# Amazing idea for an amazing shelter



## Quake (Sep 9, 2008)

I have this big old bookshelf I used to use, and then it ended up being covered in nick-knacks and old documents, so recently I cleaned it off and turned it into a wall to practice spray painting on. After it lost it's usage for that, I moved it out of its room to be thrown away, and today someone mentioned covering the front with wire mesh, using the shelves as dividers, and making a giant habitat for multiple mantids. This will be my project over the next few months, as I get mantids to fill the space, sand off the old paint, and pick up the supplies.

If anyone wants to see pictures when I am finished, give me a ring.

BTW it is 30in wideX12in deepX60in tall! (Imagine how much I would have paid for a habitat that size at a pet store!)


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## mantidsandgeckos (Sep 9, 2008)

Wow, nice idea! :lol:


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 9, 2008)

wow thats a great idea mate

i remember my friend has a booksheld that's in perfect squares(6'Lx7H')(12"x12" squares), kinda like those japanese ones for vases,

well anyways, if you got to a home depot and bought some wire mesh and cover taht up , i dont think it'd be that much at all.

think about it, a whole show enclosure. for liek 20-30 bux at most maybe. that's a great idea man put posts of pics of it when ur done i would liek to see =)


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## The_Asa (Sep 9, 2008)

Little confused, if it's a book shelf, how are you going to get the mantis out or open the 'cage'?


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 10, 2008)

it's custom , so custom make doors =)

and feeder holes!


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## Rick (Sep 10, 2008)

Are the mantids in containers on the shelves or just loose in there? If they are free in there I can't see it working to well.


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

I would make a balsa frame over the mesh, to give it some stbility, and build little doors over the mesh, which I can cut out and make little latches on. The Mantis will be free in the enclosure, becuase the bookshelf IS the container.

I also am going to dril holes in the sides and cover with mesh or plastic (haven't decided the benefits of either) to put a lamp in each section.


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

I also thought of how dry my house gets in the winter, and how humidity can seep out of an open enclosure, so I am going to buy a humidity stone for each section.

They are little vibrating stones that you put in a dish of water, and they make a foggy mist, pure humidity, and they last forever, just add more water.


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## collinchang635 (Sep 10, 2008)

Quake said:


> I also thought of how dry my house gets in the winter, and how humidity can seep out of an open enclosure, so I am going to buy a humidity stone for each section.They are little vibrating stones that you put in a dish of water, and they make a foggy mist, pure humidity, and they last forever, just add more water.


Is it like a humidifier? (The machine that produces foggy mist)


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 10, 2008)

see that bookcase? just put some wire mesh over all of the fronts, and make some doors real quick ( i think if u make the door half the size that book case

shelf it should be good with feeder holes) lets see what kinda bookcase u have buddy! GOODLUCK POST PICS SOON!


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

it is like a humidifier, but it takes a lot less energy, because it takes watch batteries, a lot smaller, and I can put it right inside the enclosure, and the mist is thinner. The cool thing is they only cost about $15


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## Rick (Sep 10, 2008)

Please post pics when done. Are the lamps for heat or light? If for heat they will dry it out even more.


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## mrblue (Sep 10, 2008)

you should knock out one or two of the shelves to make a couple of larger containers, for maybe some p.paradoxa or g.gongylodes! if youre handy enough (and you sound like you are) to pull it off well then it sounds like a nice creative (not to mention money-saving) idea. ive thought about doing similar stuff but i'm not really handy enough to knock together the front doors. the main drawback i have thought of about doing this kind of thing is that bookshelves are not very deep. but beggars cant be choosers i guess. would love to see pics of the finished thing, good luck!


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

The lamps would be for light, and for heat during the correct time of year, but in the winter the reason it is dry is because I keep the heat in my house fairly high. So during the winter I will have the humidity stones, and some 25 watt bulbs(since my room is dark), and then come spring and fall I will use heater bulbs.

