# Getting ready for nymphs !!!



## *RYAN* (Aug 21, 2005)

Ok so I have ordered some chinese nymphs and I want to know a few things ... First of all I would like to know how long the babies feed on fruit flies before they move up to slightly larger prey, second is there an approximate time between moltes ?! so yea this is my first mantis and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on chinese or mantids in general ? anything I should look out for ??? Thank you very much !!


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## infinity (Aug 21, 2005)

Chinese is one of the most popular mantids here apart from gongy it seems so there are many topics to look at, but in summary...

In my opinion, feed on fruit flies until they look like they've outgrown them - after the second or third moult should be fine - you can feed them beyond that but it will just take a LOT more fruit flies - I figure it to be about 2-3 times as many as the last instar could eat (1st = 1 or 2, 2nd = 2 to 4, 3rd = 4 to 8)

Moult time is roughly about 2-3 weeks per moult... My newborns took about 15 days, and some about 20 days later still haven't gone...

Best advice from me is to make sure there's at least some humidity... they seem to be working well for me just in the washer room (so a little humidity) but at least 5 have got their legs caught in their sheds due to humidity (or just bad luck) - salvaged a few though by helping once the skin is dry but it's fiddly...

And if you plan on keeping about 20-30 as I am... make sure you have a feeding/ watering/ shedding rota... it really helps to know when they shed last, when they were fed last etc- because they all do it at different times


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## garbonzo13 (Aug 21, 2005)

Ryan, hope you have better luck than I did. I only had 4 hatch out of 2 Ooths and 1 survived, but I don't know what I'm doing. I am a noob also :wink: .


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## Samzo (Aug 21, 2005)

Garbonzo, that could of been just a bad oothecae.


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## infinity (Aug 21, 2005)

yeah, could just be a bad ooth... I have one at the mo... I REALLY want it to hatch... I got two at the same time and one gave me 60... the other... nothing... but hey, I have 20 mantids right now so i guess it would be too much if they did anyway!


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## garbonzo13 (Aug 21, 2005)

I know it could have been 1 BAD ooth but dang...2 bad ooths and still waiting on the 3rd that I had refrigerated for 2 weeks to give me more time to get prepared.. This tends to be very frusterating.


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## Samzo (Aug 21, 2005)

what L are they infinity, garbonzo where did you get the ooths from?


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## garbonzo13 (Aug 21, 2005)

Wormman


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## Samzo (Aug 21, 2005)

is that a website or what? lol


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## worldofmantis (Aug 21, 2005)

www.wormman.com


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## garbonzo13 (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks Chris, :wink:


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## worldofmantis (Aug 21, 2005)

lol np


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## *RYAN* (Aug 21, 2005)

thanks guys for the help now i think im ready and I cant wait to get my first mantids !


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