Lighting Question

[Bex]

Hey all! I have a quick question about lighting that I haven't been able to find a solid answer for.

I have some grow lights that I have been using for my plants. They don't generate a ton of heat, but they keep the shelf my mantis is on at a nice 70-75 degrees, depending on the temperature of the rest of the room. I turned the light off tonight at 9 because it is night, but I was wondering if it would be alright to leave that light on all the time for him? I thought doing a day/night cycle would be nice, but I am a little worried about it getting colder than I would like. He's a Ghost Mantis so he can handle slightly lower temps, but he's also a little fella so I want to make sure he is nice and warm. But I don't want to accidentally mess him up and stop him from sleeping. I don't think a heat cable would work for my set up, so would a black light be a good option for at night? Something that wouldn't make it too hot- I don't want it above 80 for him.

Actually, random second question- how DO you know when a mantis is sleeping? Reaper Man is hanging upside down (kinda? Two legs on the mesh and two on the acrylic) and is being very still. Hasn't moved in a while, and I think he's asleep? But can you tell? He was responding to my presence all day today while I was feeding him and checking him out, but now he doesn't seem to notice me peeking on in.

And here- bonus picture of him on my hand from earlier!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I have timers to let them have dark time. Mantis are a night hunter.

 

[Introvertebrate]

........Mantis are a night hunter.

Interesting Rebecca. I though mantises were visual hunters. I do agree that they should have a day/night cycle, however. Bex, I don't know how warm Ghosts need to be. Is there another way you can provide heat with the light off? Heat tape? A heat pad? I don't think you should rely on the light as your heat source.

 

[Firenkyo]

My ghost has been fine in my poorly heated apartment (it's gotten down to 62°F at night, though I try to avoid that and it's usually at 68°F during nighttime now), so I think yours should be ok with a night cycle!

 

[Bex]

My ghost has been fine in my poorly heated apartment (it's gotten down to 62°F at night, though I try to avoid that and it's usually at 68°F during nighttime now), so I think yours should be ok with a night cycle!

Good to know. It usually sits around 68 to 70 in here overnight, and warmer during the day (like, 71 in general and up to 74 under the lights), but sometimes it just gets COLD. I've had some plants suffer because of it in the past.
I guess if I really had to, I could also move my mantis even further from the window if it came to that. I do like that he gets some nice natural sun where he is for a bit during the day, though. I have the lights off right now, and he seems to have this little activity burst when I shut things off. It's pretty cute!

 

[ANTdrew]

Don’t heat with lights. Get a Zoomed 15 watt heat cable instead.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Don’t heat with lights. Get a Zoomed 15 watt heat cable instead.

Do you run it underneath your enclosures? Do you string it in an 'S' pattern back and forth?

 

[Bex]

Don’t heat with lights. Get a Zoomed 15 watt heat cable instead.

I've been thinking about this, if I need it. Friend who owns a snake and knows quite a bit about inverts as well advised this, along with a little thermostat control for it to prevent overheating. My only concern is that I use acrylic enclosures, not glass, and I'm not sure how the shelf I have my little guy on would hold up to a heat cable. I guess I could always add an additional layer to the back to help heat proof it.

 

[Introvertebrate]

I've been thinking about this, if I need it. Friend who owns a snake and knows quite a bit about inverts as well advised this, along with a little thermostat control for it to prevent overheating. My only concern is that I use acrylic enclosures, not glass, and I'm not sure how the shelf I have my little guy on would hold up to a heat cable. I guess I could always add an additional layer to the back to help heat proof it.

Acrylic might actually hold up to the heat better than glass. Heat can make glass shatter.

 

[ANTdrew]

I’ve never had any issues using heat cables on shelves or acrylic. They don’t get that hot.