Roach diet

[Stylopidae]

What does everyone feed their roaches?

What protien content is best? I've heard that some species can die because of a diet that is too high in protien.

Moisture?

Fat?

Nutritional content of commercial gut load diets VS homemade diets?

I'm looking for fairly specific stuff here.

 

[Dom]

I'm playing with the diet myself.
One thing I've read is that they don't breed well unless they have lots of fruit and veg. I guess the water crystals wouldn't be a long-term option.

 

[Shelob]

I am breeding dubia right now and here is what I do :

Apples once a week or so (been slacking lately)

Water crystals.

Food-wise I really went to town. I bought some generic cheap cat food (small bag, the cheaper stuff is better because it has more sugar in it), a medium bag of generic dog food, some tropical fish flakes and I had some brown sugar at my house. I used a coffee grinder to grind all of the above (minus the sugar), and I used a ratio of 1:4 cat to dog food. This is because cat food generally has a higher protein content than dog food. Then I grinded the fish food and mixed them all together, adding a small amount (1/4 cup or so) of brown sugar as the final touch.

This made quite a bit of food and I have used roughly 1/10 of it since I got the roaches (in July).

I went a bit overboard with everything but I work at a pet store so the dog and cat food was free.

The roaches love it and they finally reproduced about 2 months ago! I thought they were never going to do it but they finally did

Any more questions ask away

 

[Vermis]

High protein foods might not be ideal, but in my limited experience they're preferred. I've tried three types of fish food, simultaneously, with my lobsters and peppers. Tropical fish flakes, goldfish flakes, and 'pond' pellets. Approx. 47%, 33%, and 23% protein respectively. That's also the order in which they disappear (although the pond pellets may be harder to chew).
They don't seem to bother about the dog food I offer, though. I'm not sure of the nutritional content of that.

What Dom says seems to make sense. I've also been a bit lax with fruit lately, and I've noticed a couple of 'abandoned' lobster oothecas. A connection?

 

[Shelob]

What Dom says seems to make sense. I've also been a bit lax with fruit lately, and I've noticed a couple of 'abandoned' lobster oothecas. A connection?

From what I have heard, yes.

I have had 4-6 dead females since I got the setup (7 months ago) but no dead males...first thought is too much protein but that doesn't make sense cause the males would be dying as well correct?

 

[Stylopidae]

I have hissers and want to make sure the protien content is low enough so they don't die, but high enough that they still breed like nuts

 

[jbrd]

I have hissers and want to make sure the protien content is low enough so they don't die, but high enough that they still breed like nuts

I also have hissers, what are you feeding yours now?

 

[Stylopidae]

Right now, I have them on moisturized cricket food, potatoes, and carrots. I always have one orange slice in with them.

I leave the dried out crik bites in with them, as well as the dried out carrots.

I'm probably going to purchase a coffee grinder and grind carrots, banannas, orange peels, oats, mealworms and dog food together. The mix should dry out out in a little while if left on top of the UTH I have them on, fast enough to not mold.

Since I only have about a dozen or so I don't want to risk them having 'abortions' due to high protien content.

Plus, I've already had two fatalities and I don't want anymore.

One up and died and the other one died during a molt. Other than that, everyone is happy and healthy

 

[jojobear]

I guess the water crystals wouldn't be a long-term option.

Why not? You should always keep the water crystal in there for them.

Right now, I have them on moisturized cricket food, potatoes, and carrots.

I am currently raising over a dozen different kinds of roaches including 5 types of hissers. I use a dry mix of my own formulation that is about 1/3 or more of 40% protein cat chow that is available all the time. Every other night I feed a variety of fruits and veggies (Carrot, sweet potato, apple, rommaine lettuce and banana) depending on what is available. I don't feed regular potatoes or iceberg lettuce because, nutritionally there is nothing there and potatoes tend to mold quicker than the item I feed. I have found all of my hissers except the dwarves love rommaine. I also use oranges vary sparingly due to moisture problems(mold) and expense($2.99 lb here), I have also heard that oranges will cause them to smell

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=57193.

I have read here on the boards that a lot of people are using dried fish food to up the protein content of their hisser diet. I am also getting ready to start doing some expermentation with hisser diet to see what is the best overall combination.

 

[Nike]

One thing that my roaches seem to love above all other fresh stuff: raddishes. Those small red veggies. I put them in with all the green parts as well,and when I check on them next,there`s absolutely nothing left! They`re like vaporized!

 

[jbrd]

I been feeding mine the tetra fish flakes also. By morning it is all gone while everything else is still untouched :? Am i not doing something right?

 

[Nike]

Do you grind everything else to small bits/powder? It might explain it as they can`t eat anything too big and hard.

 

[Vermis]

My roaches never seemed to be enthusiastic about most fruit and veggies. Most offerings would be nibbled but a lot would be left over. But a couple of days ago I gave them pieces of apple and a piece of pineapple. After two nights the apple had completely disappeared - skin and all. They seem fairly indifferent about pineapple, though.

Banana and cucumber also seem to be well recieved. The cucumber for its water content, probably - it's useful for that, if not its nutrient content.
Though, thinking about Nike's last post, they're both pretty soft too. Hmm.

Jbrd: that's my problem too. I've decided to just offer less flakes, although I'm going to try grinding the other dry foods too - dog food, porridge oats, 'muesli base' (oats, wheat, rye, barley), and a little couscous, FYI.

Also, what about dry soya chunks? They're pretty high protein - about 50% - so use sparingly, I guess.

 

[SpiderDork]

I make a roach chow for my roaches that consist of 2 cups of finely ground dog food (Meijer brand main choice) 1/2 cup spirulina powder, 1/2 cup brewers yeast and 1/2 cup wheat germ. I then use bug bites (actually I use Gecko Bites now since they discontinued bug bites) instead of water crystals and provide apple and orange slices twice a week.

 

[psionix]

here's a good resource if you are interested in what nutrients a fruit or vegetable contains.

 

[yuanti]

Mine seem to really like cantelope chunks that I had in the fridge. They chow down on these pretty fast.

 

[Bloodletting]

Oak leaves in the summer

 

[juggalo69]

I feed my discoids apple,cucumber,banana,romane lettuce cores, and a protien mix that my local petstore owner makes. I change stuff out after a couple days after it has dried up from the 90 degree temp I keep my roaches at.

 

[Siienceofdeath]

I am looking into purchasing some Dubia (Hope I spelled that right) to start up a feeder colony for my three T's. I have read through this thread to see what roaches should eat and whatnot, but I have a question.

Is there anything specific I should NOT feed Dubia? I just don't want a sick T because something I fed a Dubia wasn't good for my T's.

Thanks for the help

 

[Nike]

Check out www.blaberus.com.