Are succulent plants safe for Hissers?

[SkubalaHead]

I have a 10 gallon terrarium with about 20 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (they are my class pets).  I placed a jade in a pot (organic soil, no pesticides) in the tank as decoration.  Apparently, my Hissers love nibbling on the leaves, as quite a few chunks have been eaten.  

Question is: does anyone know if it is safe for a Hisser to eat Jade? I do not mind if the plant gets eaten (it grows fast enough), I just wonder if anyone knows if there are any ill effects of Hissers eating a Jade Succulent - I'd hate to find out the hard way.

Thanks ahead of time for any input or advice! 

 

[Hisserdude]

I know there are a lot of succulents with toxic sap, not sure about jade plants though. If I had to guess, I'd say they aren't dangerous to ingest, but I may be wrong on that. 

 

[Betta132]

Jade is badly toxic to cats and dogs. Roaches are different, clearly, but I wouldn't risk it in case there's long-term effects. 

 

[Redmont]

If no roaches die then it's probably safe, sometimes trial and error is the only answer.

 

[Matttoadman]

There are a lot of succulents from Madagascar. Most of them have toxic sap. I have wondered how this affected them if at all.

 

[SkubalaHead]

Thank you everyone for your answers.  About three whole Jade leaves were eaten in a period of day, but I took the plant out, as I did not want to take the risk.  No ill effects (that I can tell of) so far, but nonetheless.

So... Question number two: Does anyone recommend an easy to care for, but small, potted plant that is safe or even beneficial for Hissers?

Thanks again!

 

[Matttoadman]

It sounds to me like any plants would be eaten in a matter of days then. I had a piece of Christmas cactus in a tarantulas container and an uneaten hisser did quite the number on it.

 

[Betta132]

I'd be inclined to suggest something like clover, something fast-growing, maybe two or three pots so you could swap the heavily nibbled ones out. Or try to find a pot the roaches won't climb.

 

[Bufo Bill]

Hi, firstly Euphorbia plants are the ones to avoid and anything with milky sap. 

The idea of leaving the plants in the pots so that they can be swapped every few days is to be recommended. 

I have used small Thyme bushes in some of my set ups but they may just be eaten by larger roaches. Experiment is key, remember to keep away from white milky sap with succulents though. I find if the roaches are fed plenty of salad crops, fruit  and leaves they just leave the plants apart from the odd nibble, no need to fuss. 

All the best from Bill.