# hissing cockroaches



## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

well i should be getting some soon of a guy that had millions lol i only want like 1 male 2-3 females there just pet for now but there babys will be food lol could i see peoples setups of tanks, colonts any thing thanks


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

i would like advice on breeding too and looking after them


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

From what I was told compared to other roaches, they breed at a much slower rate. Good news if they escape in the house but not if you're looking for feeders.


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

well i want them as pets really but some might just slip into a Ts tank:gasp:


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

so im guessing no one keeps these lol


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

i do but dont have enough to spare


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

no im getting some soon but just want to no how to care,feed, breed

i like pics too:mf_dribble:


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## george dobson (May 20, 2009)

type in hissing cockoaches into google and there you go, loads of pictues and useful information


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

ok thanks i didnt think off that lol


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## memmarmite (Jan 2, 2010)

I've got a few hissers, will take some snaps for you shortly!


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

awesome thanks a million how many you got


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

any pics


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## memmarmite (Jan 2, 2010)

Good grief, be patient! I'm super busy at the moment! Here's a few snapshots, I realise only one of these gives any clue about the setup but I've included the rest because I loooooove my beautiful bugs! I have five altogether (two males and three females) and yes, they each have their individual characteristics and physical features. Yes, they have silly names. Here goes:










This is their house. They live in a large faunarium. Substrate is coco bark, they have tremendous fun digging around in it but I see it being somewhat problematic to clean out once the inevitable population explosion... err... explodes. 

The teapot shape is their water dish - they do sip directly from it which is terribly cute. I wanted something quite small and shallow so this little teaspoon tidy was just perfect. 

Top right is their food dish - a dish isn't really necessary but I decided on it after getting tired of digging bits of mouldy fruit out of the substrate. They eat a little of whatever I'm having - cuttings off of our fruit and veg, bits of bread, breakfast cereals... I try to keep it varied. Carrots and sweet potatoes seem to be a particular favourite, as do dried fruits (they regularly have a bit of dried fig and they can't get enough of it!). I change the food when it's starting to look a bit hairy.

I like to give them a toilet roll tube to run through, they do make full use of it and it's rather funny to see them trying to run along the top of it and fall off when it rolls around! The hide is just a few its of cork bark I've chucked in there, they can usually be found huddled together underneath them.

I never mist them, I make sure they always have water and food and I handle them regularly. The two boys seem to have completely different personalities (if insects have personality) - one is quite happy to potter around on my hands and the other hisses at me every time I go near him and seems to get quite stressed at being picked up!











That's Pudding on the right and Sebastian Weetabix (my best boy!) on the left.











Here's Pud showing off how massive she is. I do not have small hands. She was not stretched right out here, her bottom is curled under slightly. At full stretched she is at least as long as my finger.


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## grumpyoldtrout (May 19, 2008)

_Hissing cockroach tub with dry food, moist food and water gel, cork bark removed so they can be seen although, they are pretty active. _


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

yeah sorry for being inpationt

thanks a million for the info love the setups and the roaches there so awesome have you bread any yet:2thumb:


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

and i love the different colours they comeing


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## danza (Mar 31, 2009)

Here are my lot. I have about 40 sub adults/adults, a few of which are big biffers. They're all in one corner in the second picture because they're right next to a radiator there. Some littl'uns appeared a week ago, and have all but disappeared into the substrate. I had a feeling that coco bark was a bad idea when I put it in there...


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Can they climb smooth surfaces?

Whats the ratios of male to females for breeding?


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## danza (Mar 31, 2009)

Yes, they are extremely proficient at climbing pretty much anything. A 2" wide band of vaseline at the top of their enclosure stops them in their tracks though.

Male to female ratio? Not totally sure TB, but I reckon there are at least 3 females to 2 males. I imagine it'd be better to have far more females, about 4 to 1 or more for best results.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Any ideas as to where one may obtain them from?

888reptiles have no stock of anything at the moment and none of the local rep stores stock any kind of roach.


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## danza (Mar 31, 2009)

I bought 25 from this guy last October. He's not got any listed for sale at the moment, but was doing 25 assorted (lots of bigguns) for £15.

eBay Seller: bug man2007: Home Garden items on eBay.co.uk

May be worth dropping him an email. He'd just sold his last batch which I missed out on. I emailed him through eBay and he sold me some. Beware that he sends them literally in a cardboard box (well taped up), with no tub inside, just loose roaches and newspaper!

