Hey there guys! My name is Jae, and i would like to care for Question Marks!

ZipperMouth

ZipperMouth

Third Instar
Hey guys, My name is Jae and im interested in raising Question Marks. My friend owns a small pets store where he only sells animals he has bred and raised himself, or his friends have bred and raised.

My boyfriend used to work for the Bronx zoo and used to care for Madagascar back home before he moved here (Atlanta Ga) so for Valentines Day i purchased him a pair of Madi's from my friend Taylor from the shop.

Im pretty smitten with them so far, but they aren't mine, they are Nate's pets. And my friend Taylor's wife Serah said she would be interested in having some Question Marks at their store if i could manage to breed them successfully. I understand they breed fairly slowly and are hard to care for, but i'm enthusiastic about it all and would like to know more about them in preparation of their arrival.

I'm curious on how to pick healthy QM's and how to tell the males from the females.

Cage set up, humidity requirements, diet etc.

I look forward to your responces!

 
Question mark roaches (Therea olegrandjeani) aren't hard to take care of and breed if you have the conditions right. Males are smaller than females and I have noticed females have a dot on each side of the vent. Dietary needs are just like any other roach. Cage setup is easy too. I have 23-26 in a 2.5 gallon terrarium with lots of Eco earth. They will burrow quite a bit so lots of substrate is needed. Egg cases are really unique in their own way. They are cool to look at. They also take a while to hatch (roughly 3-4 months). New born babies are really tiny. Oh another thing to keep in mind, I keep my substrate moist at one end, semi moist in the middle and a little more dry on the other end. If you have anymore questions about this great species don't be afraid to ask!!

 
Question marks and their relatives do best when there are dead hardwood leaves in their diet. Other than that, romanbuck has it covered! Welcome to the forums, look forward to reading your posts! :)

 
Ah yes... Forgot about that... I believe it is needed for the nymphs to be happy. Any hardwood leaf would work not just maple or oak. :)

 
oh wow thank you guys. I plan on ordering a breeding pair when i get paid Friday. Do you guys know of anyone who sells adults? I'm worried that if i buy nimphs that they wont make it through the shipping process,.or i wont have enough knowledge to keep them alive. :/

 
I do not know of anybody who advertises adults of these, you would have to ask people selling nymphs if they have any extra adults to sell.

 
@RomanBuck

You said the females have a dot on each side of the vent.

What is a 'vent'? lol

New insect/bug keeper here <3

 
Kyle kandillian can sell you large nymphs @ roachcrossing.com.

The vent is the pooper and where the dirty happens. It's only seen in adults so if you get nymphs, the only for sure way to check is to post pictures (hard to explain for me without visuals).

Actually adults probably won't make the shipping process. Nymphs are more likely able to survive better. And if you buy from roachcrossing.com, I guarantee you will get them alive. If you also want help, don't be afraid to ask step by step help when you get them. They are pretty resilient. :)

 
oh wow, that was very helpful! Thank you!

Once my QMs lay eggs, what should i do to protect them? Will the other roaches eat them? Should i take them out?

 
Most people leave the ooths in the cage, I don't think question marks will cannibalize the ooths. They do fine if kept like the nymphs/adults.

 
I have left sterile ones in the cage and found out that they just leave them. I have had huge problems with roaches eating egg cases in the past but these seem to be sane. :)

 
How many do you guys suggest starting with? I'd like to try to produce a colony,.but should i do like 6?

And what size container should i get?

What kinds of deco should i put in there?

Currently, our Madagascars have coconut fiber substrate and a small piece of bark they like to hide under.

 
I started with 4 which I thought was enough but it wasn't. I would go for roughly 10-15. It costs a bit to start but if you're getting your money back in the long run it's worth it. I have my 25-30 in a 2.5 with lots of Eco earth. Decor is all up to your personal tastes. Doesn't need to be fancy but if that's how you like it, more power to ya :)

 
Well,.for deco i mean more or less what kinds of things do they prefer? I hear they burrow a lot but should i put something in there for them to climb on? do they like things to hide under like the madagascars do?

 
The nymphs will stay underground most of their lives, you probably will not see them much unless you dig for them. The adults would probably like to climb on toilet paper and stuff like that. Hope this helps! :)

 
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lol toilet paper.

As a female i am offended xD

I will give them a..idk..a stick or something.

Something with fung shui.

Something not too tall,..because..short legs lol

Oh dear god i am so ridiculous.

 
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