# Roaches as a main food?



## LiamAndKec (Jan 23, 2009)

Are roaches good as a main food? I think it'll be good to culture my own food as it is cheaper and gives me experience. 

Just a few questions;

1) What is the best type of roach? Dubia?
2) For my salamanders and leopard gecko's food, would they be good as a staple diet? I would mix in crickets and mealies and other insects for variety as well.

Thanks. :]


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## LiamAndKec (Jan 23, 2009)

Bumpage~

Anybody?


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## Jazz (Jul 21, 2008)

I use roaches as the main staple for my lizards with other insects for variety.

I breed both dubia and lobster roaches. I find dubia are slightly easier as they can't climb smooth surfaces but the lobster's have a much higher breeding rate and can replace their numbers quicker.

The only problem with lobster roaches is that they can climb. I've been breeding them for nearly a year now in a large box with a lid and a line of Vaseline around the inside about 2 inches from the top and the escapees are minimal. To be honest, I think the few stray ones I've found are escapees from the vivs.

Some people find lobster roaches a pain because of their climbing ability, but I tend to practically hand feed most of my guys apart from the smaller species so I've never found them inconvenient in any way.


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## np247921 (Aug 26, 2009)

can u keep dubai and other roach varieties together?


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## LiamAndKec (Jan 23, 2009)

Thanks Jazz. ^^

I think I'll invest in so dubia roaches when I get a good set up for them.

Thanks again, Liam.


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## Captainmatt29 (Feb 28, 2009)

Dubias are a good staple from what i know, im gonna try and get a colony sometime


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## LiamAndKec (Jan 23, 2009)

Does anybody have a suggestion of what I should keep my colony in? They need good ventilation, so would a high faunarium work well?


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## Jazz (Jul 21, 2008)

No probs :]

I keep mine in plastic storage boxes with small holes for ventilation for the lobsters. As the dubias don't climb I don't keep lids on them. So a tall large faunarium would work.

I have a few mouths to feed so I have a few colonies that I can rotate once one starts getting a bit low. I've got three back up colonies of dubia kept in those cheap plastic drawers that you can buy from argos. For heating the drawers either go next to the warm end of my frilled lizard viv, or during the winter when the heating is on I keep them in the airing cupboard.


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## LiamAndKec (Jan 23, 2009)

Thanks for the help!

I'm off to the local exotics shop, so if mum allows me to by a faunarium I'll just need to order off the internet. =]


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## Jazz (Jul 21, 2008)

np247921 said:


> can u keep dubai and other roach varieties together?


I keep my dubia and lobster roaches separate. It's probably best to, though I do find odd lobsters that have escaped and got in with the dubias. I had a female lobster get in with the dubias and have little ones in there. Took me ages to catch and separate them. I was still finding odd small ones weeks later so it doesn't seem to have any negative effect.

I wouldn't know about other roach species. I only keep Dubias, lobsters and hissers. I keep all of them separate. They take up very little space so there's nothing to gain by keeping them together really.


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## Reptile-newb (Jul 13, 2009)

I use dubias and lobsters too.
I also have deaths heads, turkistan and madagascan hissers as ornamental roaches.

However, turkistans also make good feeders, as they cannot fly far, and cannot climb glass.


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## foggy01.1983 (Mar 26, 2009)

I usd turkistan roaches. I find them great as they dont get as big as dubia. Touch would ive had none escape yet either as they cant climb the glass lol. They breed very very quickly and are great for most lizards as they wont try to eat them lol.


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