What is the BEST roach alternative for B.Dubia roaches?

[CJ PELCHER]

Nail...you can have high protein diets for your roaches yes... not a problem...the problem is making roaches a STAPLE DIET and overloading your herp on high protein based foods. It has detrimental effects just like feeding TOO much calcium and vitamins. People will discover this sooner rather than later. Dubias are a great source of nutrition ...but too much of a good thing DOES and WILL carry bad effects.

[JeffreH]

Nail...you can have high protein diets for your roaches yes... not a problem...the problem is making roaches a STAPLE DIET and overloading your herp on high protein based foods. It has detrimental effects just like feeding TOO much calcium and vitamins. People will discover this sooner rather than later. Dubias are a great source of nutrition ...but too much of a good thing DOES and WILL carry bad effects.

I agree with you on all but your first statement. I see no problem with feeding high-protein diets to your pet insectivore; its the nature of their diet be relatively high in protein, because insects are naturally protein-rich.

The concern for feeder cockroaches is entirely in their diet; the gutload. The publication I linked to above found Blatella germanica that had been fed a high-protein rodent lab chow contained nearly 10x the concentration of uric acid than individuals who were field collected. I would even speculate that this species probably feeds on even more proteinaceous food sources than most common feeder species that come from the tropics due to B. germanica's relationship with humans.

As long as roaches are fed primarily plant and grain based food the concentration of uric acid is minuscule. But regardless, a well-varied diet is the solution to any concern and is what is best for the animal.