Need a new roach!!

[Denthead]

I've been going back and forth between this board and "feeders" but they're going to be more for one than the other, so I hope here is good!

I fell in love with cockroaches a couple of years ago while I was working at a Petco, but I still only have my original hisser colony descended from the two I acquired there. I've been feeling the itch - I need more roaches in my life. 

I've been using them to feed the couple of B. hamorii and A. avicularia I have as well, but I gave away quite a few when I moved to Idaho recently and I'm running rather low. I've been looking for a roach that gets a nice size, good for handling (when my daughter gets old enough for me to introduce her to them without her wanting to put them in her mouth) isn't constantly buried in the substrate, and is okay with a decent amount of crowding, just in case my spiders' demand doesn't match supply. Bonus points if they're not good escape artists, i.e. can be stopped by a vaseline barrier, and don't have an awful smelling chemical defence.

I've narrowed it down to:

1) Simandoa conserfarium

2) Blaberus colosseus “Peru”

3) Blaberus discoidalis

4) Archimandrita tesselata

5) Eublaberus distanti/sp. "Ivory"

There's many more that I'd love to have and I'd be VERY okay with being persuaded to get, but these ones seem like they'd suit me and my family best right now. 

Some comments from@wizentropconvinced me to look into the Simandoas and I adore those gorgeous things with all my heart - but I'm a novice and I've heard they're flighty to the point of running across grease barriers. If I had a good way to keep them visible for display but without a chance for them to escape then I'd snatch those up in a heart beat, but I need more information on good ways to keep them. 

Discoids seem really good, but are a little small for what I'm looking for. If nothing else works out, they'll probably be my best bet. I've heard good things about B. fusca too, my wife just isn't as big a fan of their markings. Would fusca burrow or stick around up top?

A. tesselata seems really nice, but I don't know about getting a constant supply of hardwood leaves. There's a couple of oak trees at the college I'm attending, but being from Georgia I feel really limited in the natural collection I can do right now compared to the past. I also don't want to spend money on mailing in leaves.

I like E. distanti and I'd love them to be my garbage disposal, but I don't need something that lives 100% in the substrate right now. "Ivory," if those are the white ones, are SO pretty to me, but there seems to be a dearth of info of their differences compared to distanti. Do the adults burrow as well?

B. colosseus seems near perfect - I might have wanted B. giganteus if they weren't tetchy with crowding. But I only have a ten gallon aquarium for them now, would that be suitable? Even so, I can't seem to find much information on colosseus, is anybody even keeping them anymore? I'd be potentially okay with a different locality than Peru if I was explained any differences. But the adults' tendency to molt on and stay near vertical surfaces or on top of the substrate is fantastic, to me. 

 

Does anybody have any favorites they'd recommend me? I want all of them (and I plan on it, eventually) but our living situation currently allows me only one more species. Any information is welcome! 

[kadupul]

Check out some of the purebred hissers, they come in different colors and sizes and are well suited for being pets.

[8733K3R]

Get some dubia, keep it simple, if they are feeders in the long run, get feeders. Discoids would be good too. But why do harder species when you are in a bind? It's industry standard for a reason. 

[Denthead]

41 minutes ago, kadupul said:

Check out some of the purebred hissers, they come in different colors and sizes and are well suited for being pets.

Thank you for responding! I've considered it, but I'd like to branch out to something other than hissers if possible right now. It sounds absolutely fascinating to see even slight differences in behaviors between hissers and roaches from different countries and I'm really excited for that! In the future I want to breed many of the pure strains, especially E. Javanica, but since I have limited ability to keep them currently I'd like to try something besides hissers. 

45 minutes ago, 8733K3R said:

Get some dubia, keep it simple, if they are feeders in the long run, get feeders. Discoids would be good too. But why do harder species when you are in a bind? It's industry standard for a reason. 

Because they're not ultimately feeders in the long run! Right now they'd be more.. supplements. The point of having roaches for me is to have roaches, the tarantulas are just a plus! 

I'm not in a bind quite yet, just running a little low on my last brood of hissers. It's not a dire situation, just an opportunity! (Plus I have some dubia subadults in with the hissers I forgot to mention that will likely give me more in a couple months)

And I'm not after industry standard, why go standard when there are so many diverse, interesting species out there? 😄

[Allpet Roaches]

I recommend pure-blood G. oblongonota or Macropanesthia, or giganteus. 

[Denthead]

Thanks for the recommendations! 😁

I always liked the look of G. oblongonota. I'd rather pick something other than a hisser for now, but I'll reconsider them!

