Hissers Food

[SolFeliz]

So everyone says that you need to feed Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches dry dog food, and people make a point that cat food is bad, but my colony always has dry dog food and the whole time I've had roaches they've never touched it. Is it really worth wasting money on dog food when a), I don't have a dog and b) my roaches don't eat it??

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

I would try other brands or maybe even cat food if you can find a good brand. The problem is that big roaches like that need a protein source to grow and molt successfully. Even if they don't seem to be touching it, they may be eating small parts of it. What id their diet now? They may already have some protein and don't need to eat the dogfood as much. Don't think there is really a great protein source outside of dogfood, but I think it's good to have at least one brand, even if they don't eat it

 

[SolFeliz]

I would try other brands or maybe even cat food if you can find a good brand. The problem is that big roaches like that need a protein source to grow and molt successfully. Even if they don't seem to be touching it, they may be eating small parts of it. What id their diet now? They may already have some protein and don't need to eat the dogfood as much. Don't think there is really a great protein source outside of dogfood, but I think it's good to have at least one brand, even if they don't eat it

Sorry for late reply, I took away the dog food for a few weeks and seen no change, so now they just get a few pellets here and there for them to find.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

Sorry for late reply, I took away the dog food for a few weeks and seen no change, so now they just get a few pellets here and there for them to find.

Sounds good to me My hissers eat quite a bit of dogfood, so idk about hiw mich to feed. I just have a dish and buy really cheap brands. Also, do you mean that you put them every now and then or scatter them within the tank? They mold very easily, especially on dirt that is even slightly moist (if you use dirt)

 

[ErinM31]

I give my hissers (and other roaches) fish kibbles and a variety of organic produce because 1) I don't have a dog and 2) fish kibbles come in small packages. I haven't gotten babies yet but the nymphs I purchased have grown into large handsome adults.

 

[Hisserdude]

Perhaps just try a different brand? How many hissers do you have?

 

[Carmen Marroquin]

Why is cat food considered bad for hissers?

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I use Purina Kitten Chow (30% protein) for all my roaches (and even some beetle larvae). It is extremely popular among my insects, and it often causes food fights, especially in the giant cave roach tank (Blaberus giganteus). I have not had any issues originating from using these as feeders after they have eaten the cat food.

 

[Axolotl]

Dog and cat food tends to sit around too long in my hisser colonies (6 species and counting) and get moldy. Instead, I use alfalfa meal, fish flakes and the occasional hardboiled egg for protein (in the shell, cut in half). The bulk of their diet, however, is fresh fruit. I personally don't think they need the levels of protein that some claim. Mine do just fine on an all-produce diet for months at time, and my colonies are thriving.

 

[mantisfan101]

Fish flakes were and still are a favorite to many roach species.

 

[Jimbob]

Dog and cat food tends to sit around too long in my hisser colonies (6 species and counting) and get moldy. Instead, I use alfalfa meal, fish flakes and the occasional hardboiled egg for protein (in the shell, cut in half). The bulk of their diet, however, is fresh fruit. I personally don't think they need the levels of protein that some claim. Mine do just fine on an all-produce diet for months at time, and my colonies are thriving.

I've noticed this as well. I'm only a few years into roach keeping, but I never used dog/cat/fish food just because I didn't like the idea of feeding them off(originally got into inverts as feeders) after eating that. Most of my colonies have done just fine off almost all vegetables. I'd say the only downside that I think I've noticed is a little slower growth, but I do not know if that is a fact or not. More recently I started offering vegan protein sources(just for peace of mind) like seeds and whatever else I have lying around. I limit it to just a little though. I also gave some hardboiled eggs on the rare occasion.