Roaches and cuttlebone

Keith

Keith

Megaloblatta
Anyone who raises snails know they must eat cuttlebone to maintain a healthy,strong shell. Do roaches need to eat cuttlebone to maintain a strong exoskeleton? Just wondering.

 
No idea, for sure, but I remember reading that calcium was not something that insects require, and if they get too much of it, it could be bad...

Please if you know something different, correct me...

:(

 
Some university was doing a study on gut loading and overfed crickets a calcium that turned their gut content into a solid lime block and now the rumor is that calcium is harmful to all inverts. There are a lot of urban legends out there...

The roach exoskeleton is chitin which doesn't contain much calcium but if you dust the food with a calcium/vitamin blend for insectivores and keep them in good conditions 1/3-1/2 will grow measurably larger than a control group.

Only overcrowded, hungry animals would be likely to nibble on cuttlebone.

 
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The roach exoskeleton is chitin which doesn't contain much calcium but if you dust the food with a calcium/vitamin blend for insectivores and keep them in good conditions 1/3-1/2 will grow measurably larger than a control group.

Well yes I meant to say dusting the food not a solid cuttlebone. Thats amazing that some would grow larger! I may try it.

 
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