# Diabolica Set-up



## animalexplorer (Feb 22, 2011)

I've been inspired by some of the gang here. Paul


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## Mex_Ghost (Feb 22, 2011)

Nice Terrarium..... is Humidity... a little bit low?

saludos


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## animalexplorer (Feb 22, 2011)

I have it range from 40-70° I just sprayed so it will go up from the 43° that you are reading. I'm also concidering a different Temperature/Humidity gauge as well as the placement of it. The one you see inside is L7♀ she's doing fine.


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## [email protected] (Feb 22, 2011)

Awesome!


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## warpdrive (Feb 22, 2011)

I think it's quite nice.

Harry


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## animalexplorer (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks! Unfortunately these terrariums have these gaps on the hinge side of the front glass doors and I have to plug them up to keep up the warmer temps. There are 3 heat sources involved from a UVA, UVB light and a heat external heatpad that is attached on the outside. I just got some moss that I will incorporate into the substate setup, this will hold more moisture and hopefully I'll have a more steady humid level.


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## cuervo (Feb 22, 2011)

wow that is nice :lol:Now you inspired me.


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## warpdrive (Feb 22, 2011)

animalexplorer said:


> Thanks! Unfortunately these terrariums have these gaps on the hinge side of the front glass doors and I have to plug them up to keep up the warmer temps. There are 3 heat sources involved from a UVA, UVB light and a heat external heatpad that is attached on the outside. I just got some moss that I will incorporate into the substate setup, this will hold more moisture and hopefully I'll have a more steady humid level.


yes, I'm using Spagnum moss and it holds the humidity up quite well.

Harry


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## animalexplorer (Feb 22, 2011)

I'm putting together another one just for moulting. I'm calling it the 'Mantid Moulting Mansion'.


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## Colorcham427 (Feb 22, 2011)

I really love how it looks, so pretty and neat lol. It's fun setting up nice enclosures now aint it!?  

I want to ask you, and kind of warn you, those decorations are a little close to one another. Idolomantids are by far one of the clumsiness and lol.. stupid.. species I've ever owned. The larger they get, the less coordinated they appear to be unless they have plenty of room.

I suggest moving a lot of that nice looking stuff far a part. As long as there isn't any gaps where it's too small for their molting process to be completed, you are A OK.

It's nice to see the glass! No wall molting and NO need for morning mistings! Nice job and keep us all updated on your Idolo journey.  

Any reason why you have a UVB light? UVA give a nice bright look inside cages, but what is the UVB for?


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## animalexplorer (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks for the heads up Brian. I wont use this display for their moulting, it is not really set up to their advantage. This is just to show them off in, plus let them stretch their long legs. The ceiling is mostly unobstructed and if you look there are lots of real branches that they can cling onto with ease. Currently I'm working on another setup that will be set up just for the moulting process. The funny thing about this set up is, if you look at the vine going from the bottom up it's set like an inclining roller coaster ride. I set BB flies that have not developed their flying skills yet on the second turning vine, instincfully they start heading upward to the top following the twine path where the mantids lay in wait, it's like clockwork everytime. Quite honestly I really couldn't tell you if there is a benefit to the mantids when using UVA. I used it because I needed to bring in more heat and I had a spare light and it just happened to be UVA. I just started getting back into mantids again so I need to be bumped in the right direction, that's why I'm here. Lot's of knowledgable people at the Mantid Forum.


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## sporeworld (Feb 22, 2011)

Outstanding!

I'm with Brian on keeping it sparse - and how very clumsy they are... I suppose with a single specimen, there's less to worry about.

I think the whole twigs-on-the-top thing is perfect! Credit where it's due... was that Precarious that came up with it originally...?

To do it over again, I'd have even thinner branches on the top - I've got some artificial grape vines I'm working with now. I like how thin they are, but they give a little too much. I also use the coiled vines, but they don't seem to like molting from it. Interesting.

BTW, so far, my single Idolo specimen (watched VERY closely) has molted L2, L3, and L4 with _exactly_ 18 days between each molt - like clockwork. Two days motionless before molting. About 40 hours before getting an appetite.


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## Mr.Mantid (Feb 22, 2011)

Hey AnimalExplorer,

You mentioned in one of your recent posts about a heat pad? I need something to keep up the temps for my ghost ooths. What kind of heatpad did you get?

Thanks,

Mr.Mantid


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## animalexplorer (Feb 23, 2011)

I'm using a mini heatpat a zoomed RH-7(4 watt) I put it on the lower side of the terrarium which is the Exo Terra All-Glass Terrarium 12X12X18. You have an option of putting underneath the terrarium or on the side, I chose the latter. If you put it underneath you might damage the furniture that you have your setup on. The terrariums that I got have a nice raised bottom so if you do decide to put it underneath the plug in cord will not have the weight of the terrarium sitting on it as they incorporated a gap for a power cord.


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## animalexplorer (Feb 23, 2011)

Sporeworld said:


> Outstanding!
> 
> I'm with Brian on keeping it sparse - and how very clumsy they are... I suppose with a single specimen, there's less to worry about.
> 
> ...


I saw a couple of others do it so I thought it made a lot of sense putting it in as well, I believe(The Gex Files) was the first one that I noticed but then precarious could of been the first to post? It looks crammed but it's not, the mantid has almost the whole top to run around with little obstruction. I am adding another terrarium where they will have plenty of room to molt, after they will be set up in their own enclosures. Changes will be made as I observe what I think is their likes and dislikes as they move about their terrarium. I also moved the temp/hum reader for 2 reasons, it was getting incurate results and it was blocking the view.  

