After a few months of waiting my few adults finally produced 2 egg cases. The problem is that they both are shriveled and look bad. They are tiny as well. One side of the tank is dryish and the other side is moist. Any ideas on what im doing wrong?




Thanks
Kevin

Can you post a photo of the enclosure that youi are keeping them in? That would help. Also what and how often are they fed/watered?

I feed and water them every 2-3 days. The cage is a bit drier right now than I normally keep it. This is really the only roach species I have had trouble with. Food is crushed cat and fish food. I offer oranges, tangerine or veggies in small amounts a few times a week.

Do you think they need more humidity?

It is only 1 of 3 cages that I have which are tanks with screen lids. Everything else is rubbermaid containers.

Kevin

I would add alot more tubes and or egg cartons for one, or loose stack of carboard..... moisture seems fine, food if they eat about all you put in there seems fine..... when I had them in a 10 gallon and another time in a bucket cage, the container was 2/3 full of carboard "things"....

hmmm ok haha I was planning on adding more egg cartons..... I just hadn't yet since there was only 3 in there. I will add more tonight.


Thanks
Kevin

We really need Orin to chime in on this one. I have never had ootheca look like that, and I would think that yours will not continue to look that way either (they normally stick the ootheca to the eggcarton). Orin has more experience than anyone really, so he may know why that happens.

? ? ? ?

I've had them a very long time and have not seen an ootheca like that. Better egg laying sites aren't going to make the oothecae correctly formed, they're created before being deposited.

hmm great lol. So do you think I should bump the humidity up a little? There must be something wrong.... ugh Guess I will have to keep messing with it.

I keep ya posted.

Thanks
Kevin

There is something wrong with your females, it may be temperature related but I'm not sure what will solve. I have seen bad oothecae in some roach species, just not E. decipiens.

You indicated these were the first laid. I suspect they were "practice" oothecae and will be followed by normal ones shortly.