Nicer setup for hissing cockroaches

[xp29]

They live for about 2 years, and it can take close to 1 year for them to become fully grown.
I have no problems with short lifespan; I had katydids as a kid (raised them from eggs, 9 - 10 months lifespan), triops (had them as an adult in a nice setup, lifespan 3 months, when lucky sometimes 4 months). I had liked also getting mantis or jumping spiders or...., but they aren't available here. Triops I might get again, but all the time when wanting to order them (would order them together with bugs as otherwise shipping costs are too high) they were not available.

I also get attached to them, but for me it is more like not wanting to give away a pet, curiously watching its behavior and it growing up, wanting to be there for that pet for his complete lifespan. And if it's 3 months, I'm fine with it.

I might be with insects, but anything else I'd for sure get way to attached to.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Want to add regarding short lifespan:
In a certain situation, a short lifespan was explicitly the right thing for me. At that time, I was like either being lucky for getting a certain kind of job (that requires for moving somewhere else) that application round, and if not, trying it again the year after with then a bit more experience on the job I had.
I thus hadn't wanted a pet, obviously, but then thought about triops and got them. 3 - 4 months in advance I had known for sure whether moving or not. (It then turned out: No new job in that round, then had the triops for a few generations, stopped letting them hatch once the new job really worked out, gave the small tank and the eggs away. Neat.)

 

[xp29]

Want to add regarding short lifespan:
In a certain situation, a short lifespan was explicitly the right thing for me. At that time, I was like either being lucky for getting a certain kind of job (that requires for moving somewhere else) that application round, and if not, trying it again the year after with then a bit more experience on the job I had.
I thus hadn't wanted a pet, obviously, but then thought about triops and got them. 3 - 4 months in advance I had known for sure whether moving or not. (It then turned out: No new job in that round, then had the triops for a few generations, stopped letting them hatch once the new job really worked out, gave the small tank and the eggs away. Neat.)

I didn't know for sure what triops are, I went and looked them up. They are kindda cool

 

[ChileanTaco]

@xp29
They, or say better their eggs, are often sold as "my first pet" kits for children (had even seen them as "goodie" in comic magazines), as well as for the purpose of breeding live food for certain fish, similar to brine shrimp which are often sold as "fairies" or "mermaids".

I'd say getting them to grow into adults and breed them isn't easy at first (a lot of things necessary I had figured out my own, was told nowhere also not on the internet where I searched a lot before), but then when having that figured out, it works really easy.
One of the "had no idea" thing was that they'll die if a fly, and being it only a fruit fly, falls into the water. Of course I didn't let it rot, but also of course you're not closely watching, and it might be some minutes or an hour until seeing the fly and getting them out, at that time still everything looking fine. But likely bacteria or enzymes (flies partially digest externally) in the fly saliva make the triops die, all of them suddenly. I then used a lid without holes which I lifted, supervised, for some minutes a day, and the problem was solved.
The other thing was they tend to swim under things, don't come out anymore and die - even if there would be ample space to swim out.

 

[xp29]

@xp29
They, or say better their eggs, are often sold as "my first pet" kits for children (had even seen them as "goodie" in comic magazines), as well as for the purpose of breeding live food for certain fish, similar to brine shrimp which are often sold as "fairies" or "mermaids".

I'd say getting them to grow into adults and breed them isn't easy at first (a lot of things necessary I had figured out my own, was told nowhere also not on the internet where I searched a lot before), but then when having that figured out, it works really easy.
One of the "had no idea" thing was that they'll die if a fly, and being it only a fruit fly, falls into the water. Of course I didn't let it rot, but also of course you're not closely watching, and it might be some minutes or an hour until seeing the fly and getting them out, at that time still everything looking fine. But likely bacteria or enzymes (flies partially digest externally) in the fly saliva make the triops die, all of them suddenly. I then used a lid without holes which I lifted, supervised, for some minutes a day, and the problem was solved.
The other thing was they tend to swim under things, don't come out anymore and die - even if there would be ample space to swim out.

What do they eat?

 

[ChileanTaco]

What do they eat?

Very fine pieces of algae and very small fish food.
Often when buying the eggs, an initial supply is provided; it can be replaced with ground-up algae (e.g. from the Asian food store, of course plain without spices) and guppy food. That's also what normally the initial supply of food is.
The very small hatchlings filter in the fine particles; the larger ones then can grab onto a piece of food, hold onto it and slowly munch it down.

Their reproductive cycle is also quite cool:
They lay eggs in the fine sand that must be at the bottom of the tank. However, the eggs won't hatch before they are completely dried out an then put in water again. So it is very easy to have them for a while and stop their reproduction, without having to worry that constantly something hatches.
When I had them, when all adults had died, I let the sand with the eggs in it dry out completely, and then either again put that mix into water to start a new cycle, or if doing another cycle was inconvenient at that time (vacation, possibly moving or such coming up), I put it away to do the next one at any time later (they store for years).
Why reproduction with that "must dry out once" phase has evolved? Likely as because in the wild, they live in puddles only filling up in the rainy season. The water lasts only for about one cycle; a second won't make it to reproduction age. So it's safer nothing hatches again this time, but only after the eggs have dried out once and get wet again, marking "it's the next rainy season" with again hopefully enough water for one cycle.
I find this very interesting as I know such (must dry out once, or must freeze once to make sure it's the next year) otherwise only from plants.

 

[xp29]

Very fine pieces of algae and very small fish food.
Often when buying the eggs, an initial supply is provided; it can be replaced with ground-up algae (e.g. from the Asian food store, of course plain without spices) and guppy food. That's also what normally the initial supply of food is.
The very small hatchlings filter in the fine particles; the larger ones then can grab onto a piece of food, hold onto it and slowly munch it down.

Their reproductive cycle is also quite cool:
They lay eggs in the fine sand that must be at the bottom of the tank. However, the eggs won't hatch before they are completely dried out an then put in water again. So it is very easy to have them for a while and stop their reproduction, without having to worry that constantly something hatches.
When I had them, when all adults had died, I let the sand with the eggs in it dry out completely, and then either again put that mix into water to start a new cycle, or if doing another cycle was inconvenient at that time (vacation, possibly moving or such coming up), I put it away to do the next one at any time later (they store for years).
Why reproduction with that "must dry out once" phase has evolved? Likely as because in the wild, they live in puddles only filling up in the rainy season. The water lasts only for about one cycle; a second won't make it to reproduction age. So it's safer nothing hatches again this time, but only after the eggs have dried out once and get wet again, marking "it's the next rainy season" with again hopefully enough water for one cycle.
I find this very interesting as I know such (must dry out once, or must freeze once to make sure it's the next year) otherwise only from plants.

Oh wow that is very cool.

 

[Sue E.]

What I also had liked is getting a "jungle nymph" - huuuge! But also not allowed/ available where I live or lived. These are so big they rather look unreal, like a model for biology class... and they live 2 - 3 years.

I just watched a video on them after I read your post...they are cool, esp the females! I learn so many interesting things from you all on this forum!

 

[ChileanTaco]

Adult hissing cockroach, feeding on mango.
For food dishes (one for fruit and veggies, one for oats), I use candle glass lids similar to those I use for Taco's insects, but shallower ones (for Taco extra deep to keep insects from getting out).
With the glass lids, neither is substrate dragged into those, nor is food dragged into where they hide.

 

[ChileanTaco]

During day, the hissing cockroaches hide under the big piece of wood. It's actually driftwood I found on the beach which is a rare find here. Soaked it multiple times in a bucket and brushed it to get the salt out.