Algae or water plants for feeding roaches?

[teslas intern]

The title says it all guys. Has anyone tried it? From what I can tell algae is chock full of great nutrients, and super abundant and easy to cultivate, but some fresh water types are toxic? Maybe dried sea lettuce would be a good source of calcium and iodine for a gut load. I'm just looking for thoughts...

[flybyferns]

Hi Scott

The sea lettuce is a good idea. It's called "ulva". It is high in iron, Ca, protein, iodine, Vit A, and other minerals. I have often wondered if it's used for tads?
I'd be too scared to experiment.

BUT---Sadly ( because of the way it grows and what it attaches itself to) it's commonly found in areas that are typically polluted if you are harvesting it yourself. I guess you could purchase it. Then, it should be 'organic', w/ out added sodium and perspectives.

Just found this: I have also seen it at health foods stores.
Sea Lettuce - Organic Seaweed from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables

A decent menu is easily found > packaged as fish food(s).
I would hope purchasing these foods reduces the possibility of it containing pesticides etc .....ie lawn fertilizer > run off

I use the follow - for tads:
'Micron' spirulina - powder
'Nutrafin Max '- flakes
'Omega One' - Super Viggie - small kelp pellets ( I feed these to my crickets ! )

[teslas intern]

I know you can buy aquacultured sea lettuce and kelp and the like from salt water aquarium supply websites, and if you aren't interested in keeping fish it is really easy to grow (table salt works fine as long as the salinity is ballpark, and a bit of fertilizer. This would of course kill marine fish...). I'm also interested in fresh water stuff like elodea, and "coontail" because I throw a ton of it away every year from my goldfish pond (which has no goldfish, but a ton of toad tadpoles and green frogs). I'll have to take photos next spring... At any rate I can't find any nutritional information on these easy to grow plants... But I'll look into kelp pellets for my roaches, I wonder if they still contain mercury or if they are aquacultured? Thanks for the reply!

[Tongue Flicker]

Freshwater aquatic plants are fine as long as they grew in your tank. Avoid any aquatic plant that is high in oxalates like lobelias and pistia (water cabbage/lettuce). Wild harvested plants should be avoided not only coz of possible parasite hosting and pollution but also because most plants can absorb toxic heavy metals like nickel, copper and iron in the water substrate which could be lethal to the next in line eaters

[wcbpolish]

I have placed some of my excess java moss in with hissers, dubia, and orange heads. I don't think they eat it, but it seems to be decent for substrate.

[Tongue Flicker]

I have placed some of my excess java moss in with hissers, dubia, and orange heads. I don't think they eat it, but it seems to be decent for substrate.

The moss must be too wet when you tossed it in. Try shaking it off excess water first

[wcbpolish]

The moss must be too wet when you tossed it in. Try shaking it off excess water first

They don't like it wet or dry. I think they nibble it a little, but it lasts a long time in the enclosure!

[teslas intern]

My roaches used to be much more fussy than they are now, of course I have many more roaches than I used to, and they get hungry!!! In any event I did end up trying hornwort (AKA coontail) and it disappears very fast. No idea of its nutrition content, but they like it...