What's happening to my hissers?

le-thomas · Jun 15, 2012

I checked in on my Hisser "colony" (there aren't a ton in there) and I, again, saw this happening to one of the nymphs. They look black and crusty and have trouble walking. Maybe they're not humid enough or not getting enough water? Molting complications? Thanks for any help.
(I didn't put the images in the post because they're very large and I'm not sure how to resize).
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff399/tmsreptiles/DSC03489.jpg
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff399/tmsreptiles/DSC03486.jpg

Tenodera · Jun 15, 2012

Well that's frightening. But wait, is it happening to one nymph or many?
I can't see the second picture, but the first looks like the result of a very bad molt. Can you give some setup details?

le-thomas · Jun 15, 2012

Tenodera said:
Well that's frightening. But wait, is it happening to one nymph or many?
I can't see the second picture, but the first looks like the result of a very bad molt. Can you give some setup details?

I've seen 2, maybe 3 cases. They're in a ten gallon with no supplementary heating (the room stays fairly warm) and no substrate. The humidity levels are unknown, and I don't mist them (as everything would mold). There are some egg flats in there and two bowls for food and water crystals. That's all there is to it, so perhaps there isn't enough humidity?
(Also, the hisser in the picture is alive and walking, though it seems to be having some difficulty).

Tenodera · Jun 15, 2012

Second pic loaded this time. Low humidity is often the cause of bad molts in roaches, although you're very right in being cautious about it. Why would everything mold if you misted them, is there no ventilation?

le-thomas · Jun 16, 2012

Tenodera said:
Second pic loaded this time. Low humidity is often the cause of bad molts in roaches, although you're very right in being cautious about it. Why would everything mold if you misted them, is there no ventilation?

Well, there isn't anything to hold the water aside from the food, and I figure that wet cardboard probably wouldn't be the best thing. Should I mist anyways? The lid is mesh/screen, so there's a good amount of ventilation.

Toogledoo · Jun 16, 2012

I'm not sure what's going on with them, but I have a few Dubias that turned out looking all messed up kind of like this. Makes me wonder if there's too much inbreeding..? But the only thing I remember reading on roach inbreeding was something about their wings after so long.

ZephAmp · Jun 16, 2012

This is often a result of stress. It might be overcrowding or lack of food. I used to blame molting problems on humidity but this is usually only the case with more delicate roaches like Panchlora or Eurycotis. Sometimes individuals will just molt out this way though; maybe somebody munched on him at some point and this is the effect later on in his life.

le-thomas · Jun 16, 2012

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll start using the space better by placing more egg flats and breaking the ones i have now so they'll fit vertically instead of the current diagonal position they're in.

catfishrod69 · Jun 16, 2012

What would actually be best for you to do, is buy a 32 quart sterilite tub. Drill 1/8" holes on the ends. About 10-12 holes per side. Then find some plastic screen (window screen works well). Hot glue this over the holes, and trim off the excess. Then get a small roll of weather stripping. About 1/8" wide. Then place this inside the lid all the way around, (where the lid touches the tub). Doing this and screening the vents will keep the nymphs in. Believe me, they will squeeze past the teensie gap between the lid and tub without the weather stripping. Then use a large bowl for the water gel. All of these items you can get at walmart. Should run aproximately $15-20. Works great on keeping the humidity up. Just be sure to keep the feed on the opposite side as the water gel. Otherwise the gel will get on the food, and you will have mold and mites popping up.

le-thomas · Jun 16, 2012

catfishrod69 said:
What would actually be best for you to do, is buy a 32 quart sterilite tub. Drill 1/8" holes on the ends. About 10-12 holes per side. Then find some plastic screen (window screen works well). Hot glue this over the holes, and trim off the excess. Then get a small roll of weather stripping. About 1/8" wide. Then place this inside the lid all the way around, (where the lid touches the tub). Doing this and screening the vents will keep the nymphs in. Believe me, they will squeeze past the teensie gap between the lid and tub without the weather stripping. Then use a large bowl for the water gel. All of these items you can get at walmart. Should run aproximately $15-20. Works great on keeping the humidity up. Just be sure to keep the feed on the opposite side as the water gel. Otherwise the gel will get on the food, and you will have mold and mites popping up.

Thanks a ton for my new shopping list

I've been meaning to move them out of the aquarium for quite some time, but I guess this is what it took for me to actually do it. Also, I've been using vaseline along the top of my current enclosure, would that also work or is it unnecessary/not helpful?

catfishrod69 · Jun 16, 2012

Your very welcome. This is how i keep my dubia, and lats. I will be rehousing my discoids this way too. I no longer keep hissers, cause i didnt use them as feeders, so just got rid of them. But the vaseline will no longer be needed with the screening and weather stripping. The nymphs will not be able to get past them. When you open them up, just push any nymphs back that get near the top.

le-thomas · Jun 16, 2012

catfishrod69 said:
Your very welcome. This is how i keep my dubia, and lats. I will be rehousing my discoids this way too. I no longer keep hissers, cause i didnt use them as feeders, so just got rid of them. But the vaseline will no longer be needed with the screening and weather stripping. The nymphs will not be able to get past them. When you open them up, just push any nymphs back that get near the top.

Alright, sounds good. I just don't want this becoming like my Gyna lurida colony where I open up the container and have a bunch of roaches ready to escape.

catfishrod69 · Jun 16, 2012

Haha shouldnt happen. Maybe, but shouldnt. Just swipe em down, and keep a eye on them. Make sure to have lots of egg crating in there, it will give them more places to hide, and keep more away from the lid.

bugmankeith · Jun 22, 2012

I can vouce repti-bark is excellent for good molting when misted with water once a day. If you don't mind your roaches digging in the bark and clean out food regularly its worth it.

SEB · Jul 8, 2012

Another option is to use buckets as their lids are air tight and no chance of anything slipping through. They are also very cheap. I bored 1" holes and covered in screen for ventilation and stackability. Price including substrate is $6.00 per enclosure. They also provide colony with privacy.

What's happening to my hissers?

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