Some cockroach questions. Mostly for burrowing Eublaberus species

[crustacean]

I received some ivory head roaches about 2 weeks ago. I have a 3 adults, some large nymphs, and a few really small nymphs. I also received a hissing cockroach colony about a week later. The hissers have been easy and have eaten anything I put in their enclosure. The ivory heads have been a little more hit and miss. They seem to like ground up cat food the best but often don't seem to touch the fruits/vegetables I put in there as much. Past few days the cat food hasn't been touched much either.

I'm using a food dish that is like a pringles cap. I cut off part of the raised side in the hopes the smallest nymphs can get in. Do you think they are likely feeding from the dish at all or do they need food on or in the substrate?

I've been having trouble with a white furry mold. I think it is because I was misting the substrate. The substrate I believe is coco fiber. It is sold in compacted disks for hermit crabs and expands when you add water. I've stopped misting and am still getting little bits of mold everywhere. If I continue to let things dry out and throw any moldy bedding away should this eventually clear up or will I need to change out the bedding? Can ivory heads do fine with dry bedding as long as I give them wet foods and a piece of wet paper towel in their food dish? As said I'm not sure if the smallest nymphs go in the food dish at all despite my cutting the edge off for them.

I'd prefer to avoid adding isopods and keep it dry if possible, but I have various species including power blue, giant canyon, zebra, Armadillidium nasatum, and possibly dwarf whites that hitch hiked with my giant canyon isopods. If isopods are needed would they be a problem out competing the roaches because the ivory heads are slow going for their food a lot of times.

Can I overfeed cat food to the ivory heads or hissing cockroaches? I've read where some people say too much protein can be bad at least for some cockroaches. I want to make sure I have no problems with cannibalism.

 

[crustacean]

Just fed my roaches. The ivory heads didn't seem to touch much of their dog food and minced carrots from last time. Does look like the maple leaves I have in there might be getting nibbled some. Put some pumpkin(not canned), potato, and oatmeal in their dish this time to see if they'll like any of that. Have already tried pumpkin, carrots, cat food, oranges, and bananas. Sometimes they eat it but other times it seems like they haven't touched it much or at all.

The main reason I replied to myself though is I've noticed my hissers are nibbling on plastic in their container. I feed them a variety of foods everyday(see above list for ivory heads) so I don't think it would be they are starving. I used a cheap plastic household thermometer and they chewed away a lot of the suction cup. I pulled off what is left of the suction cup and threw it away. They also have been nibbling on their plastic food dish lid which is what comes on top of a Fritos cheese dip https://www.fritolay.com/images/def...fritos-dip-mild-cheddar.png?sfvrsn=c7e2563a_4 Guessing pieces of paper plate should be fine to place their food? A lot get wasted in my house. or I'll have to use something more durable. Hoping they'll be fine after this. They didn't rush their food like they usually do this time.

 

[Hisserdude]

With only three roaches, you are barely going to notice any food being eaten, the don't have huge appetites. They are eating, believe me, just minute amounts. I'd actually lower the serving sizes of food you are offering them, until it gets to the point where they are eating it all within 2 days. When they start breeding and you have tons of them, they'll go through a LOT of food, but for now they aren't going to eat all that much.

 

[Hisserdude]

Also, I can almost guarantee that each of the mold spots in your enclosure is growing on a speck of crushed cat food the roaches have dragged to a different area of the enclosure. They can eat the cat food perfectly fine without it being crushed, trust me, the only thing crushing it does is make a big mess. So try offering whole pieces from now on, otherwise you risk attracting nasty pests like mites.

 

[crustacean]

With only three roaches, you are barely going to notice any food being eaten, the don't have huge appetites. They are eating, believe me, just minute amounts. I'd actually lower the serving sizes of food you are offering them, until it gets to the point where they are eating it all within 2 days. When they start breeding and you have tons of them, they'll go through a LOT of food, but for now they aren't going to eat all that much.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try not breaking the cat food. There are 3 adults, but about 7 of the nymphs are about the size of the adults. There actually were only 2 adults until 1 of the nymphs molted a few days ago. Even so you are probably right because I have a lot more hissers(about 100 of various sizes) so they devour food much faster.

Will it be ok to keep the bedding dry? Do you think the few nymphs that are really small are feeding from the dish or do they only feed from food in the substrate? I know the small hisser nymphs climb into the dish but they are better climbers. I removed a section of the raised part/rim, but maybe I should rough the dish up some to make sure they can climb in it. Just want to make sure they come to the surface at all because I see the large nymphs and adults hiding under the egg crates, but never the smallest nymphs. Only know they are still around because I decided to dig a little while removing mold a few days ago and found at least two.

 

[pannaking22]

I don't think Eublaberus is picky about substrate moisture levels. The smaller nymphs are likely coming up to feed well after dark. Being small, they're going to try their best to stay hidden as much as possible, which is probably part of the reason why you aren't seeing them under the egg crate. If you've removed the raised rim they can probably get in, otherwise they'll snack on any extra stuff the adults pull out.

