# Exo-Terra 27 litres



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

Hi  

Here is the house of Aluine, my Sphodromantis lineola. This is an Exo-Terra of 30cm x 30cm x 30cm, I'm sorry but I'm not used to US gallons so I'll use centimeters and litres... :blush: 

The ground is made of terrarium sand with a layer of coconut soil (not sure of the english term). For now the real plants are still in pots and the pots are disposed on the soil, I'll do the definitive decoration within a few days.

















I'll probably remove the plastic plant in the angle, it was in the box when I bought the Exo-Terra. Branches comes from a reptile show, where I bought Aluine, I don't know what kind of wood it is.

I'll add moss in the background, I think I'll pin the moss, I'll try and if it doesn't work, never mind. I'll add some moss on the soil too.

I really have difficulties to find some references about my mantis biotope. I always find terrarium exemple but never where they live in the nature. With my fishtanks I like to reproduce natural biotopes and I wish to do something similar for my mantis.

For now I just have a small lamp, I'll recieve the definitive lampe tomorrow or friday. I also bought a heater, I'll see how I install it, behind the background I think, I'm afraid if I install it under the soil it will dry it too fast. Sorry, it's clear in my head in french, hard to express in english...XD

On the picture I take it off but there is a roof made with something I don't know the word in english...lol It's this Exo-Terra : http://www.exo-terra...rarium_mini.php

I also bought Jungle Vines (http://www.exo-terra...ungle_vines.php), I'll add some when I install the plants.

I hope she will be fine in it


----------



## D_Hemptress (Nov 14, 2012)

its lovely


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

D_Hemptress said:


> its lovely


Thank you


----------



## D_Hemptress (Nov 14, 2012)

i have my girl in a small critter case, i wish i could afford something like this for her


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

D_Hemptress said:


> i have my girl in a small critter case, i wish i could afford something like this for her


I bought the Exo-Terra at a reptile show, it was from a shop who closes definitively, so I paid it about 15USD, the normal price is about 90USD in Switzerland. I saw that I had to buy it. There was smaller terrariums but for the same price I have this bigger one  

All the plants comes from plants I have at home, baby plants from bigger plants ^^ So, they are for free...lol

I only have one mantis, I won't breed them (with 20 fishtanks I have no place to do so) so I want to give her the best habitat I can


----------



## D_Hemptress (Nov 14, 2012)

sounds awsome. how could you pass up that deal?! if i could find one like that in the states ide be all over it. i wasnt planning on breeding her but she just layed two ootheca so ive decided to go ahead and do it with the babies if i can.fish tanks take up alot of space. you must have a beautiful home. good luck with your mantis, she will be happy in the habitat you have provided for her


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

D_Hemptress said:


> sounds awsome. how could you pass up that deal?! if i could find one like that in the states ide be all over it. i wasnt planning on breeding her but she just layed two ootheca so ive decided to go ahead and do it with the babies if i can.fish tanks take up alot of space. you must have a beautiful home. good luck with your mantis, she will be happy in the habitat you have provided for her


I don't know how to explain. At the reptile show there was a few stand. A stand was a shop that closes definitively, the boss died and the children were selling all the material for about -90% of the price. But you can find good stuff on the internet and you can also decorate your critter box, you just need a bit of imagination  

You can buy for cheap reptile transport boxes too (I have plenty of the as fishtank hospital), they exists on different sizes up to 15 litres and they costs less that 10USD, it's quite big but it's not made of glass, just plastic.


----------



## angelofdeathzz (Nov 14, 2012)

It is very nice and easy on the eye, but you gave many places to molt too low from? Never the less I like it...


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

angelofdeathzz said:


> It is very nice and easy on the eye, but you gave many places to molt too low from? Never the less I like it...


Molt = loosing old skin, isn't it ?

When the Jungle wine will be installed she will have places to hang at different levels and she can hang on the roof too.


----------



## aNisip (Nov 14, 2012)

belle jungle pardonnez-moi, je sais un peu de francais  et ce que je sais, c'est mal! ....and yes molt = lose old skin!  Nice job!

-Andre


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

AndrewNisip said:


> belle jungle pardonnez-moi, je sais un peu de francais  et ce que je sais, c'est mal! ....and yes molt = lose old skin!  Nice job!
> 
> -Andre


Merci beaucoup  We always know bad things in an other language


----------



## aNisip (Nov 14, 2012)

qu'est-ce que j'ai dit etait mauvais?