The diabolica were right around 18-21 days up until their last moults. The male was about 30 days to reach L7(Last moult). I did not know I had a male until he reached L6. I'm still waiting for the females to get to L8.


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## Mr.Mantid (Feb 24, 2011)

animalexplorer said:


> I'm using a mini heatpat a zoomed RH-7(4 watt) I put it on the lower side of the terrarium which is the Exo Terra All-Glass Terrarium 12X12X18. You have an option of putting underneath the terrarium or on the side, I chose the latter. If you put it underneath you might damage the furniture that you have your setup on. The terrariums that I got have a nice raised bottom so if you do decide to put it underneath the plug in cord will not have the weight of the terrarium sitting on it as they incorporated a gap for a power cord.


Interesting. I will have to get some of these for winter heating.


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## d17oug18 (Feb 24, 2011)

didnt see anyone else post this, nice touch with putting diabolica on the cage =)


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## animalexplorer (Mar 1, 2011)

Latest Update: I included a plastic container that covers 1/3 of the bottom of the terrarium, I packed this full of water soaked spagnum moss for water retention, this will help to build up and maintain humid levels as suggested by other members. I also roll two 8 1/2 x 10 sheets of paper into a tube that I wedge into the gaps of the window doors to trap in the humidity. There are also vents just below the door that I need to cover with some tape. Last but not least is the top because it has a screen top, I covered half of it with a piece of cardboard that fits nicely without distraction and again help maintain higher levels of humidity. I've decided to use this terrarium for the molting process. When the mantids are about to molt, I will remove most the decorative plants and add a strategic matrix of branches. I'm thinking something more permanent with custom cutout foam strips I can adhere to the glass where the window doors have the gaps, that way I wont have to keep re-adjusting the rolled paper tubes when they fall out every time I open the doors.


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## weathmatth (Mar 16, 2011)

Great looking setup  , think i might copy some of your ideas lool.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 17, 2011)

I pretty much got the ideas from the forum members guapoalto049, The Gex Files, precarious. Although I have made modification that are slighty different. I do agree with people on this forum that it is not a good idea to use this kind of setup for diabolica when they are molting. You should have another separate setup just for the molting process, one with less obstuctions. A clever branch configuration is important for this species as well as branch surface and diameter.


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## sporeworld (Mar 23, 2011)

Any updates on this enclosure...?


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## animalexplorer (Mar 23, 2011)

Here is an addition that helps keep more heat inside the terrarium. I have noticed that the gaps in each individual terrarium is not consistant. I have to stuff paper in the cracks on the hinge sides of the glass doors to cope with some of the heat loss, and because idolos like the warmer temperature ranges up in the 90's I created a cardboard cutout with the combination of a hockey puck light to generate more heat plus trap in more humidity keeping the levels higher for longer periods of time.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 23, 2011)

Here is the tray of spagnum moss that I wet down to help increase and maintain humidity levels. I set up a heating pad on the right side of the terrarium where the moss is which helps maintain the night time humidity &amp; heat.

Also added a auto timer that turns lights on 7:00am and off at 8:00PM

Temp/Hum gauge is set in back top to get better readings. I figure the mantids spending most the time on the ceiling substrate, plus they molt, what it always seems, is the highest spot they can perch.


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 23, 2011)

I never seen anything like it in all my born days!


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## sporeworld (Mar 23, 2011)

You can also just line the bottom of the cage with wax paper or foil, and put the moss and such on top of it. That way you can scoop out the whole thing and clean or throw it away.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 23, 2011)

With a container holding the moss, if it ever gets moldy I can just remove it, dump it out, clean it, put fresh moss and replace it with little disturbance to the mantid(s). I don't have to worry about cleaning the whole bottom of the terrarium and reduce contamination issues. Thanks for the advice, always good to hear about alternative solutions.


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## sporeworld (Mar 24, 2011)

Presumably, you still have to clean the bottom of droppings, waste, skin and such. How do you do that?


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## animalexplorer (Mar 24, 2011)

Clean it after the mantid molts. This set-up is for molting, I have other terrariums plus recently acquired castle net cages to keep them in. I'm referring to cleaning out the spagnum moss with ease if it gets moldy with little disturbance to the mantid during it's transition. We are all trying different ways and everything imaginable is concidered when trying to succeed with this species as it molts to its final stage as an adult.


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## sporeworld (Mar 24, 2011)

animalexplorer said:


> Clean it after the mantid molts. This set-up is for molting, I have other terrariums plus recently acquired castle net cages to keep them in. I'm referring to cleaning out the spagnum moss with ease if it gets moldy with little disturbance to the mantid during it's transition. We are all trying different ways and everything imaginable is concidered when trying to succeed with this species as it molts to its final stage as an adult.


Ah, I get it now. Forgot the part about it just for molting.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 24, 2011)

Sporeworld said:


> Ah, I get it now. Forgot the part about it just for molting.


I mentioned earlier in the thread that I'm putting together another terrarium just for moulting, thanks to other peoples recomendations and ideas I'm doing that, and the results are being posted in this thread.


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## animalexplorer (Mar 24, 2011)

Here's an image of one of my female idolos that is curently in the molting terrarium.


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## sporeworld (Mar 24, 2011)

Gorgeous! I think she winked at me!


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