Robo Roach Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Hi, I am seeing in the my tank what looks to periodically be dead roaches that have been munched on, i know some of them have molted but i was wondering if some of the have been cannibalized. Maybe due to the low temps or maybe their diet etc. Tank is currently kept at 72.7 with the flexwatt heat tape temp at 81.3 diet is three different types of grains they love oats, and blended cat food with fish flakes with once a week apples oranges and bananas all at the same time. Water crystals for moisture. Humidity is about 90% due to the glass lid. Or am i just Imagining it. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Even well-fed roaches will munch on a dead cagemate. You didn't list any protein in their diet. Usually the problem is due to moisture though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugmanPrice Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I've never seen 'roaches eating each other if they are alive, like predating on them, in my colonies but sometimes after they die they'll go ahead and have a snack. Maybe that's what is going on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharma Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 @ralph You didn't list any protein in their diet. Well... Cat food and fish flakes should contain at least some animal proteins (>4% ). Seriously: really good cat food contains at least 80% meat. @BugmanPrice I've never seen 'roaches eating each other if they are alive When I started my B. dubia culture I 'forgot' the protein source (because I didn't know better) and one night after several month on a pure 'vegan like diet' they eat all males and then started to kill the weaker and freshly molted ones. Fortunately I got help soon and gave them proteins (dog food) which soon stopped the cannibalism. Well, this mistake cost me about half the culture and lacking males led to halt in reproduction for 1-2 months... @Robo roach Isn't 90% humidity a bit too high? Some insects can't harden their exoskeleton completely when kept too moist and therefore could be easier pray or just die (and get eaten afterwards)... Honestly I have no idea whether your roaches (which are what sp.?) tolerate this humidity AND if you're not running into mould, rot, and mites troubles sooner or later. Grüessli Andreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robo Roach Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 @ralph Well... Cat food and fish flakes should contain at least some animal proteins (>4% ). Seriously: really good cat food contains at least 80% meat. @BugmanPrice When I started my B. dubia culture I 'forgot' the protein source (because I didn't know better) and one night after several month on a pure 'vegan like diet' they eat all males and then started to kill the weaker and freshly molted ones. Fortunately I got help soon and gave them proteins (dog food) which soon stopped the cannibalism. Well, this mistake cost me about half the culture and lacking males led to halt in reproduction for 1-2 months... @Robo roach Isn't 90% humidity a bit too high? Some insects can't harden their exoskeleton completely when kept too moist and therefore could be easier pray or just die (and get eaten afterwards)... Honestly I have no idea whether your roaches (which are what sp.?) tolerate this humidity AND if you're not running into mold, rot, and mites troubles sooner or later. Grüessli Andreas Hi, I am always watching out for mold, fruits only stay in the aquarium approx 2-3 days. maybe its not 90% humidity i need a gage. I open it periodical to vent and when its time for feeding. B. dubia is what i am raising, Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugmanPrice Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 That's pretty interesting. I've never seen a 'roach in one of my colonies eat another live one...but then again, I've always given them a good protein source one a week. It's good to know that they will if you don't supplement their diet, I assumed they wouldn't! When I started my B. dubia culture I 'forgot' the protein source (because I didn't know better) and one night after several month on a pure 'vegan like diet' they eat all males and then started to kill the weaker and freshly molted ones. Fortunately I got help soon and gave them proteins (dog food) which soon stopped the cannibalism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I can't believe I missed the cat food thing! Anyway, perhaps they are overcrowded. Stressful situations like that could cause them to act differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robo Roach Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 I can't believe I missed the cat food thing! Anyway, perhaps they are overcrowded. Stressful situations like that could cause them to act differently. Hi, You didn't miss it i forgot it and edited it in. This is strange because if they are basically Herbs why do they require so much protein.? What do they eat in the wild that contains as much.? I am getting off subject. Perhaps i will finish this post in food & feeding. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing dog Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 i posted a thing in another part on here, about why a new colony is eating each other. i do provide optimal everything, but i didnt ever think that the guy i got them off only fed rabbit and guine pig food, with oranges (which im questioning even that). they were paper thin and at least a fourth smaller than my other colony (except the males for some reason?), and just were still eating each other as much, even though they were immediatly given an apple which they devoured half of immediatly in the middle of the direct day sun along with alot of bannana and polmagranite, and given a dry recipy provided by most of the succesful breeders on here as well as other places, along with a big bowl of green water crystals, and since are still eating each other if maybe slowing down on it a bit. how long or what else would i do to try to break them of this? i have seperated the adults from the nymphs and notice the nymphs doing it as well as eating tons more in general, but just dont see some of the adults anymore, but no parts, dead dubias, or live ones still running around paratially to more than half eaten nymphs??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing dog Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 sorry zypher, i cant reply to you, for some reason on your asking of who i got them from (Dustin Uehling, owner of TARANTULA'S LAIR). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uehling Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Geeze man! You just don't give up do you??? How many forums are you gonna try this on? Pretty immature. Just give up. It's really childish. Everything you have said about me is laughable at best. You thought my roaches were some of the best you have seen up until you and your ol lady went and got your self's banned from my forum. My diet is dog food, cat food, rabbit food and oatmeal all ground together in a blender. They also get one or two oranges a week and they have a constant supply of water crystals. Not sure what you are doing wrong but my roaches do not eat each other. If one dies they will eat the dead one, but they do not cannibalize each other. Here is a link to my forum and to my reviews. If you go to the third page and look at RDR's (laughing dogs girl friend) you can see that he is just talking crap because him and his girl were banned for posting pics of them self's having intercourse! I do not have a single bad review. You can also look up my reviews on AB. Again, not a single bad review. http://www.tarantulaslair.com/main/viewtop...p?f=37&t=21 Sorry guys. I'm not coming here to stir up trouble. I just felt the need to defend myself against this clown. Uehling laughing dog...anyone that reads your posts can tell your a joke. If you really have a legitimate complaint you have my admin email to the lair. We can deal with it that way instead of you acting like a little kid and TRYING to talk bad about me on various forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 ...For what it's worth: @ Uehling- the posts from "laughing dog" really did not read like much of a slam at you at all when I read it.... but maybe that's just me. Reads to me more like laughing dog is having some of his own husbandry issues he is trying to understand and get under control. @ everyone else reading this- I have seen roaches come from various sources in various conditions. If you put them together and start to care for them properly, they all grow, mature and multiply in much the same way. Maybe not in a week but certainly in a month or two. If roaches are pretty crowded (as most of ours are) if you even slightly under feed or underwater (most often the case) they will cannibalize a freshly molted associate.... to me this is normal and no big deal in an otherwise healthy colony. Crowd any livestock and they get a little quirky... Any other thoughts on this topic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uehling Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 ...For what it's worth: @ Uehling- the posts from "laughing dog" really did not read like much of a slam at you at all when I read it.... but maybe that's just me. Reads to me more like laughing dog is having some of his own husbandry issues he is trying to understand and get under control. Any other thoughts on this topic? You might be right Matt K. But I was called out by name and by the forum I own. I just didn't see the point in him having to do that. I have had quite a few friends bring his posts to my attention on various forums where he is taking random stabs at me simply because he was banned from Tarantulas Lair. He did say he got paper thin roaches from me and they were feed a bogus diet tho and that is anything but the truth. I have a very healthy colony, I have over 12 different bloodlines in my dubia colony Like I said...I am not trying to stir anything up, I just felt the need to defend myself. My colony is thriving and I gave laughing dog and his girl (RDR) all the info they needed to properly care for them. I think the only thing I didn't tell them was to keep the males thinned out or they will start to compete for territory, but he should have a while to worry about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing dog Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I was just trying to get husbandry issue answers. the only thing i was stating was facts on how they were when i first got them, whatever the cause of it may have been. i am feeding everything he said he fed them (more as he said he before said he only fed rabbit and guinea pig food with oranges), and not to thin out any males into any ratio as they will just thin themselves off (i was asking so i could maintain a healthy colony but utilize potential extras as feeders), but its not a problem any more anyway so its just a learning experience for me. as for the pics of us having intercourse, that was a head shot of her with a joke (lol. it was a head shot, she was dressed, and i was making her laugh, and i believe i was tickling her, as we have both said many times), but its funny how the story keeps growing, along with everything related to us on that site was seen by us to be deleted right before we were banned, then things popping back up supposedly from us (as i have no way of conforming or denying what may or may not be what i said, though i am misunderstood a lot as i do not get my points across well, as well as say some stuff that seems off the wall to one who may not have experience in such things, as i am awed by a lot myself). i have tried to contact him many a times, but just says my IP address is banned from that server or something along with him not answering my emails.... otherwise sorry if i was ranting bitterly on what i assumed in my opinion was being purposely wronged, as it was brought up on two other sites i commented on the situation, i was on at the time of incident. i am over it as a loss, and apologize again at me being bitter for those of you who may have glossed over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uehling Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Dude get over it and take it to PM's if you have anything further to say. I would ask that this portion of this thread be deleted as it has nothing to do with the topic at hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James M. Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 ...For what it's worth: @ Uehling- the posts from "laughing dog" really did not read like much of a slam at you at all when I read it.... but maybe that's just me. Reads to me more like laughing dog is having some of his own husbandry issues he is trying to understand and get under control. @ everyone else reading this- I have seen roaches come from various sources in various conditions. If you put them together and start to care for them properly, they all grow, mature and multiply in much the same way. Maybe not in a week but certainly in a month or two. If roaches are pretty crowded (as most of ours are) if you even slightly under feed or underwater (most often the case) they will cannibalize a freshly molted associate.... to me this is normal and no big deal in an otherwise healthy colony. Crowd any livestock and they get a little quirky... Any other thoughts on this topic? I agree with Matt. He was just stating who he had got his roaches from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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