# Ootheca substrate



## HempKnight (May 28, 2007)

I have another question 8)...... I have some Chinese Mantis oothecas that I purchased from a local garden store. I figured I would start small then go to a little bit harder stuff as soon as I get the basics down. I decided to hang the two ooth with string inside a 10g tank. Now my question is what type of substrate is best. I heard a lot of people say use moist paper towels. What my store uses for a lot of breeding projects is this substrate called Ecoearth. It is coconut husk shredded up. It stays extremely moist as where paper towels can dry up really fast. I just wanted to hear everyone else’s opinion. THANKS AGAIN!!


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## Ben.M (May 28, 2007)

Some people use,

Cotton wool- doesnt hold moisture very long

Paper towel- doesnt keep a steady humidity

Ecoearth- holds moisture quite well so is a good choice

Vermiculite- holds moisture very well and its what i hav always used with my ooth's and hav always had success with them  

There are many more things that people use but its up to you


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## HempKnight (May 28, 2007)

I didn't think about Vermiculite. I use that on reptile eggs. Thanks


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## OGIGA (May 28, 2007)

A lot of breeders here prefer sphagnum moss. It's not as cheap as I wish, but it holds a lot of water and releases moisture slowly.

Personally, I don't even worry about substrate.


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## Rick (May 29, 2007)

In my experience the best to use is moist spahgnum moss. Comes in a dry "brick' and holds a lot of water.


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