Can't tell if roaches are eating?

[charzard]

So, my roaches arrived Friday and so far I've tried giving them bananas, lettuce, carrots, cat and dog food but I honestly can't figure out if they are eating any of it. They don't seem to go near it really and I can't notice if any bites are being taken out of any of it.

Also..one of them seems disoriented. I found it on its back this morning with its legs wiggling around. If I pick it up it will walk but slowly in circles basically. I think it is going to die, but I'm unsure of why..

 

I have them in a plastic container and it seemed they were getting cold as they were migrating to the top and I could feel them cold to the touch. I then grabbed a heating blanket (as I'm not really sure how to heat a plastic enclosure best), wrapped it around and put it on low. Since then their enclosure has been around 80° F and 80% humidity.

 

What can I do to better suit them in their enclosure? What's a good way to heat a plastic enclosure without melting/fire hazard? This is my first colony of g. portentosa nymphs and any tips and pointers in the right direction would be helpful.

Thank you.

 

-Charlie 

[Hisserdude]

Often it can be hard to tell when your roaches are eating, as just a few individuals don't eat that much on their own, especially if they are nymphs. I think it's pretty safe to assume they are eating though.

Perhaps it's just a sickly individual, there's always going to be a small percentage of nymphs that just don't make it to adulthood, that may be one of them.

I'd get a heat pad or cable meant for reptiles, which you can easily get at a pet store or online, I've never heard of any melting through plastic, so they should be fine. Be sure not to cover the whole bottom with the heat mat though, they should have a spot where they can go to cool down if they so desire.

Hope this helps!

[charzard]

@Hisserdude Should the substrate be wet? Also is it ideal to have moisture condensation on the sides of the enclosure or not?

 

I keep thinking perhaps they are too warm as they are completely on that heated blanket...but it is on low. When I return home from work I'm going to take the blanket off part of the bottom as to create a cool side as you said. I hope they are doing okay.

[Randomjoe]

I keep my G. portentosa pretty dry and as for heat. I use 1 of those oil filled electic radiator type heater in the room i keep my roaches, tarantulas and scorpions and shoot for 80 degrees. My temps range from about 77 to 82 in that room and in the summer i have the ac blocked in that room so i get highs between 80 - 85 and night time lowes never got below 75 last summer. Like Hisserdude already said if you only have a few they just don't eat a lot.

 

[Hisserdude]

1 hour ago, charzard said:

@Hisserdude Should the substrate be wet? Also is it ideal to have moisture condensation on the sides of the enclosure or not?

 

I keep thinking perhaps they are too warm as they are completely on that heated blanket...but it is on low. When I return home from work I'm going to take the blanket off part of the bottom as to create a cool side as you said. I hope they are doing okay.

It doesn't need to be, but you should definitely keep one part damp at all times, so they don't dry out. Generally you don't want much condensation on the walls of your enclosures, it usually means there is not enough ventilation, and some small roaches can drown in droplets on the sides of enclosures, (probably not hissers, but smaller roaches like Ectobiids).

[charzard]

Okay, thank you!! They seem to be doing well besides the one that passed, but I believe one molted!