weird deaths in hisser tank

[ScorpZion]

hello all, my hisser colony is getting hit hard alot of death lately. range in size from adult to nyph deaths. most of them are on their backside and twitching flailing their antena. i would assume that they would just need flipping over but alas when i do they just twitch and die. anyone have any suggestions why this is happening?

 

[IguanaMama]

You need to provide more information. How are you housing them? Are they on substrate? Are you using any insecticides in your home for anything else? What are you feeding them? How long have you had them?

 

[ScorpZion]

ok they are housed in a twenty gallon kritter keeper. on no substrate. i feed fresh vegistables well washed and timberland cricket power food. with egg cartons and what not for hides. for hydration i use timberland water crystals. most if not all the dying are on their back. no pesticides are used in my house.

 

[Dark]

Is the tempature really high?

 

[IguanaMama]

Is the timberland cricket powder meant for gutloading crickets for feeding to reptiles? If so, it could contain a high amount of calcium which I believe is bad for inverts. However, I'm not an entemologist. I don't even know how to spell it.:8o Just a thought.....

 

[ScorpZion]

The cricket powder is an everyday food for the crixs. stable diet one would say. the temperature is sometimes a lil less then 70. the thing is the ones i find on there back are all twithy and cant function when i turn them back over. age i dont think has anything to do with it because small juevs die this way too. and it takes a very long time for the lil guys to stop twitching. i really have to figure this out my colony has dropped really bad. i think i will clean the tank good round up all the nymphs. the colony was doing great then this happens

 

[nine livez]

same problem different person

this is happening to me too! i have lost 20+ hissers of different sizes. they all do the same wierd twitch on there backs. I have mine in 20 gallon rubbermaid. i use coca husk as a bedding , feed vegies and spray container daily for moisture. i got a under pad heater so my tank wont drop lower then 80'F. no mould... no ideas what to do.....

 

[bugmankeith]

Mabye you should buy some roach chow or dry dog kibble for them, and what vegetables and fruit are you feeding them? Do you mist the cage, they need humidity, water crystals are just for drinking.

 

[KennyGee]

Yes feeding the cricket diet is bad, its bad for crickets too. The high amounts of calcium does something to the internal organs of invertabrates and is meant to be feed the day before chow time for a lizard. Just put in some dry dog food cuz remember, hissers love a high protien diet not calcium. THEY HAVE NO BONES lol

 

[becca81]

Any fragrances, air fresheners, etc. being used?

I've experienced problems in the past with both part of my collection and feeders dying a twitchy death after being exposed to "freshening" chemicals.

Good luck!

Becca

 

[jbrd]

We also went through this type of dying off for about a week there. We corrollated this with giving them broccoli or way to much of it. Anyone else have this type of problem?

 

[IguanaMama]

Broccolli, spinach and some others were no nos for my vegetable loving reptiles. I even read that they weren't that good for my rats, so I keep them away from the roaches. It has something to do with the calcium, phosphorous ratios, depending on what vegetable, I would have to look it up. But in general, I do not think it is a good idea to feed insects anything very high in calcium, but I will research this, do not take my word for it yet. I try to avoid fruits and vegetables that you can't peel, Even though I buy organic, I still worry about what I can't wash off. Sure I've read that roaches like lettuce, but I just won't give mine lettuce, they will get other stuff. Lately I noticed that they REALLY like sweet potato. I peel it, even though it is organic. Better safe than sorry.

Tomorrow I will give the entomology department a call at the amnh, I know a few folks there, but they are probably closed or short staffed today. I'll ask about calcium, but my gut is telling me that it is a problem. Also, as Becca mentioned any spray, like air fresheners, just cannot be good.

 

[jbrd]

Broccolli, spinach and some others were no nos for my vegetable loving reptiles. I even read that they weren't that good for my rats, so I keep them away from the roaches. It has something to do with the calcium, phosphorous ratios, depending on what vegetable, I would have to look it up. But in general, I do not think it is a good idea to feed insects anything very high in calcium, but I will research this, do not take my word for it yet. I try to avoid fruits and vegetables that you can't peel, Even though I buy organic, I still worry about what I can't wash off. Sure I've read that roaches like lettuce, but I just won't give mine lettuce, they will get other stuff. Lately I noticed that they REALLY like sweet potato. I peel it, even though it is organic. Better safe than sorry.

Tomorrow I will give the entomology department a call at the amnh, I know a few folks there, but they are probably closed or short staffed today. I'll ask about calcium, but my gut is telling me that it is a problem. Also, as Becca mentioned any spray, like air fresheners, just cannot be good.

We feed ours almost anything that is left over from the table, including meat scraps that are promptly eatin first and often fought over.
Somebody mentioned high levels of vitamin K. Could you inquire about that too?

 

[ScorpZion]

:worship: ok so take the cricket chow out and clean the tank of fras? and then give or offer dog food? the only dog food i have is innova evo red meat which is like 52% protein. will that be good? i just dont wanbt to loose all my hissers. a really big chunk has already gone. thank you so much for help i bow to you.

 

[IguanaMama]

I would go easy for right now. I mentioned a few times that I had a bad experience when I fed my hissers wet dog food. They got really fat and slowed down and I lost a few, mostly males. I feed my cats Innova, btw, great stuff. For now, see if you can get some sweet potato or yam, they seem to LOVE it. Also carrots and banana. These are FOR SURE healthy for them and they love it. I think hissers love carbs. I always have a dish of fruit and vegetables and a seperate dish of ground cat food or roach buffet. I have even given them orange, that doesn't go as fast, but they do eat it.

 

[bugmankeith]

Yes only feed dry dog kibble, although you can wet it with water, just get rid of it the next day. They also like bananas,carrots,apples,romaine lettuce, oh and the pelleted bearded dragon food (in the container you'll see red,green,and yellow round pellets)

 

[ScorpZion]

thats what the weird part is i give fresh carrots and apples and kiwi. but i will give the innova evo dry food and see if that helps.