# Ghost mantis tank



## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

hey, i should be recieving 3 ghost mantids in the mail today (2 males and 1 female). I was planning on keeping them communal but i got advised by a few people not too so i came up with this today:







here the lid:






I put the cardboard on the lid because it closes in kinda so they would beable to move to each section by moving to the top.

I was just wondering what you think of it? do you think theyd beable to breathe and stuff?

by the way the 2 sections is to separate the sexes.

I know its abit ###### but its all i could think of for now. I wanted to use a thin materal to put over the top but i really couldnt find anything but this piece of cardboard.


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## Rick (May 27, 2009)

It will work but keep in mind mantids will spend most of their time hanging from the underside of the lid and with that enclosure you won't be able to see them.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Rick said:


> It will work but keep in mind mantids will spend most of their time hanging from the underside of the lid and with that enclosure you won't be able to see them.


yeahh i know  

im gonna try and get something else soon this is just temp hopefully.

there are tiny gaps though.. do you reck they try and get to the other side?


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## Rick (May 27, 2009)

Probably not but it is always possible. See if you can find a sheet of plexiglass and then you can cut that down to fit. That is what I use.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Rick said:


> Probably not but it is always possible. See if you can find a sheet of plexiglass and then you can cut that down to fit. That is what I use.


I dunno what that is ahah


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## Rick (May 27, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> I dunno what that is ahah


Uh plexiglass is plastic glass. Clear plastic. You can usually but it in sheets which you can then cut to fit.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Rick said:


> Uh plexiglass is plastic glass. Clear plastic. You can usually but it in sheets which you can then cut to fit.


ohh cool  ill go look in the garage and see if i can find anything


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## matt020593 (May 27, 2009)

Plastic cups Becky!!!  

Try focus for plexi glass. Just DON'T use selotape, anywhere! It doesn't end well.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Matthew Whittle said:


> Plastic cups Becky!!!  Try focus for plexi glass. Just DON'T use selotape, anywhere! It doesn't end well.


what do you mean? i used a little to full the holes on the carboard on each side but thats it


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## tier (May 27, 2009)

How about air circulation? This is no working mantid enclosure. Take the roof away and use net cage instead.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

tier said:


> How about air circulation? This is no working mantid enclosure. Take the roof away and use net cage instead.


yeah i was planning on doing. this is just temp. im gonna get some tomorrow. what would i use to keep the net roof on and how would i open and close it?

im a little confused about that haha


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## matt020593 (May 27, 2009)

Mantids get stuck to selotape even if there is a little. It could damage there bodies when you try get them off. It happend to me a long time ago when I first started.


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## PhilinYuma (May 27, 2009)

When I first started keeping mantids and joined this forum (only six mos ago!), all the regulars said (and still do) to keep mantids in 32oz (1L) deli cups (the kind that cold drinks come in) with a venilated top and and a 1" (2.5cm) hole cut in the side near the middle or lower end of the cuop that takes a plastic foam bung and is used for feeding. Boring! No interaction for the babies! There must be a more attractive way! Maybe, but this remains the safest, most convenient way to keep mantids in captivity. You can branch out into more exotic enclosures when you are more used to keeping mantids in pots. Some folks just put a coffee filter over the top and secure it with a rubber band. You may be able to buy a bunch of these at your local dollar (pound?  ) store and make ventillation holes in the top and sides and cover the top with some kind of fine-mesh screening. You can see pix of this setup on MantisPlace, Hibiscusmile's online store, together with candy(sweet) jars, which take the same size lid and are also good enclosures.

If you get much more advice today, you're going to get dizzy and not be able to study for your A levels!

Good luck!


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## Rick (May 27, 2009)

Yes 32 oz is the best option but I figured she didn't have any or maybe couldn't get them.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Rick said:


> Yes 32 oz is the best option but I figured she didn't have any or maybe couldn't get them.


i have some of half pint cups. well i think they're abit smaller than that but to me that seems abit to small.

ive tryed looking for pint ones but can't really find any.. ill keep looking.

oh and my ghost mantid males just had a little boxing match haha. they wont end up killing each other will they?

they was sharing a branch face to face for about 2 hours before so i thought they got along..


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## PhilinYuma (May 27, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> i have some of half pint cups. well i think they're abit smaller than that but to me that seems abit to small.ive tryed looking for pint ones but can't really find any.. ill keep looking.
> 
> oh and my ghost mantid males just had a little boxing match haha. they wont end up killing each other will they?
> 
> they was sharing a branch face to face for about 2 hours before so i thought they got along..


half pint =8ozs, pint = 16ozs. We're talking about a quart sized cup!  

No! They'll scare each other and run away!


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## matt020593 (May 27, 2009)

Keep them well fed Becky and they should be okay.


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## beckyl92 (May 27, 2009)

Matthew Whittle said:


> Keep them well fed Becky and they should be okay.


haha ill have no problem with feeding..

one of my males ate 4-5 micro crickets today and the rest ate 3  

they'll all really greedy


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