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

AndrewNisip said:


> qu'est-ce que j'ai dit etait mauvais?


Ok, I misunderstood...lol You said "all What I know is bad" as if you spoke of bad words..., now I understand what you meant  My mistake ^^


----------



## aNisip (Nov 14, 2012)

Lol i its ok, my French is really rusty  my bad  Je suis egalement l'apprentissage du chinois, il est meilleur que mon francais...


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

Je ne suis pas sûre que le chinois soit plus facile que le français...lol


----------



## aNisip (Nov 14, 2012)

Strangely for mei find it a little easier


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 14, 2012)

AndrewNisip said:


> Strangely for mei find it a little easier


Anyway it must be very interesting to study it


----------



## D_Hemptress (Nov 15, 2012)

Mëluzynn said:


> I don't know how to explain. At the reptile show there was a few stand. A stand was a shop that closes definitively, the boss died and the children were selling all the material for about -90% of the price. But you can find good stuff on the internet and you can also decorate your critter box, you just need a bit of imagination
> 
> You can buy for cheap reptile transport boxes too (I have plenty of the as fishtank hospital), they exists on different sizes up to 15 litres and they costs less that 10USD, it's quite big but it's not made of glass, just plastic.


due to recent management chang ein my apartment i had to disassemble my smaller fish tank, when i got home from work yeaterday i put some mesh on the top and was able to decorate that for her, i also put part of a spider plant in there for her so she can have a live plant. i got the idea from your pitures


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 15, 2012)

D_Hemptress said:


> due to recent management chang ein my apartment i had to disassemble my smaller fish tank, when i got home from work yeaterday i put some mesh on the top and was able to decorate that for her, i also put part of a spider plant in there for her so she can have a live plant. i got the idea from your pitures


Spider plant ? What is it ?


----------



## D_Hemptress (Nov 15, 2012)

Mëluzynn said:


> Spider plant ? What is it ?


i tried to post a picture for you but it wont let me for some reason. but just google "Spider plant"


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 15, 2012)

D_Hemptress said:


> i tried to post a picture for you but it wont let me for some reason. but just google "Spider plant"


Ok, I see


----------



## fleurdejoo (Nov 19, 2012)

Don't know if anyone else reiterated what Angelofdeathz said but sometimes they don't pick the best spot to molt from.


----------



## Mëluzynn (Nov 19, 2012)

I'll see what happend, I really don't know when she will molt...


----------



## angelofdeathzz (Nov 19, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> Don't know if anyone else reiterated what Angelofdeathz said but sometimes they don't pick the best spot to molt from.


Fist bump up high B) You are now a full fledged Jedi! The force is strong with this one...


----------



## Mëluzynn (Dec 8, 2012)

Well, I made some changes in the Exo-Terra since yesterday  

I removed the plastic plant, definitely too artificial for me. I add some jungle wine on the top of the tank.

I pinned the moss on the artificial wall. I used U pins, it seems to work. The moss on the ground is not fixed. the plants still are in their pots, I just cover around them with coconut soil.

The orchid on the left, hanged, is "born at home"' it's called "Keiki"' when baby orchids grows on floral stack. You can see a tiny floral stack, I'll see it get flowering in the tank.

I also installed an automatic watering system, I'll see if it's useful.

Some pictures taken today :


----------



## Mëluzynn (Dec 8, 2012)

Some details. I just add frame and signature, the pictures are raw except that.


----------



## Reptiliatus (Dec 9, 2012)

Wow! Very nice enclosure  .


----------



## Mëluzynn (Dec 9, 2012)

Reptiliatus said:


> Wow! Very nice enclosure  .


Thanks


----------



## gripen (Dec 10, 2012)

Beautiful enclosure! I would only keep adult mantids in it though because moulting may be an issue as there is lots of plant material in the terrarium.


----------



## Mëluzynn (Dec 11, 2012)

gripen said:


> Beautiful enclosure! I would only keep adult mantids in it though because moulting may be an issue as there is lots of plant material in the terrarium.


She's an adult


----------



## Mëluzynn (Jan 8, 2013)

Soon I'll have an orchid flower in the Exo-Terra \o/


----------