Macropanesthia, I'm definitely acquiring down the line. Giganteus.. it was my belief that they were more finicky, needs a deep moist substrate, lots of space, few nymphs to bother them, hardwood leaves, the whole shebang. I'd like something a little different and challenging, but that seemed a little much for me. Do they not require as much specific care as I was led to believe? That's the reason I was more interested in B. colosseus. Have a lot of people here had good experiences with giganteus then? 

[Hisserdude]

6 hours ago, Denthead said:

I've been going back and forth between this board and "feeders" but they're going to be more for one than the other, so I hope here is good!

I fell in love with cockroaches a couple of years ago while I was working at a Petco, but I still only have my original hisser colony descended from the two I acquired there. I've been feeling the itch - I need more roaches in my life. 

I've been using them to feed the couple of B. hamorii and A. avicularia I have as well, but I gave away quite a few when I moved to Idaho recently and I'm running rather low. I've been looking for a roach that gets a nice size, good for handling (when my daughter gets old enough for me to introduce her to them without her wanting to put them in her mouth) isn't constantly buried in the substrate, and is okay with a decent amount of crowding, just in case my spiders' demand doesn't match supply. Bonus points if they're not good escape artists, i.e. can be stopped by a vaseline barrier, and don't have an awful smelling chemical defence.

I've narrowed it down to:

1) Simandoa conserfarium

2) Blaberus colosseus “Peru”

3) Blaberus discoidalis

4) Archimandrita tesselata

5) Eublaberus distanti/sp. "Ivory"

There's many more that I'd love to have and I'd be VERY okay with being persuaded to get, but these ones seem like they'd suit me and my family best right now. 

Some comments from@wizentropconvinced me to look into the Simandoas and I adore those gorgeous things with all my heart - but I'm a novice and I've heard they're flighty to the point of running across grease barriers. If I had a good way to keep them visible for display but without a chance for them to escape then I'd snatch those up in a heart beat, but I need more information on good ways to keep them. 

Discoids seem really good, but are a little small for what I'm looking for. If nothing else works out, they'll probably be my best bet. I've heard good things about B. fusca too, my wife just isn't as big a fan of their markings. Would fusca burrow or stick around up top?

A. tesselata seems really nice, but I don't know about getting a constant supply of hardwood leaves. There's a couple of oak trees at the college I'm attending, but being from Georgia I feel really limited in the natural collection I can do right now compared to the past. I also don't want to spend money on mailing in leaves.

I like E. distanti and I'd love them to be my garbage disposal, but I don't need something that lives 100% in the substrate right now. "Ivory," if those are the white ones, are SO pretty to me, but there seems to be a dearth of info of their differences compared to distanti. Do the adults burrow as well?

B. colosseus seems near perfect - I might have wanted B. giganteus if they weren't tetchy with crowding. But I only have a ten gallon aquarium for them now, would that be suitable? Even so, I can't seem to find much information on colosseus, is anybody even keeping them anymore? I'd be potentially okay with a different locality than Peru if I was explained any differences. But the adults' tendency to molt on and stay near vertical surfaces or on top of the substrate is fantastic, to me. 

 

Does anybody have any favorites they'd recommend me? I want all of them (and I plan on it, eventually) but our living situation currently allows me only one more species. Any information is welcome! 

Eyyy, a fellow Idahoan. 😄

Personally some of my favorites are pure bred hisser lines, so much cooler looking than the typical mutts available on the market nowadays.

[Denthead]

1 hour ago, Hisserdude said:

Eyyy, a fellow Idahoan. 😄

Personally some of my favorites are pure bred hisser lines, so much cooler looking than the typical mutts available on the market nowadays.

Hi Hisserdude! I remember seeing you were in Idaho and thinking I'd treat you to lunch or something, but I thought you were moving soon.

Maybe I'll have to go back and reconsider the hissers then.. mine are descended from wherever Petco got them, so I always assumed they were mutts. Some of the oldest nymphs have gorgeous mahogany/redwood coloration, so I wanted to see where that goes. I've been considering keeping the colony going out of nostalgia and appreciation for my first roaches anway, even though they're probably not pure bred. Maybe I'll try a different hisser. I did always want Halloweens!

Off topic, but my oldest dubia male molted into adulthood just a couple hours ago! 

Not the best picture, took it with the lights off so he wouldn't flee, but WOW I didn't think he'd look so good!!

[Allpet Roaches]

8 hours ago, Denthead said:

Thanks for the recommendations! 😁

I always liked the look of G. oblongonota. I'd rather pick something other than a hisser for now, but I'll reconsider them!

