Hemiblabera tenebricosa care tips

[Bugboy3092]

Ok, so I recently (yesterday) got myself a small colony (10 older roaches, one gave birth while in shipping) of horseshoe roaches (H. Tenebricosa) and I have to say that this may be my favorite species (I didn’t quite expect them to be so large haha). Anyways, I really want to make sure this colony succeeds, I’m pretty sure I’ve got their setup right (approx. 4 inches substrate of coco fiber, compost (mainly as a filler, has worked very well in my setups) and mainly decaying oak leaves. I’m assuming they’ll basically have the same diet as most other live bearers? Also, I’d very much appreciate an approximate lifespan and time-til-maturity. Is room temperature ok for them? I’ve read multiple opinions on substrate moisture, so I’ve decided to play it safe and give them a moist substrate, is this ok? Any help is greatly appreciated, as please please correct me if I’m wrong on anything here. Thanks!

[Bmaines96]

I've had these guys a few times and just recently got another colony of them as well! So I should be able to give you some good tips on them

1.)they aren't that picky about foods so whatever you feed other roaches will work fine for them

2.)your substrate is fine however I'd recommend adding some coco chunks/mulch to avoid the substrate going anaerobic and stinking to high hell, moist substrate is preferred but they can handle the top inch or so drying out.

3.) make sure you sterilize leaves/compost as you don't want to introduce bad molds/mites etc.

4.)they actually don't care at all about temps and they are one of the few roach species that will breed well below room temp, I've had females pop babies out when kept between 60-65 degrees! Obviously though the warmer you keep them the faster they will grow.

4.)I'm not sure on exact timeframes of their lifespan at room temp as my roach room is a constant 86 degrees but I've had half grown nymphs mature in a month at that temp. Adult males seem to live 4-6 months and females seem to live about 6-8 months.

hope this helps!

[Bamboo]

I think these are the ones they call Mickey Mouse Roach , hehehe .. I've always wanted this species, they look like alot of fun. 

[Bugboy3092]

Ok thanks, the compost is actually store bought and already fermented and everything, so it shouldn’t go anaerobic (I’ve used this stuff in flower beetle enclosures, it seems to provide some nutrients and is a good filler) I’m assuming that torching the leaves sterilizes them? That’s a lot shorter time than I expected from such a large roach wow! Thanks for the advice!

[Bmaines96]

Anaerobic conditions are caused by the substrate compacting and not allowing airflow to the deeper. Well made substrate can easily go anaerobic trust me, had a 50 gallon bin of the stuff go off and it reeked. I've also had bins go anaerobic even with actively burrowing roaches turning the soil.

 

for sterilizing leaves I either boil them or bake then at 250 degrees F for 30-40 minutes

[Hisserdude]

I agree with everything @Bmaines96 said, including their aversion to anaerobic conditions. I replaced all the substrate in my colony a couple months ago, as it had all become frass and was compacting too much. Seems to have helped a bit with adult longevity for sure.

[Bugboy3092]

Ok, thanks! When it gets anaerobic it smells pretty bad right? Not that the substrate conditions are like that now, but just so that I know. Thanks for all the advice!

[Bmaines96]

Yes they smell down right wretched, kind of a sour vinegar like stank that lingers for quite some time. With burrowing roaches they also give you a "warning" that conditions in the substrate are non favorable as you'll open the bin to find every single one on the surface trying to get away from said foul substrate. 

[Axolotl]

On 4/16/2018 at 5:44 AM, Bmaines96 said:

I'm not sure on exact timeframes of their lifespan at room temp as my roach room is a constant 86 degrees but I've had half grown nymphs mature in a month at that temp.

I also have a relatively new HT colony of about 15 nymphs. I got them in August 2017. They were between 1/4" and 1/2" at the time, and they haven't grown much at all. I keep my roach room at a steady 80-85F. The substrate is a mix of coco, organic compost, maple and oak leaves, sphagnum and coco mulch/bark chunks. It's moist with a gradient, and I keep the soil well turned so it's definitely not anaerobic. I assumed they were slow growers, but now I'm curious... I'm eager to see some adults, but they're still only 1" at most. Thoughts?

[Bmaines96]

How often do you offer protein based food @Axolotl? With my colonies I offer it around the clock and that plus the extra heat sort of "power feeds" them into growing faster I also keep my roach room pitch black other than the few hours a week I'm working in there so they are very undisturbed and can eat more often and exert less energy to running away. But I've noticed with some colonies/species they just tend to grow slower than others and who knows exactly why lol.

[Axolotl]

On 4/24/2018 at 0:25 PM, Bmaines96 said:

How often do you offer protein based food @Axolotl? 

That's a good question. They get the usual assortment of fruits, veggies, fresh and dead leaves and chow. I'll throw in a few pieces of dog food, and see what happens. They aren't meat eaters like B. giganteus are they? 

[Axolotl]

@Bmaines96 I've been meaning to thank you... The extra protein did the trick. I'm supplementing their fresh foods once a week with whole-ingredient dog treats that contain chicken and veggies. They love it, and they're growing quite fast now. Finally have some adults so I think the colony is off to a great start. ☺️☺️

Any experience feeding them dead roaches? Right now my B. giganteus and E. arcanum take care of any I find, but I'm always interested in adding more variety to my roaches' diets.