# When should I change from fruitflies to a bigger kind of food?



## Hikari012 (Dec 6, 2007)

My Chinese mantis is currently at L4 and is still eating fruitflies. I'm having a big feeling that when he grows even bigger, he'll need to change to a bigger food. When should I change the type of food...and what kind of food should I give him? :blink:


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 6, 2007)

Change him now to house flies and small crickets, he can handle them, mine are a week old and are eating hydei


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## Rick (Dec 7, 2007)

Whenever you feel they can take a bigger food.


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## Mantida (Dec 7, 2007)

Hikari said:


> My Chinese mantis is currently at L4 and is still eating fruitflies. I'm having a big feeling that when he grows even bigger, he'll need to change to a bigger food. When should I change the type of food...and what kind of food should I give him? :blink:


My male took small-ish dragonflies at L5, so he should be alright with a transition. You will find that chinese will be fairly aggressive, I took him out one day as a subadult and he caught a lizard.


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## macro junkie (Dec 7, 2007)

use the size of half its body to determine food size..your mantis should be eating full size house flys now.


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## macro junkie (Dec 7, 2007)

mantida said:


> My male took small-ish dragonflies at L5, so he should be alright with a transition. You will find that chinese will be fairly aggressive, I took him out one day as a subadult and he caught a lizard.


how did it catch a dragon fly? :blink: out side?


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## idolomantis (Dec 7, 2007)

my giant asian l6 female from 7.1 cm eated a grasshopper from 7.5 cm(3'')


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## Hikari012 (Dec 7, 2007)

Oh, okay. Thanks for the info guys.


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## Mantida (Dec 7, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> how did it catch a dragon fly? :blink: out side?


Nono, he caught the lizard outside. It happened to be passing by the bush he was on.

He caught the dragonflies I caught for him before. It would be cool to see him tackle one outside, though.


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