Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought about 200 mixed size hissers about 6 months ago. I had them set up in a large rubbermaid tub (3x3x2) with egg crates inside and a lid with 3 inch vaseline strip around the top and UTH on the bottom. I have been feeding them apples and carrots (apples for moisture). I haven't been feeding them to the monitor that much, maybe 3-5 a week. Shouldnt they be breeding like crazy by now? I probably only have about 50 left from the looks of it. I dont think they are escaping(hope not), every time I open the top, none are even on the walls. Not finding any dead ones. Is it the heat? The UTH keeps the bottom part of the tub at 95, but in the egg crates its only 80 or so. The crates are vertically set up, should I lay them horizontally, closer to the bottom (like a retes stack)?

only the mature ones will lay eggs...do they lay eggs or live? I forget....been awhile....??????

I fed mine lab chow ,veggies ,fruits, and dog food....

....they take time....don't remember how long, but they aren't that fast at it....

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Only the adults lay the eggs, and there is a bit of gestation. I purchased a similar muiltie pack of animals and found my colony didn't take off for a few months. Also it takes a few months to grow to bearing sizes.

My set up was at one point a rubbermaid 25 gal tote with a whole in the center of the lid, leaving enough lid to prevent climb outs. Each tote sat on heat tape kept at 75°F. I used feeder porriage and fresh fruit I also misted the cage regularly.

I used no substrate just egg crates and moved the largest animals to new enclosures, as I rotated the colony the old cages were maintain to let the eggs hatch and the nymphs grow to movable sizes. When babies stopped appearing I cleaned the cage.

Cheers

Can you give a little more detail why you moved the larger roaches to a different cage? For them to breed? Do they eat the smaller nymphs?

>>Can you give a little more detail why you moved the larger roaches to a different cage? For them to breed? Do they eat the smaller nymphs?

No roaches aren't cannibalistic with proper food and water but under poor conditions watch out.

I separated them so I had Adults away from those growing up, part size part tub rotation. When I started seeing nymphs I moved the adults, then let all the eggs and nymphs hatch. When they stopped hatching I moved the lot and cleaned the cage and then refilled it with Adults. Everything moved in a cycle, you don't have to do it that way...

I also didn't breed Hissers I breed Orange Guyana's but all roaches are pretty similar.

Roaches will breed so long as you meet their needs...
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

I have found that my hissers tend to be quite seasonal in their breeding habits. Winter is sit around and watch football. Come about now (May) they kick into breeding if they have the layers of bedding and are otherwise correctly kept. Again too....adults breed, so don't go feeding off the big ones. Are you sexing them and not feeding off too many girls and keeping too many boys? Sounds like your heat and food is right otherwise. They are not fast breeders.

I have Lobsters too and they are much faster breeders but only get large large crix size. AND, I have found that lobsters drive off the hissers if they get into their colony. Go figure.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny