# Two Big of a tank??



## Oneida

ive been told that if was to divide a 40gallon tall tank it would be too big for mantis.

could someone please tell me WHY

and after i get bottom of tank fixed i plan to show you all what it will look like


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## PseudoDave

I think it's mainly because it's harder for the mantis to find food. This of course can be rectified by providing lots of food, which in turn can make a heck of a mess with dying food animals rotting in the tank, it's your call really, maintenance wise.

Dave


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## Ian

Also, i have been told that if the area provided for the mantis is to large, it will attempt flight, and fly into the glass side, and injusr, if not kill itself. Can anyone back me up on this one???

Cheers,

Ian


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## Exotic-Mantis

Hey,

I have never heard of that Ian, though i have heard of the food thing Dave. I mean if you have alot of time and enough money i guess you can do it, flies would be better as the mantids most of the time can eat them whole without making such a mess.

Thanks

Eros


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## Rick

The only downside will be the food issue.


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## Oneida

what about keeping more than one mantis in an area?? how big is a mantis home range in the wild??


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## Steve

A wild mantids "territory" is dependant on two main things: availability of food, and the amount of preferred vegitation. They don't really establish a specific territory though. They pretty much go where the food goes, while avoiding potential hazards. For the first few instars they do a lot of wandering, often more than fifty yards or so from their birthplace. This all depends on each species though. Once they get a bit older, they tend to settle into a general area of a few yards or so (food and hazards permitting). Their "territories" often overlap and cannibalism often occurs if food is scarce.


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## Oneida

Is there any chance what so ever of keeping few together in each side of divided 40 gallion tank, if the food is abundent??


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## PseudoDave

If you were keeping something like gongylus, then you could keep more than a couple in there. They are communal, but are best fed on a diet of flying insects (flies, smallish moths etc) and kept very hot (compared to most mantids). They require a bit more work, but if you've got the space and time then they're very rewarding.

Best wishes,

Dave


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## Oneida

Well i was oginally gonna buy some African Giants, but in preping my tank, i busted the buttom out of it, and had to get that fixed, now that thats fixed i cannt afford to mail order any mantid, so i am gonna go to local garden/greenhouse supply and get come mantid eggs, no clue what kind it will be, with luck it will say on the box.

Right now my set up is come common Ivy plants, come kinda Grass lookin bland, on once side i have a Venus Flytrap, that Tank is as i have said before, a 40 gallon TALL tank, i used a piece of Plexiglass to divide and did so at an angle, perhaps i can get a few pics for ya as my discriptive ablity is much lacking


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## PseudoDave

Dont let your nymphs gather for parties around the venus fly trap... :twisted:

The tank sounds fine mate, give us some piccies once it's all done


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## Orin

Food is a big one. Other issues with too big of cages include increased difficulty in regulating and judging humidity and improper molting surfaces and damage issues (depending on decoration choice).


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## Steve

Very true. But if a large tank were furnished with many live plants (other than succulents), then regulating humidity shouldn't be a problem.


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## Orin

Transpiration of an insane number of plants wouldn't be sufficient in high airflow or really low humidity situations.


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## Steve

I never said plants alone take care of the humidity. All I'm saying is that the more plants that are in the enclosure, the more stable the humidity will be. Of course misting or other humidifying methods are still needed! Sorry for the confusion! :wink:


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## Oneida

Though i dont have Temp/Humidity gages, i did plant some Thyme on one sonde of the setup, and in 3 days the seeds germinated and are now little green things on the dirt, I hope that says something

temp is around 70-75 year round from previous experence if i recall correct humity was around 60-70%, ill be able to verify this after i get gages again


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