# Cockroaches



## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I'm thinking of getting hissing cockroaches at pets (haven't asked mother yet, we'll see....) and I was wondering if anyone had kept them before or knew where to get good ones. 

From what I've read they're very easy to take care of and I've always thought they were cute.


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

I have a breeding pair of hissers. They're awesome! I keep mine in a large plastic bin with clips. Their substrate is either eco earth, or carefresh bedding depending on what I have. I have 2 heat pads attached to it. One on the lid and one on the bottom. I don't have either plugged in right now since they're in my reptile room which is kept at a balmy 90 degrees. I got mine, along with my feeder roaches for my lizards, from this guy about a year ago: http://www.aaronpauling.com/. Anyway, good luck and have fun with them! 
here's my male








And here's the male and female together (one of the babies in the top of the pic)


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## nain (Jan 27, 2007)

It's so awesome to see that there is more than 1 strain of cockroaches.. i always though that household cockroaches were the only strain 

Hissing cockroaches look like fun.. Do upload pics when you get them 

Rat FanaticLady29, nice roaches


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

Thanks nain. I also have colonies of dubias and lobsters, but I'm getting ready to sell off my dubia colony. They're just not to my liking and don't breed near as fast as my lobster roaches. I wonder if my rats would like roaches to eat. hmmmm......


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

RatfanaticLady29 said:


> I have a breeding pair of hissers. They're awesome! I keep mine in a large plastic bin with clips. Their substrate is either eco earth, or carefresh bedding depending on what I have. I have 2 heat pads attached to it. One on the lid and one on the bottom. I don't have either plugged in right now since they're in my reptile room which is kept at a balmy 90 degrees. I got mine, along with my feeder roaches for my lizards, from this guy about a year ago: http://www.aaronpauling.com/. Anyway, good luck and have fun with them!
> here's my male
> 
> 
> ...


When buying them from that site, you can only buy in large quantities, which isn't a huge problem for me, but will they breed? I don't want to end up with 1000 roaches.
I already have a 29 gallon aquarium from previous pets, that's okay to use for them right?

Thanks for the link though, seems like a great source to buy from.


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

You can buy a pair for $2.75 from that site http://www.aaronpauling.com/catalog/climbing-roaches/madagascan-hissers-1-adult-pair. If they are male/female they will breed just like all other creatures. You can just house them separately. I keep mine together because I feed the babies to my lizards and tarantula. Here's a good care sheet on them http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/G-portentosa.html.


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

I completely forgot about the part where you have to buy more roaches to be able to get the pair. Maybe you can buy 100 feeders and sell them on craigslist or something. I know my extra feeder roaches get snapped up quickly when I sell them out here. I can always send you one, or a few, of my babies for the cost of shipping. Other than that I'm not really sure where else to get them.


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## leesha (Feb 15, 2010)

RatfanaticLady29 said:


> Thanks nain. I also have colonies of dubias and lobsters, but I'm getting ready to sell off my dubia colony. They're just not to my liking and don't breed near as fast as my lobster roaches. I wonder if my rats would like roaches to eat. hmmmm......


What do you feed your dubias to? I was thinking of breeding some for my Crested Geckos, but I don't think it would be worth it until I have 5 or 6 geckos living with me.


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

RatfanaticLady29 said:


> I completely forgot about the part where you have to buy more roaches to be able to get the pair. Maybe you can buy 100 feeders and sell them on craigslist or something. I know my extra feeder roaches get snapped up quickly when I sell them out here. I can always send you one, or a few, of my babies for the cost of shipping. Other than that I'm not really sure where else to get them.



Actually it's becoming a task to convince my mom to let me get some. I'm gonna talk with her later tonight and let her know how easy to take care of they are. I think buying from you might be my only option, she would never let me have 100 cockroaches in the house. Plus, you could sex them correct? So I wouldn't have to worry about babies.

I'd happily pay you for a few of yours, plus shipping of course, if you're willing.

Oh, one more question. I know with some insects you can put them in a cage that's too big, is this the case with cockroaches?

Thanks so much for all the help with this!

Thanks so much for all your help and advice! I'm super excited to get some, if my mom'll budge.


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

Didn't mean to thank you twice. DX Typo on my part.


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

Leesha said:


> RatfanaticLady29 said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks nain. I also have colonies of dubias and lobsters, but I'm getting ready to sell off my dubia colony. They're just not to my liking and don't breed near as fast as my lobster roaches. I wonder if my rats would like roaches to eat. hmmmm......
> ...


I was feeding the dubias to my bearded dragon, but they're too hard and big for my liking, so I've got everybody eating lobster and hissers now. The dubia nymphs might work for your cresties. They're not hugely prolific breeders, so they might not overpopulate. I feed a bearded dragon, a blue tongue skink, and a tarantula and I was having issues finding enough nymphs to go around.


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

glad you like them but they kinda freak me out. ;D


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

Toby said:


> glad you like them but they kinda freak me out. ;D


Not a bug person, huh? ;]
I absolutely adore spiders, and have wanted a tarantula since I was 7, but of course, that'll have to wait till I'm through with high school and college. My mom was reluctant to let me get rats. (she adores them now though)


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

Capistrono said:


> RatfanaticLady29 said:
> 
> 
> > I completely forgot about the part where you have to buy more roaches to be able to get the pair. Maybe you can buy 100 feeders and sell them on craigslist or something. I know my extra feeder roaches get snapped up quickly when I sell them out here. I can always send you one, or a few, of my babies for the cost of shipping. Other than that I'm not really sure where else to get them.
> ...


I actually won't be able to sex them. The only defining characteristics between males and females are the horns that develop on the males exoskeleton and their size difference. Unfortunately these characteristics don't appear until close to adulthood. When I got my roaches they both looked the same. I couldn't tell which was male and female until about a month later. I'll look into getting them sexed as nymphs and let you know, but so far I haven't found anything.

I don't think they'd be affected by a too large cage. I've never seen anything in care sheets about it and my pair are in a plastic container comparable to a 60 gallon tank.

I'll hold back about 5 of my largest nymphs and we can talk about it. Just send me a PM.


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## oatsnyogurt (Apr 5, 2010)

Kinda cute! Haha, that's a good one!  I was just wondering, no offense or anything but, why do people like bugs for pets?


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## RatfanaticLady29 (Mar 2, 2010)

Same reason people like any animal as a pet. There's something about the animal they're attracted to/ interested in. I am an all around animal lover and enjoy watching animals and their behaviors which is why I own what I own. I don't actually have any bugs as pets though. My roaches breed which makes food for my lizards and tarantula. I actually don't even hold them unless I'm cleaning the tub out and that's just to move them from one container to the other. I do love keeping arachnids as pets though and would have many if I had more room, but reptiles are my first "creepy" love and they have the whole climate controlled room to themselves.


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## mollyzog (Apr 19, 2010)

Aww your roaches are adorable!


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## noMoreFaith (Apr 28, 2010)

regarding bugs, I'd love a praying mantis 8)


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## ZoeHale (Jan 9, 2010)

noMoreFaith, I actually have a thread about my praying mantids, which can be seen here: http://www.ratforum.com/index.php/topic,21113.0.html


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