# 10g converted vertically for Ghost Mantis.



## JonRich (Dec 26, 2014)

i had an extra 10g laying around . I went to street fair and picked up some cheap 1/8" glass for about $5. Got a glass cutter from a hardware store for $4.00 similar to this one http://hydestore.com/hyde-tools-45700-carbide-wheel-glass-cutter.html. A metal T-square ( http://www.officesupplyinc.com/aluminum-square-inchmetric-ruler-silver-p-43250.html?utm_campaign=google-product-search-us-en&amp;utm_medium=product_search&amp;utm_source=google-product-search-us-en&amp;gclid=COfCt5GR5MICFaFr7AodwSIABw&amp;redirectCancelled=true ) and a steady hand comes in handy when cutting glass. I ordered "living hinge" from GlassBox for another project and has some left over . I also had some left over galvanize screen.

Materials:

*Standard 10g (or any size tank really ).

*Glass . I went a bit scrappy and cut my own glass. But a local glass place will cut to your measurements .

*Screen (for vented area) . For this project the tank I didn't want it to be as humid . So I went with 1" of screen/vent at the bottom below the base of the hinged door and 2" screen/vent at the top of the tank .

*Living hinge or anything that would make your vert door open and close .

*Silicone

Because this tank is alread built . I'll be using some pictures from present time just to show construction.

You can build the vert kit from the top down or bottom up.

First figure out how much venting you need and cut the screen in rectangle strips that fit snug into the frame of the tank .

Then cut glass to also fit snug into the frame of the tank (door,substrate barrier, and sections to hold the hinge.

Silicone in place and place weighted items to hold in place while the silicone cures.

I used magnets to keep the door in place. For this tank I used strip magnets which lasted about 6 months before one came loose . I've been lazy and use tape to hold it close for now. I have built other tanks using rare earth magnets that work a lot better .

Plant as you see fit . I use HomeDepot plants that I wash throughly to get rid of any pesticides . You can see that the ficus I used was about 5" tall at the time of planting the tank . In the year or see this tank has been going, it's grown quite a bit and now hits the top.

Hope this helps.


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## JonRich (Dec 26, 2014)

I went ahead and made a video . Lol. Should have thought of this before. Lol


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## dmina (Dec 26, 2014)

That was awesome... that is a great home! Thanks for sharing!


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## CosbyArt (Dec 27, 2014)

Great habitat, many thanks for sharing Jon!

Not your typical enclosure but seems easy enough to construct, and very appealing. Only problem I'd have is my Stagmomantis carolina is a ambush predator and would have a long wait for her feeders to get near her.  

Awesome concept though that could easily be applied to a diy project. I've seen 3 and 5 gallon tanks at pet stores that would work wonderfully with this. Or go a step further and simply make my own tank having a local hardware store cut all my glass to custom size (Lowes for me) for a small habitat.

I see many trips to Lowes in the near future.


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## CosbyArt (Dec 27, 2014)

Just found a nearby pet store, PetSmart has a 2.5 gallon glass tank 6.25"L x 12.25"W x 8.25"H for $15. That would save a lot of time and hassle and be ready to add the side/front lid.


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## JonRich (Dec 27, 2014)

CosbyArt said:


> Great habitat, many thanks for sharing Jon!
> 
> Not your typical enclosure but seems easy enough to construct, and very appealing. Only problem I'd have is my Stagmomantis carolina is a ambush predator and would have a long wait for her feeders to get near her.
> 
> ...


Yea . I found that to be a problem also . I sometimes place a small cup with house fly or blue bottle fly pupa in the tank . They will gradually hatch . Then I smear a small amount of fruit paste near where the ghost mantis hangs out . She usually holds the same spot for a few days . The flies will be attracted to the sweet treat and come to her . I also target feed with dubia shish kebabs, lol. I stab them with a toothpick and place it infront of her . She takes it without hesitation. This way I make sure she is getting fed .


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