And the shelf thing is taken care of, it wasn't an expensive bookshelf, just a laminated fiberboard one from office depot I bought years ago for about $10. they run about $25 now, but the shelves move around and are mounted on pegs. I plan to make one big one in the center, since the middle shelf is screwed in, and then use that for breeding/ a larger adult species. And then I will have room for about 3-5 smaller habitats for small mantids or youngins.

The overall project will cost me not even $150.

$5 for more sandpaper and balsa wood framing (I have a sander already)

$20 for screen (a 25 foot roll which should leave me a lot of leftovers for any other ideas)

$10 for the drill bit to open a hole big enough for a lamps

$50 for extra lamps, I already have 2

$30 for multiple humidity stones

$5 for non toxic caulking, staples and furniture nails to secure the mesh tightly.

And after that I will have a habitat that I would probably have paid a few hundred dollars on.

If it works out in the end, I will be wanting to invest in some African,, Budwing, and/or wide Armed mantids. Once I become familiar with caring for the ones I have, that is.


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

My bookshelf is very similar to this one.

I thought they were a bit cheaper, but it must have been a while since I checked.

either way, I a making roughly an 85 gallon habitat.


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## The_Asa (Sep 10, 2008)

Will the wood mold with all the mist and humidity?


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 10, 2008)

i dont think the case should mold if it is clearcoated first =)


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## Quake (Sep 10, 2008)

It is laminated wood, and I could give it a coat or two of scotch guard if I need.


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 10, 2008)

i think ur good if it's laminated =)


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## Quake (Sep 12, 2008)

I just measured all the spots for affixing shelves, and if I put everything on the first peg, I will have 5 enclosures of the following sizes:

12inH X 29inW X 11in D

13inH X 29inW X 11in D

14inH X 29inW X 11in D

12inH X 29inW X 11in D

11inH X 29inW X 11in D

Each roughly the size of a 15 gallon tank, but I will most likely knock out somee shelves to make atleast one group home/ breeding chamber.


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## Quake (Sep 12, 2008)

I was thinking of painting each section a different color, instead of just sanding it down, because taking off the old paint may take off the lamination, and cause swelling and mold  .

Is it iokay to paint an enclosure, or will it somehow harm the mantids? I know they won't try and eat it or something, but would any lingering fumes or dust transfer to the mantid harm it?


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 12, 2008)

why not use uhmm fish background instead? or any kinda background? wallpaper, stencils,

be creative =P


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## Quake (Sep 12, 2008)

I was going to lay a layer of spraypaint or house paint down to make it more waterproof, because I realized there is a part at the top where I took a small chunk out, probably from moving it around or what I had in it at one point, but that exposed the wood. So I was going to waterproof it and then paint a background of plants like you would normally do in a fish tank.


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 12, 2008)

OhhHhHhH :mellow: 

that sounds cool, you know how to airbrush? that makes it look really sick. i think if you repaint with housepaint let dry and then airbrush or just brush

paint it on, you'd be good i keep thinking you're gonna spray can it haha. that to me would seem unsafe, although bursh paint on the other hand, seems

way safer to me =P

oh yeah if you do choose to spray paint let dry for a while. dont u just hate the smell of spray paint? i use to spray paint lip kits for cars and stuff. I like to brush paint a lot better, im not as scared to **** up


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## Quake (Sep 12, 2008)

I am not amazing at airbrushing, but my friend has a kit, and I have some experience from using it. I am thinking just laying down a layer of white, then some shading with black and brown, and then handpaint on plants.


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 12, 2008)

yeah you should be good, lets see when ur done!


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## d0rk2dafullest (Sep 25, 2008)

Hey was wondering hows ur enclosure going?


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## Quake (Apr 4, 2009)

Sorry guys. I let my first 2 mantids grow while I focused on school. (My first year of college)

I am going to get back to the project, but due to the chunk of laminate and wood missing I mentioned before, the shelf swelled a little from humidity and the work. I thought about it, and termites, mold, and such things are a danger now, so I am going to finish the project on a smaller shelf. Same height and depth, but a lot less wide, which is good for keeping single mantids anyway.

Remind me to post updates :blink:


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