Hissers eating each other - alive!

[lonelyronin]

Hello

I have a big problem. My hissers are eaching each other alive - I notice it when one of them has just finished shedding.

I feed them crushed puppy/cat food kibble, fish food, a piece of fruit/veggie once a week, and their bedding is oats. They have fresh water everyday in a bowl, and in a humidity hide box. Temps are in the 85 - 95 range, and they were moved to a huge tank 6 months ago, with lots of egg cartons to hide in.

I have never noticed it in all the years I've had them, but have seen it only in the last 6 months.

This has been the first year the colony hasn't done well - I have also noticed a lot of deaths - 4-5 a week (but they aren't eating them as their shell has hardened), and no babies in 6 months.

I'm just waiting for colony collapse to wipe them out.

Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

[Blattodea313]

I would change the bedding to either bark or a coco fibre substrate. I have problems with this (especially the nymphs) when the humidity gets too low. Have you done anything new in the last six months? Also, I would feed them fresh fruits and vegetables three times a week.

[Allpet Roaches]

How do the oats not get all moldy? Usually cannibalism results from lack of moisture and is more of a nuisance since it results in minor disfigurement rather than death, usually.

[pierre72]

Make sure the temperature is above 70 degrees ferenheit. Otherwise, hissers won't eat. Keep the tank nice and clean. Tropical Fish Flakes have everything crickets need, so I feed them to my roaches whether Discoid, German, or hissers. Plus Flukers Cricket vitamin supplement (a brown powder). Flukers also has a cricket quencher water gel which a good portion a day should guarantee they have enough water.

[lonelyronin]

I have always used oats for a substrate - I have an overturned down with a dish for a humidity hide. The funny thing is, I've had them for over 5 years, and never had this problem, and its only in the last few months that everything is happening. I gave them a separate bowl of fish flakes to see just how much they are eating of them, and a bit of wet cat food every day - they seem to like it. I'll see if this makes any different, and then change the substrate. Oddly enough, the few people I know who have them also keep the on oats.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

[wcbpolish]

Reviving this topic: I have a mixed colony of dubia and portentosa hissers. They live together mostly in peace. I added some orange heads a couple of weeks ago, so now three species are together.

Over the long weekend (3 days) the kibble ran out and the tank got a bit dry. Nothing lethal, it's happened before. But this morning I found 2 freshly molted hissers with bite marks and injuries. I assume it is the new orange heads.

I have to be more vigilant about keeping kibble and moisture in the tank at all times!

[Doc]

Yea orange heads will turn on eachother when there is no other food present. They love meat. After my third failed attempt at raising waxworms, I dumped them into the orange head bin and they were gobbled up almost instantly.

[Keith]

Orange heads love cat food, cooked beef, and cooked turkey or chicken (especially dark meat). But they also need fruit and veggies like bananas, apples, and romaine lettuce. They took eat oak leaves.