Macropanesthia, I'm definitely acquiring down the line. Giganteus.. it was my belief that they were more finicky, needs a deep moist substrate, lots of space, few nymphs to bother them, hardwood leaves, the whole shebang. I'd like something a little different and challenging, but that seemed a little much for me. Do they not require as much specific care as I was led to believe? That's the reason I was more interested in B. colosseus. Have a lot of people here had good experiences with giganteus then? 

For me giganteus are easier than almost anything else. I feed them only dog food and haven't lost the culture in 30 years. Not productive enough for a decent feeder and only so many adults coexist but a great display creature.

[kadupul]

Have you looked at Hormetica or Lucihormetica? I've not kept them but I think that they're supposed to be a bit more difficult than hissers.

[Allpet Roaches]

1 hour ago, kadupul said:

Have you looked at Hormetica or Lucihormetica? I've not kept them but I think that they're supposed to be a bit more difficult than hissers.

Glowspots are a good suggestion.

[Bhjjr]

16 hours ago, Denthead said:

Some comments from@wizentropconvinced me to look into the Simandoas and I adore those gorgeous things with all my heart - but I'm a novice and I've heard they're flighty to the point of running across grease barriers. If I had a good way to keep them visible for display but without a chance for them to escape then I'd snatch those up in a heart beat, but I need more information on good ways to keep them. 

Discoids seem really good, but are a little small for what I'm looking for. If nothing else works out, they'll probably be my best bet. I've heard good things about B. fusca too, my wife just isn't as big a fan of their markings. Would fusca burrow or stick around up top?

I like E. distanti and I'd love them to be my garbage disposal, but I don't need something that lives 100% in the substrate right now. "Ivory," if those are the white ones, are SO pretty to me, but there seems to be a dearth of info of their differences compared to distanti. Do the adults burrow as well?

B. colosseus seems near perfect - I might have wanted B. giganteus if they weren't tetchy with crowding. But I only have a ten gallon aquarium for them now, would that be suitable? Even so, I can't seem to find much information on colosseus, is anybody even keeping them anymore? I'd be potentially okay with a different locality than Peru if I was explained any differences. But the adults' tendency to molt on and stay near vertical surfaces or on top of the substrate is fantastic, to me. 

The Simandoa I keep are usually hidden but that's probably due to the way I've designed their tub. They are gorgeous for sure though.

The fusca I've kept have been fairly active. I'd say that their tub was the noisiest tub LoL.

The ivory I've kept were usually buried.

The colossus adults I've kept have been about 50% out hanging out and the other half hidden. Same for the adult giganteus I've kept. 

I'd jump on the glowspot suggesting bandwagon as well. Mine mostly stay buried though.

I think hisserdude recommended personal lubricant before as a good barrier. I just use gasket tubs and swat them back as they make a run for it when I do maintenance.

[Denthead]

4 hours ago, Allpet Roaches said:

For me giganteus are easier than almost anything else. I feed them only dog food and haven't lost the culture in 30 years. Not productive enough for a decent feeder and only so many adults coexist but a great display creature.

Huh, that's quite heartening, I would love some good displays in the future! I'll acquire a larger container before going for them. 

3 hours ago, kadupul said:

Have you looked at Hormetica or Lucihormetica? I've not kept them but I think that they're supposed to be a bit more difficult than hissers.

I haven't thought about those too much, I thought they stayed mostly buried. Although, looking at them apparently they form simplistic burrows and communities? THAT is definitely different, if true! That's highly interesting and they've jumped up my "most wanted" list for sure. My next colonies after our living situation changes will likely be some pure strains of hissers and Lucihormeticas, thank you! 

2 hours ago, Bhjjr said:

The Simandoa I keep are usually hidden but that's probably due to the way I've designed their tub. They are gorgeous for sure though.

The fusca I've kept have been fairly active. I'd say that their tub was the noisiest tub LoL.

The ivory I've kept were usually buried.

The colossus adults I've kept have been about 50% out hanging out and the other half hidden. Same for the adult giganteus I've kept. 

I'd jump on the glowspot suggesting bandwagon as well. Mine mostly stay buried though.

I think hisserdude recommended personal lubricant before as a good barrier. I just use gasket tubs and swat them back as they make a run for it when I do maintenance.

Thank you for all the information! 😁 It sounds like I need to take another look at fusca. But, it seems like not a lot of people can guarantee a pure B. fusca line, and not a lot of people are keeping them in general. I'll talk to my wife about it.

