# The Mantis Biotope...



## Wallace Grover (Sep 6, 2010)

If any of you are interested I'm going to document as I go along building this mantis viv. Here is the start after I siliconed the back so the Great Stuff would adhere:












Now all I have to do is wait a week for the GS to cure and expand, then I will smear silicone over it and apply coco-fiber.


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## LauraMG (Sep 6, 2010)

Interesting concept. Can't wait to see the finished product!


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## Jesskb (Sep 6, 2010)

looks like a good start


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 6, 2010)

Oh, thank you both. I forgot to say, this is a 20H and it's going to be vertical...


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## Seattle79 (Sep 6, 2010)

Hmmm....... I see. Very good.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 6, 2010)

I am a little worried about too much humidity though. The cage will be pretty much completely glass except for a 2 inch (or so) vent at the top that goes across the aquarium. Can European or Chinese Mantids stand these conditions?


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## LauraMG (Sep 6, 2010)

Should be fine. May just not have to mist them as often to control humidity, however I haven't had a problem with too much humidity yet. I'm sure more exotic species that are sensitive might, but a Chinese can handle most anything. Just wanna make sure they have at least 3 times their length in the height of your tank for them to molt properly. I made that mistake once and only once.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 6, 2010)

Laura G said:


> Should be fine. May just not have to mist them as often to control humidity, however I haven't had a problem with too much humidity yet. I'm sure more exotic species that are sensitive might, but a Chinese can handle most anything. Just wanna make sure they have at least 3 times their length in the height of your tank for them to molt properly. I made that mistake once and only once.


Good to know then. It's about 2 feet high, so hopefully I won't be getting an 8+ inch mantis


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## LauraMG (Sep 6, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> Good to know then. It's about 2 feet high, so hopefully I won't be getting an 8+ inch mantis


GAWD I hope not! :lol:


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## Jesskb (Sep 7, 2010)

The screen should provide sufficient humidity. I keep my Chinese in divided fish tanks with a screen top and haven't had a problem at all.


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## Rick (Sep 7, 2010)

Interesting. How will the front work? I turned a tank on its side once and never did find a good way to do the front/lid.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 7, 2010)

Rick said:


> Interesting. How will the front work? I turned a tank on its side once and never did find a good way to do the front/lid.


Well, actually I'm using a conversion kit from Jungle Box: My link

But, if any are interested here's a good DIY way to do it: My link


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 9, 2010)

Tomorrow I'll post pics of the Tank since the great stuff is about cured (I'm going to wait till saturday or sunday to coco-fiber and silicone though just in case). Will Post Pics, including a depth pic. I don't think the tank has enough branches though. Even though it'll be pretty lushly planted I want to find a branch or stick I like, wash it really well, and then bake it. I hope to have one happy mantis :lol:


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 24, 2010)

My Praying Mantis construction is finally DONE!!!
















This vivarium will house a chinese praying mantis. I had the theme of "temperate" and will choose ferns, and other plants that help execute this theme further. The wood, pine cones, and pine needles were locally collected. I baked, then freezed, then (in the case of the needles and cones) boiled. Hope you like it!!


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## LauraMG (Sep 24, 2010)

Very cool!


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## massaman (Sep 25, 2010)

Nice mantis image but not a lady ga ga fan heh!


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## PhilinYuma (Sep 25, 2010)

Very nice setup. My only question is how hard/easy it will be to keep clean. I've bought stuff from the guy at Jungle Box. He's very obliging, and it's nice to talk with a real person! Keep us posted.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 25, 2010)

PhilinYuma said:


> Very nice setup. My only question is how hard/easy it will be to keep clean. I've bought stuff from the guy at Jungle Box. He's very obliging, and it's nice to talk with a real person! Keep us posted.


It's 20 gallons, and I will have springtails and wood lice as a clean-up crew. I'm pretty sure the mantis won't eat them all because they mainly reside in the floor and leaf litter, and are quite tiny. So hopefully it will need minimum intervention from me between the bugs and fungi. Stay tuned, I'm getting the clean-up crew this week and the plants within the month!!

PS: The humidity in the tank is around 50%(I expect it to go up a bit once I start spraying it a little more regularly) is this ideal for a Chinese?


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## LauraMG (Sep 25, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> PS: The humidity in the tank is around 50%(I expect it to go up a bit once I start spraying it a little more regularly) is this ideal for a Chinese?


Chinese can do well in that low of a humidity, but that's like normal room humidity and you may want to raise it a bit for molting purposes. Just seems a little too low to me, although as I said Chinese are a very easy and tolerant species. How tall is the biotope? I assume it sits upright, correct?

BTW, one of my mantids is named Lady Gaga :tt2:


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 25, 2010)

Laura G said:


> Chinese can do well in that low of a humidity, but that's like normal room humidity and you may want to raise it a bit for molting purposes. Just seems a little too low to me, although as I said Chinese are a very easy and tolerant species. How tall is the biotope? I assume it sits upright, correct?
> 
> BTW, one of my mantids is named Lady Gaga :tt2:


It's around 2 feet tall. I think I miscalculated the humidity too though... my AcuRite probe seems to only measure temperature via the probe, as opposed to humidity...


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## LauraMG (Sep 25, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> It's around 2 feet tall. I think I miscalculated the humidity too though... my AcuRite probe seems to only measure temperature via the probe, as opposed to humidity...


Uh oh! Well, you can get some cheap gauges at WalMart that do temp and humidity


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 25, 2010)

Well, it is an indoor/outdoor thing... so anyways. I put it in the viv and it shot up to 70%+ (it said it can only measure up to 80%) so I guess thats good...


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## LauraMG (Sep 25, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> Well, it is an indoor/outdoor thing... so anyways. I put it in the viv and it shot up to 70%+ (it said it can only measure up to 80%) so I guess thats good...


That's perfect for the majority of species. Well done dude. It's really beautiful and an awesome idea!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 26, 2010)

Well, I absolutely hate to say, but I'm going to have to sell the viv. It flared up my allergies so bad I started to think I had the flu. The minute I went to a different room I started to feel soo much better.


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## LauraMG (Sep 26, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> Well, I absolutely hate to say, but I'm going to have to sell the viv. It flared up my allergies so bad I started to think I had the flu. The minute I went to a different room I started to feel soo much better.


Oh no! All that work for nothing!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 27, 2010)

Good news! I think I may have been actually sick. Even if I am allergic, it turns out the office (seperate from the house) has no-return air vents, so I can locate it in there...


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## sandisk73 (Jan 2, 2011)

Wallace Grover said:


> If any of you are interested I'm going to document as I go along building this mantis viv. Here is the start after I siliconed the back so the Great Stuff would adhere:
> 
> Now all I have to do is wait a week for the GS to cure and expand, then I will smear silicone over it and apply coco-fiber.


Compliments! Is clear that you are an expert! Very nice work. Can you teach me to make a similar terrarium for my mantids?

Im tuned!


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## animalexplorer (Feb 24, 2011)

Very clever, I like your innovation.


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## weathmatth (Mar 16, 2011)

I agree with animalexplorer


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