# Plants/flower suitable for orchid mantis?



## Matt86 (Jan 13, 2017)

I've tried using a small orchid plant in my exo terra nano but it's died after 3 weeks. Is there any other plant that is more suitable and easy to manage for this species? 

Thanks


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## Teamonger (Jan 13, 2017)

After a having similar problems with all my plant choices dying on me I did some research to try to maintain some live plants. 

I think flowers are always going to be a problem unless they are fake unfortunately. The only one I could point you to that is a "flower" is a peace Lilly. They have a reputation of being unkillable. I'm going to pick one up myself in the next few days and see how it goes.

http://www.proplants.com/guide/peace-lily-care-guide

Other then that I have personally had a lot of success with English ivy and spider plants in my habitats. Not very colorful but they survive.


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## crabbypatty (Jan 13, 2017)

I've been getting realistic looking plants, real plants are too much of a hassle. There are really nice realistic looking silk orchids at Costco that I've seen, or look online.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 13, 2017)

I agree, they dont need real plants, they are nice, but not needed.


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## Matt86 (Jan 13, 2017)

Thank you everyone! ??


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## CosbyArt (Jan 14, 2017)

Teamonger said:


> ...
> 
> Other then that I have personally had a lot of success with English ivy and spider plants in my habitats. Not very colorful but they survive.


Same here with the spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) which do get white flowers on them.  I purchased 6 little potted spider plants in Styrofoam cups for $0.05 - $0.99 each (sold at a plant table at a local 2nd hand store) some in late November and the a few a month ago and they are doing fine in with my fluorescent grow light. I just water them when I do my mantids and they are doing great after the initial shock of the new environment.

I've tried many local wild plant varieties and none did very well on just the glow light.

For the soil I find using what the plant came with was fine, I just fill in the bottom of the habitat with more organic compost soil, and add a 1/2" layer of sphagnum peat moss on top of that for the outer layer to help hold in moisture and prevent any issues with my mantids on the soil.


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## Ranitomeya (Jan 15, 2017)

What kind of orchid are you trying to use? Most of the regularly available orchids you find available thrive when neglected by the average consumer because they hate being kept damp--many of them die because their new owners think they need to be watered more frequently than they actually need to be. Orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis for example, need to be allowed to dry out a little before watering or else the roots suffocate, rot, and the plant dies. The more humid the enclosure, the lower the frequency of water for most orchids. Terrestrial orchids such as those in the Paphiopedilum genus do much better in damp, low light conditions as long as they're not waterlogged. If you like misting or spraying your enclosures frequently to provide your mantis with water and humidity, most warm-growing orchids will not appreciate it unless you have excellent ventilation. There are a lot of neat cool-growing orchids that would love constantly damp enclosures, but their optimal temperature ranges fall short of the temperatures preferred by orchid mantises.

The most overlooked part of keeping an orchid in an enclosure is the type of substrate. You need to provide them with substrate that drains well. Coconut fiber and peat won't work since it suffocates orchid roots, but coconut husk and bark would work with the large air pockets it creates. Long fiber Sphagnum moss can sometimes work, but it depends on the type of orchid and whether it's fluffed up or compacted.

I've personally used Bifrenaria harrisoniae when housing my female orchid mantises. They're hardy orchids with roots that can handle wetter conditions and they have excellent leaf surface area for oviposition. The only downside is that they bloom once a year and their wonderfully fragrant flowers do not last very long. I use them more for utility rather than for aesthetics, but their growth habit makes them interesting to look at even if they aren't in bloom.


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