 

[dragonfire1577]

I've found Eublaberus really do best with deep moist substrate. I seed my Eublaberus tubs with dwarf white isopods and springtails and have had zero mold issues.

 

[Hisserdude]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try not breaking the cat food. There are 3 adults, but about 7 of the nymphs are about the size of the adults. There actually were only 2 adults until 1 of the nymphs molted a few days ago. Even so you are probably right because I have a lot more hissers(about 100 of various sizes) so they devour food much faster.

Will it be ok to keep the bedding dry? Do you think the few nymphs that are really small are feeding from the dish or do they only feed from food in the substrate? I know the small hisser nymphs climb into the dish but they are better climbers. I removed a section of the raised part/rim, but maybe I should rough the dish up some to make sure they can climb in it. Just want to make sure they come to the surface at all because I see the large nymphs and adults hiding under the egg crates, but never the smallest nymphs. Only know they are still around because I decided to dig a little while removing mold a few days ago and found at least two.

Even with that amount, you still won't notice much feeding activity until they start breeding.

You could keep the upper layers dry, but the bottom two inches should be moist, as I don't think they'll do well in a really dry enclosure like Madagascan hissers for example.

Use as shallow and as small of a food bowl as you can for now, as long as the rim is no taller than a centimeter, the small nymphs should be able to find food still.

 

[crustacean]

I don't think Eublaberus is picky about substrate moisture levels. The smaller nymphs are likely coming up to feed well after dark. Being small, they're going to try their best to stay hidden as much as possible, which is probably part of the reason why you aren't seeing them under the egg crate. If you've removed the raised rim they can probably get in, otherwise they'll snack on any extra stuff the adults pull out.

Thanks. I'm getting mixed messages about substrate moisture so I'll see how wetting just a fourth of their enclosure goes. So far it is much easier to keep track of how my hissers are doing.

I've found Eublaberus really do best with deep moist substrate. I seed my Eublaberus tubs with dwarf white isopods and springtails and have had zero mold issues.

My bedding is only probably about 2 inches(5 centimeters) deep at most. Worry about much deeper going to waste with the mold problems(wasn't really any today, but had been letting it dry out). But if it won't require much cleaning/replacing with isopods, etc I'll increase the depth.

How often do you need to change the bedding with Eublaberus, isopods, and springtails? Asking because I'd imagine it'd be really hard to separate the dwarf whites during a cleaning.

Probably would have to order more dwarf whites because I don't think I have many. I originally thought I only had bought giant canyon isopods but I've recently started to notice little white isopods with them that don't seem to be growing like the giant canyon isopod young(I know they start white as well). I know the sign on the tub at the pet store mentioned dwarf whites as well so a few must have hitchhiked. Have a bunch of tiny insects with my isopods too but am not sure if they are springtails, thrips, or something else.

Even with that amount, you still won't notice much feeding activity until they start breeding.

You could keep the upper layers dry, but the bottom two inches should be moist, as I don't think they'll do well in a really dry enclosure like Madagascan hissers for example.

Use as shallow and as small of a food bowl as you can for now, as long as the rim is no taller than a centimeter, the small nymphs should be able to find food still.

I was wondering if Madagascan hissers would do fine if I continued to keep them dry. The person I bought from recommended keeping them dry. I keep them in a big tub with cardboard egg cartons and feed them wet and dry food. Also add a piece of wet paper towel but it dries quickly.

The dish I'm using is a plastic white food top like what comes on dip or sour cream. So it is really shallow. Also cut off part of the raised edge so hopefully the nymphs could get in. I actually used the same dish for the hissers but they were chewing on the plastic so I replaced it with a piece of paper plate. So far the ivories haven't been chewing on it. Not sure if it will become a problem for them as well.

 

[crustacean]

Added 16 dwarf white isopods that I was able to capture. Is possible some could be young giant canyon isopods. Not very many but hopefully they'll multiply quickly.

 

[Hisserdude]

I was wondering if Madagascan hissers would do fine if I continued to keep them dry. The person I bought from recommended keeping them dry. I keep them in a big tub with cardboard egg cartons and feed them wet and dry food. Also add a piece of wet paper towel but it dries quickly.

The dish I'm using is a plastic white food top like what comes on dip or sour cream. So it is really shallow. Also cut off part of the raised edge so hopefully the nymphs could get in. I actually used the same dish for the hissers but they were chewing on the plastic so I replaced it with a piece of paper plate. So far the ivories haven't been chewing on it. Not sure if it will become a problem for them as well.

Yes, Madagascan hissers like it pretty dry, it's a good idea to always keep one corner moist and mist it every couple days though, just so they don't get dehydrated.

That should work nicely as a bowl, I doubt the Eublaberus will chew on it much, not until their numbers get way bigger at least.