[Allpet Roaches]

11 minutes ago, Denthead said:

Thank you for all the information! 😁 It sounds like I need to take another look at fusca. But, it seems like not a lot of people can guarantee a pure B. fusca line, and not a lot of people are keeping them in general. I'll talk to my wife about it.

I can guarantee fusca purity.

[Denthead]

2 minutes ago, Allpet Roaches said:

I can guarantee fusca purity.

That is exciting!! Again, I'll talk with my wife after work and school, but I may be buying from you soon if you're open to it 😄

[reddog70]

If anyone in the uk is interested in some blaberus giganteus  heres a link down below to a online shop i found that accasionally has some,

 and i recently aquired some 

 have set the nymphs up in a huge fish tank with leaf humus and topped  with dry leaves and huge pieces of oak bark shelters .. wish i new how to  make the files smaller   would post some pics of them 🙂

https://www.elquatica.co.uk/livestock

[Allpet Roaches]

4 hours ago, reddog70 said:

If anyone in the uk is interested in some blaberus giganteus  heres a link down below to a online shop i found that accasionally has some,

 and i recently aquired some 

 have set the nymphs up in a huge fish tank with leaf humus and topped  with dry leaves and huge pieces of oak bark shelters .. wish i new how to  make the files smaller   would post some pics of them 🙂

https://www.elquatica.co.uk/livestock

 

The picture they have does not look like giganteus to me.

[reddog70]

22 minutes ago, Allpet Roaches said:

The picture they have does not look like giganteus to me.

I did wonder that myself bit dark colouration, any idea what that picture could be please? 

[reddog70]

These  also list a similar coloured roach as giganteus..  I'm hoping its a picture that they have taken from  elsewhere to use and i hope that i have true giganteus nymphs 🤔

 

https://www.bugzuk.com/store/cockroaches

[Allpet Roaches]

The images on those vendor pages appear to be what we have long called fusca, no matter what it is it is not giganteus. It is a big species but tiny compared to giganteus. Compare those images to the coloration of the real giganteus: 

[reddog70]

Thankyou very much, i will research and adjust their care accordingly 🙂👍

[Hisserdude]

On 1/25/2023 at 12:05 AM, Denthead said:

Hi Hisserdude! I remember seeing you were in Idaho and thinking I'd treat you to lunch or something, but I thought you were moving soon.

Well my move got postponed, I'll be here for the next 5 months at least. 😅

In terms of other good pet suggestions, Therea spp. (Domino, Orange Domino and Question Mark) roaches are amazing and easy to breed.

Polyphaga saussurei is also a really nice species, one of my first pet roaches, quite large as adults, and good for handling when mature (also, parthenogenetic!).

If you have access to lots of rotting wood, the various Panesthiinae species that have entered the US hobby lately are cool and among the easiest of roaches to keep, literally just give them a deep rotten wood substrate, keep humid, minimally ventilated, and offer supplemental foods regularly. They breed at room temps or warmer, super simple. (I'm partial to Panesthia angustipennis cognata myself, their nymphs are so pretty).

[Denthead]

The Thearea species were the first roaches besides hissers I ever laid eyes on! I adore how they look, I'm just not in a good position to provide hardwood leaves. Definitely future species to keep, though!

I never considered any of the "sand" roaches :0 although from what I've read sand isn't the best bet at all for how to keep them. I had NO clue they were parthenogenetic!!! THAT is interesting, I was even considering the surinams before for that exact reason, though I'm not quite confident enough to keep something so prolific and escape-prone. 

I've seen the Panesthia angustipennis cognata on your website! I love that orange splotching, I sadly just don't have access to rotted wood. Future things.

There's so many amazing types, I want them all, gah!

[Hisserdude]

13 hours ago, Denthead said:

The Thearea species were the first roaches besides hissers I ever laid eyes on! I adore how they look, I'm just not in a good position to provide hardwood leaves. Definitely future species to keep, though!

I will say, though I haven't tried it myself, my buddy @Bmaines96 has kept and bred Therea spp. without leaf litter, says it makes very little difference to his colonies whether he offers leaf litter or not, they mainly just eat the dog food, fruits and veggies he supplies them with.

13 hours ago, Denthead said:

I never considered any of the "sand" roaches :0 although from what I've read sand isn't the best bet at all for how to keep them. I had NO clue they were parthenogenetic!!! THAT is interesting, I was even considering the surinams before for that exact reason, though I'm not quite confident enough to keep something so prolific and escape-prone. 

Yeah coconut fiber or something similar is definitely the better substrate choice for most "sand" roaches. But yeah Polyphaga saussurei are parthenogenetic, which is pretty dang cool.