# Again about housing multiple mantis together.



## captainmerkin (May 3, 2007)

Just another quick question after seeing a few peoples set ups, would a load of mantis (ie: 5 - 10 orchid) be ok together if well fed in a vivarium 5ft x 2ft x 5ft ?

I understand they may canibalise but is this likely to be a problem in all honesty considering the size of the enclosure and a high amount of food?

Im not going to risk it just yet but have a feeling that it may work..?

(the ghosts I obtained are having a great time and appear very sociable at the moment, but they are non (much) canbalisitic from what I know)


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## Rick (May 3, 2007)

It will not work. I keep a hatched ooth together until they molt a few times. Main reason is so that some of them will get eaten to lower the number of nymphs I have to care for. But if you plan to keep them together and not end up with only one or two then no, it won't work.


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## Peekaboo (May 3, 2007)

> 5ft x 2ft x 5ft ?


Are those measurements right? That's 50 cubic feet of room. At that rate, your mantids will probably starve to death, because they won't find their food.


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## OGIGA (May 3, 2007)

That's a pretty large tank. With orchids, the males are so much smaller than the female, I think they'll be in danger. Other than that, I think it's worth a shot. I definitely want to try it.


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## captainmerkin (May 5, 2007)

> > 5ft x 2ft x 5ft ?
> 
> 
> Are those measurements right? That's 50 cubic feet of room. At that rate, your mantids will probably starve to death, because they won't find their food.


erp slightly off on those measurements think I hit the wrong button..

its 5ft long, around 2ft deep and 2ft high

its pretty big, my ghosts certainly seem to be able to hunt fine in it and my orchid mantis is much more aggressive than they are!


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## Way.Of.The.Mantis (May 5, 2007)

> > > 5ft x 2ft x 5ft ?
> >
> >
> > Are those measurements right? That's 50 cubic feet of room. At that rate, your mantids will probably starve to death, because they won't find their food.
> ...


!! Thats the size of my aquarium - 40 gallons!!!


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## Evil_Berzerker (May 27, 2007)

thats something ive been wondering, i appologise if im interupting the flow of the topic, but ive been wondering if you can actualy keep more than one ghost mantis in the same reasonably sized enclosure without them eating each other because i was wanting to get a couple ghost mantises for that reason but some sites say its ok some say it wont work, so i guess ill ask you guys.


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## hibiscusmile (May 27, 2007)

Maybe u could put them on a leash? :lol: sorry


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## Evil_Berzerker (May 27, 2007)

aye ill chain them to the sides of the tank and they can just stare each other down all day lol


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## OGIGA (May 27, 2007)

Hmm, I have a smaller tank and I put a separator in there. Believe it or not, I tried leashing a mantis before. It got really scared. I don't think this experiment needs to be repeated...


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## Evil_Berzerker (May 27, 2007)

i suppose it would, how would you like it if someone the size of canary wharf grabbed you and put a leash on you, ude try your very pest to run a mile lol


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## captainmerkin (May 30, 2007)

> thats something ive been wondering, i appologise if im interupting the flow of the topic, but ive been wondering if you can actualy keep more than one ghost mantis in the same reasonably sized enclosure without them eating each other because i was wanting to get a couple ghost mantises for that reason but some sites say its ok some say it wont work, so i guess ill ask you guys.


I have 5 P. paradoxa living together in a large tank, there has been no canabalism whatsoever as of yet.

These guys despite what everyone says about them not being able to feed in a huge space does not seem to be true (although I understand the logic!). But certainly they do like to hang around and not chase after their food but the tank has a self sustaining fly colony now which they seem to munch all the time as well as small locusts.

Obviously keep an eye on them incase they do decide to canabalize or are unable to find enough food, but they should be great together (unsure of if they ok together when adult at the moment though)


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## Evil_Berzerker (May 30, 2007)

well i was thinking of havin 2 in a average sized fish tank (bout 12 inches high and 8 wide and 5-6 deep) so there would be plenty of space for them considering theyre small mantises another question i thought of when i was givin my bugs some fresh air in the back garden is you know how they say female mantises cant fly because they get fat with eggs, what if you dont mate them would this still happen but just have infertile eggs, a few miles off topic to be honest but i just thoguht ide ask before i forget lol


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## Butterfly (May 30, 2007)

Evil

I didnt mate my European last year I found her and she was huge. She laid me 5 ooths and none have hatched so far. I found a Stagmomnatis Limbata later in the summer and she laid 3 ooths, 2 of them have hatched so far. So yes in my experience they can and will lay eggs even if they havent been mated.


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## Evil_Berzerker (May 30, 2007)

ah fair doos, glad mines is a male then coz i want him to fly lol thanks


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## captainmerkin (May 31, 2007)

gotta love how you can find European mantis in the wild of the states but none in the bloody woods in the UK.

they are great looking mantis though so hopefully Ill get some in the future if my current stock do well in life!


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