Hissing Roaches as Pets - Care & Setup

[Lil Paws]

Hello, All -

My kiddo thinks the dubias we bought as feeders for the spiders are cool and would like to keep them as pets, but I am trying to avoid anyone getting attached. I was thinking Giant Hissers would be a good alternative as a pet since they grow to a nice size and live a number of years.

Where can we find good 411 about Hissing roaches setup and care?

 

[SolFeliz]

Well, as you'll see in my pic, I keep hissers, and they're great pets, really amusing.
You can keep about five or six in an average sized storage box, the kind you'd keep under a bed. You should put in some hides, and maybe some fake/real plants if you want. Be aware that some prefer to burrow than to hide under things, so if one's gone missing, dig around a bit, they won't mind .
You should give them different fruits and veg, and some fish flakes or dry dog food soaked in water. They particularly seem cucumbers, carrots and LOVE avocado! If you can find some bug gel, give them that in a dish, if not, wet cotton balls in a dish so they don't drown. Don't let the food go mouldy, especially the fish flakes, but let it ripen a little, they seem to like riper over fresh.
You don't need a heat mat unless you plan on breeding, or if you want to see them more active, I find putting the boxes near a radiator is enough, and mine don't breed. Make sure you mist the cage every evening, it's best at around 5-6 pm, then they're more active.
Sexing is easy, males have little horns/bumps just above their heads, females are smooth.
You can use any substrate really, though the best is either/a combination of orchid bark and/or coco fibre. If you don't want to buy hides, usually a little-rounded container, like a small plant pot is best, and you can add sticks and rocks as well, just from your own garden.
Please be aware that although mostly hardy, hissers can get really ill, and very rarely recover, no matter what you do. One of the most common things I find with my roaches is that they seem almost paralyzed, and have curled in legs and stay in one place. You can rub a cotton ball with sugar water on their mouthparts, but usually, all that does is keep them alive, sometimes it is best just to let nature take its course, unfortunately.
That's all really, that I can come up with of the top of my head, but if you need any more info, just ask!!
Hope you have fun with your new roaches, hissers can be awesome little pets if kept right! Here's a little hint though: DO NOT BUY A HOLLOW LOG FOR THEM. They never come out!!

 

[Kat1205]

I have 2 kinds of hissing cockroaches. I do sterile setups with both. 3 containers. 1 type is in a latching storage container, the other 2 are in converted kitty litter totes.. All have egg crates to climb.

 

[Redmont]

I wouldn’t recommend using cotton balls in a water dish as for the same reason tarantula keepers don’t recommend putting a sponge in a water dish, it can grow lots of bacteria. I suspect that is your problem with a few of them firing off as hissers are generally very hardy. Also you would be fine putting 30+ hissers in a 5 gallon tank, they acctully breed better in slightly crowded conditions.

I’d also just recommend feeding them vedgies and fruits. I only use water crystals when I go on vacation. Fruits and veggies are more healthier for them

 

[Lil Paws]

Thank you for the information, Everyone!

Okay, I just bought 4 giant hisser nymphs (they are coming through the mail). I love the fact they can be handled regularly.

Can we keep the roaches happy in a KK or are the boxes better for humidity?

Also, is it true they don't breed as much (or at all) at room temperature? We do not want to breed them as they are just going to be pets—in fact I'm considering keeping them out of the classroom since I have a heater in there at this time. In the cooler months our house drops into the high-to-low 60s.

 

[Redmont]

The kritter keeper is just fine for them they don’t need much humidity, they shouldn’t breed at room temp, personly I think temps in the 60’s will be fine

 

[SolFeliz]

Thank you for the information, Everyone!

Okay, I just bought 4 giant hisser nymphs (they are coming through the mail). I love the fact they can be handled regularly.

Can we keep the roaches happy in a KK or are the boxes better for humidity?

Also, is it true they don't breed as much (or at all) at room temperature? We do not want to breed them as they are just going to be pets—in fact I'm considering keeping them out of the classroom since I have a heater in there at this time. In the cooler months our house drops into the high-to-low 60s.

Yeah, they won't breed at room temperature, and if they do, usually the females who are pregnant will abort due to the temperature.

 

[SolFeliz]

I wouldn’t recommend using cotton balls in a water dish as for the same reason tarantula keepers don’t recommend putting a sponge in a water dish, it can grow lots of bacteria. I suspect that is your problem with a few of them firing off as hissers are generally very hardy. Also you would be fine putting 30+ hissers in a 5 gallon tank, they acctully breed better in slightly crowded conditions.

I’d also just recommend feeding them vedgies and fruits. I only use water crystals when I go on vacation. Fruits and veggies are more healthier for them

I don't think you should keep them in such crowded conditions, a 5 gallon tank I would say would only take about ten; they need room to move.
And I don't think you quite understood what I said about the water gel. I said I used it instead of cotton balls, which are fine if you change them each day. Mine always have both.

 

[Draketeeth]

Okay, I just bought 4 giant hisser nymphs (they are coming through the mail). I love the fact they can be handled regularly.

Can we keep the roaches happy in a KK or are the boxes better for humidity?

Also, is it true they don't breed as much (or at all) at room temperature? We do not want to breed them as they are just going to be pets—in fact I'm considering keeping them out of the classroom since I have a heater in there at this time. In the cooler months our house drops into the high-to-low 60s.

Since you're keeping them as pets, I'd say either the KK or a tank so they can be seen. Set them up with some coco substrate and cork bark to clamber around on and they'll be happy critters.

Mine are kept at room temperature. My initial group of 4 (I too was keeping them as pets and was unprepared for them to breed at room temperature) kept at 68*F in the winter and up to 74*F in the summer generally gave me one brood a year at the end up the summer. Once all my females matured, even at one brood a year, it got overwhelming. They're dropping 40 or so per lady. Not everyone makes it to adulthood, but my kids are now divided by gender as soon as they're big enough to sex so they don't breed and further add to the boom.

I recommend having a plan for them if they do end up breeding on you. That way you're not suddenly surprised, overwhelmed, and over run.

 

[Lil Paws]

Since you're keeping them as pets, I'd say either the KK or a tank so they can be seen. Set them up with some coco substrate and cork bark to clamber around on and they'll be happy critters.

Mine are kept at room temperature. My initial group of 4 (I too was keeping them as pets and was unprepared for them to breed at room temperature) kept at 68*F in the winter and up to 74*F in the summer generally gave me one brood a year at the end up the summer. Once all my females matured, even at one brood a year, it got overwhelming. They're dropping 40 or so per lady. Not everyone makes it to adulthood, but my kids are now divided by gender as soon as they're big enough to sex so they don't breed and further add to the boom.

I recommend having a plan for them if they do end up breeding on you. That way you're not suddenly surprised, overwhelmed, and over run.

That's super useful—thank you. We will watch them grow and separate out the males as soon as we see horns. If they do breed, I think the babies will have to go to friends or a pet store—as my kid would get really upset if we fed them to the Ts.

 

[Kat1205]

If you don't want them to breed you can also separate them by gender.