If you're planning on using them as feeders, they need to be kept very warm to encourage breeding. They also grow pretty slowly, so your monitor may be waiting a while between meals.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Keep forgetting eBay!


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

lol the setup some nice size males in there:mf_dribble:


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

21 hissers coming my way next week. :whistling2:

3 adult (4-5.5cm)
3 large
5 medium
10 small (5mm -1cm)

www.bugzuk.com

p&p seemed a little steep but am always going to get stung someway or another.

Will see how these fellas get on and see how Dave the Sav gets on with their little babies!

I've got a 9l RUB that I've been using for various feeders so will be trying the roaches in this for now. Do they need darkness or just loads of hides and tubes?

It has got some 5mm air holes in the lid so am thinking a stretched pair of tights across the top before the lid should help stop escapees? Vasoline an easy solution nether the less?


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

nice yeah a bit pricey but they should be good


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

does anyone no can you keep different types together like normals with tiger striped ones


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

Tarantulabarn-Online: Giant Hissing Cockroach


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## schumi (Oct 22, 2009)

my t.Blondi's would love :flrt:these. would be like having a big mac with all the trimmings:lol2:


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

lol yeah i have a colony off red runner roaches the food

but these arnt maybe if the group gets too large but R.I.P. but its like it would be in the wild being eating by tarantulas lol


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## memmarmite (Jan 2, 2010)

I bought mine from Virginia Cheeseman. She's a little on the expensive side but her customer service is top notch and I'd buy from her again in a heartbeat.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Any particular substrate or ones to avoid?


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## stienbabe (Sep 21, 2008)

I dont use subs at all, just egg crates for shelter and a water bowl. Don't use anything that will mould as this will kill them quicker than anything. They breed better in larger groups and in somewhat cramped conditions and too much disturbance will hinder their breeding success. The higher the temp then the faster they will breed. You shouldn't keep different species together as they will hybridize readily. Too many males in together will tend to fight, but this is reduced if you provide plenty of hiding places. I tend to take out one or two of the best males and keep them separately for handling purposes - if you have a colony of other roaches (non-hissers) then you can stick them in there to live as they will thrive in there. Be aware that hissers (and any cockroach species) can cause allergy problems and the risk increases the more often you handle them.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Cool, cheers for that.

Didn't know if you could use dog / cat biscuits as a base and as extra food like that of Dubias. I may some paper or even a thin layer of aspen, will have to play it by ear a little.

They will be going into a 9l RUB so not small but not huge either.


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## stienbabe (Sep 21, 2008)

I use fish pellets rather than dog/cat food because they seem to be less prone to going yucky, but other than that it's a fine idea.


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

well my feed roaches (red runners)

i feed fruit and get new when goes abit yucky lol

and bran flakes and they dont yet yucky lol

and a bolw with tishue socked in water and get new tichue every week lol

but my hissers are pets so its gonna be natural


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## danza (Mar 31, 2009)

Roaches LOVE Cheerios, or the cheap own-brand equivalents that supermarkets sell. They're quite high in protein, which is good because it helps to stop them from eating each other for a protein fix.

In the last 10 months, I've lost one hisser AFAIK. That was down to a lack of protein, which I realised when I found one half-way through the abdomenn of a smaller one.:eek4:


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

I was thinking of visiting a tackle shop not only for dome worms but some boilies. Will have to have a look af the nutritional values but they could be ideal as a substrate. Resistance to water and degredation, packed full of fruitiness and if eaten would crumb rather than rot and smell


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

They arrived first thing today after being posted yesterday. All arrived with no casualties. I have to say I'm a little freaked by them especially the loud hiss when picked up.

Opted for some trout pellets and straight away all roaches could be heard munching. Let's hope they leave some room for the veg in there too. I haven't put any water in the rub, rather watery veg and a vitamin gel.


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## Froggins (Jan 30, 2008)

I have 2 hissers :flrt: and they are fantastic, i feed mine fruit and veg etc, cereals, dog mixer biscuits. Mine are called The Weasleys


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

What age do they reach puberty as such and show which sex they are?


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