although I've noticed these roaches are -drawn- to light, so another type may work fine as well. Just make sure it doesn't get TOO hot; around 80 degrees is fine, or room temp if your house is in the upper 70's (like mine) :P. A tank with a screen top is fine, since the babies can't climb glass (just make sure there aren't any sticks leading up to it, since if they can get up there, they'll likely be able to find a way out), and tend to stay burrowed.You can use a plastic container, but you won't be able to see them as well. They do well in smaller containers, so depending on how many you have, anywhere from a 10-20 gallon would be a suitable size.

A few inches of potting soil or coconut fiber bedding is fine, and perhaps a layer of peat moss to keep the dirt moist. You can add in a few hydrated water crystals every now and then to keep it moist. Cleaning isn't necessary, at least not for a very long time. They like leaf litter as well, much like skunk roaches with their oak leaves.

Dry dog food, banana, apple, etc. in a small saucer are fine, just make sure they don't mold too much in the warm and moist environment! A few pill bugs in there would help keep that down, and if you see any super tiny white hopping bugs, those are just springtails. They feed on algae, fungus, spores, pollen, and decaying vegetable matter, and do no harm to the roaches.

You COULD treat them with minimal care, but they won't thrive or reach their maximum size. Mine became huge, before ants took over their tank overnight :C Hopefully I'll be able to catch more on our trip to the Everglades after my birthday :D