Dubia roach/cricket talk!

[Bradyloach]

Hey guys! I just wanna talk about dubia and crickets I'm bored and want to learn more! I currently have dubia and I'm feeding them oatmeal/lettuce tonight :) I vary there food every day at 8pm! My crickets are in a cricket keeper there's like 150 of them and there eating the orange clunkers cricket food! This is all for my sav. Any tips for my roaches? Maybe how to breed them faster? What do they like the most and how to get them healthier! Feel free to talk about breeding any feeders :) like meal or super worms! Thanks Guys

[BarelyBreathing]

They need some protein. Most people opt for crushing some dog food. Also, lettuce is pretty much pointless. It's got little nutrition, as it's mainly water. Try dark, leafy greens instead, like bak choi, dandelion greens, escarole, collards, etc.

[Bradyloach]

oh okay, ill crush up some dog food tomorrow and buy them a bunch of fruits and veggies! im gonna make a schedule for what to feed them! you got a daily schedule you can give me? i always would like to know what you feed yours hedy!

[BarelyBreathing]

I don't really have a daily schedule. I replace food if I notice it's gone bad, and add more when they're out. For protein, I give mine chicken and a bit of egg. They eat the dark leafy greens I already mentioned, plus carrots, green peppers, squash, mangos, ocasional bananas, strawberries. Pretty much whatever's left over from our other reptiles.

[Bradyloach]

Ok! I wanna make a daily schedule for the little roaches, I think I will ground up dog food will be avabile everyday! I just ran out of water gell tho :(

[jarich]

Just curious, but why do you say they need protein? Roaches will eat most things but these roaches by nature are pretty much herbivorous. Ive only done a limited amount of research on them though, so Im not saying youre wrong. Just wondering what information lead you to that conclusion.

[infernalis]

I have always just fed mine fruit and veggies.

[Lankyrob]

The only thing i would change is the lettuce, it is basically just water with not much goodness to it, fruit and other veggies should be fine - when i had mine i used dried high protein cat food as a "substrate" of sorts, i found it gave them a more meaty feel to them :)

[ladyjustice33]

I feed mine the same fruits and veggies I would feed my dragon, if it's not healthy for the dragons, they don't get it either. I only feed dog food if I notice they are out of veggies and I can't get to the store till the next day.

[beardeds4life]

Ok! I wanna make a daily schedule for the little roaches, I think I will ground up dog food will be avabile everyday! I just ran out of water gell tho :(

That water gel you said your using in the original post is a waste of money. Online or at a reptile show you can get enough dehydrated water gel for 5-10 gallons for like 15 bucks. Then all you do is put a tiny bit in a gallon of water (a lot goes a LONG way) then wait. If there is extra water drain it out.

[Bradyloach]

Yah I'm looking on we're to buy them in Ontario without hardcore shipping fees

[jarich]

Ive been looking for ages for more thorough evidence on protein in roach diets and have found the beginnings of some good information. Remember, roaches are essentially herbivores, and do not normally eat high protein diets. In fact, feeding them high protein diets can be detrimental to them and the reptiles that eat them.

Apparently roaches are adapted to low protein diets, and when they are fed high protein diets they store the extra. They store these in their bodies in the form of uric acid, which they use to synthesize proteins again when they dont get it from their diet. What has been shown is that high protein diets can cause their levels of uric acid to spike to the point of death. If the food is hard and dried (like dry dog food or cat food), they dont eat it as quickly, and therefore the uric acid doesnt spike enough to kill them. However, it does increase their uric acid levels dramatically.

What the studies have shown is that a diet with a protein level of around 12-15% is optimal for roaches. Feed your roaches more protein than this and you are feeding your lizard a feeder high in uric acid. That is bad, as we all know, because gout is caused by high levels of uric acid. As many captive reptiles are already dehydrated, this increase in uric acid can then lead to gout.

Here is some interesting and insightful reading. Ill give some of the same references Allen used too.

Reptile Resources :: Nutrition Articles :: Can Feeder Insect Diets Contribute To Gout In Reptiles? - Repashy Ventures - Distributor Center (http://www.store.repashy.com/can-feeder-insect-diets-contribute-to-gout-in-reptiles.html)

With Help from a Bacterium, Cockroaches Develop Way to Store Excess Uric Acid (http://www.physorg.com/news177261249.html)

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/urban/new_urban/development/urban_docs/8Kells.pdf

[BarelyBreathing]

I've been feeding 10-20% protein. I will definitely lower it now. Thanks, Jarich.

[jarich]

Glad to be able to share; always love being able to pass on new info.

[Bradyloach]

Woah thanks Jerich!!