# Very interested in building a tropical or sub-tropical terrarium or vivarium for a tropical mantis



## broderickgil (Sep 19, 2009)

Hello, I'm new to the wonderful world of mantids, and I would love to build a tropical style terrarium or vivarium for a tropical type of mantis. I was wondering if you guys could tell me all the supplies (substrates,plants,lighting, filtration, water, mantis type, and food) I will need for completing this terrarium or vivarium. thanks a lot guys!!!


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## agent A (Sep 19, 2009)

Well I have a 55 gallon tank that I'm gonna put moist paper towels and fake vine things in and I'm gonna use a screen and I'm gonna put in ghost mantids and every other day I'll mist in there and I'll add food. Hope this helps.


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## Rick (Sep 19, 2009)

agent A said:


> Well I have a 55 gallon tank that I'm gonna put moist paper towels and fake vine things in and I'm gonna use a screen and I'm gonna put in ghost mantids and every other day I'll mist in there and I'll add food. Hope this helps.


I doubt that helps him. I doubt that is his idea of a tropical terrarium.

Welcome to the forum. There is a large thread around here somewhere about this.


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## Katnapper (Sep 19, 2009)

broderickgil said:


> Hello, I'm new to the wonderful world of mantids, and I would love to build a tropical style terrarium or vivarium for a tropical type of mantis. I was wondering if you guys could tell me all the supplies (substrates,plants,lighting, filtration, water, mantis type, and food) I will need for completing this terrarium or vivarium. thanks a lot guys!!!


Welcome to the forum, broderickgil... nice to have you here.  You ought to introduce yourself on the Introduction section, btw.  

There was a very long and involved, detailed discussion thread by Tony on vivariums not too long ago in the forums. If you use the search feature and type in the words "terrarium vivarium", you'll come up with this page: http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?ac...rarium+vivarium

I believe if you look through the results, you'll find it... and a whole lot more. Best of luck to you, and again welcome.


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## bassist (Sep 19, 2009)

_Deroplatys lobata _or _Hymenopus coronatus _those two would look great in a vivarium but keep your options open.


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## broderickgil (Sep 19, 2009)

Thanks a lot guys, now I know the difference between a vivarium and a terrarium, and I'm deffinatly going to get a vivarium can anybody help me out with some supplies I need?


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## tonyi (Sep 23, 2009)

Broderickgil,

It's not just a matter of supplies. A vivarium needs to be constructed in a proper manner, otherwise you'll get problems with dying plants, mold, bad smell, etc. I suggest to dedicate a few weeks to reading up on the subject. Study how others have built their vivariums and learn from that. A good place to start is the "Parts &amp; Construction" forum at Dendroboard (http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/). Skip everything that deals with waterfalls or water features though, you don't want your mantis to drown. I also suggest that you stick to hand spraying for this first construction, it makes things less complicated.

Most of the supplies you need are available in aquarium shops and stores that sell flowers and garden supplies. First of all you need a suitable container. An aquarium or terrarium would do nicely. The lighting can be bought in an aquarium shop. It will be expensive, quite possibly more expensive than the aquarium or terrarium itself, but it's a good investment. Without sufficient lighting, the vivarium will look dull and the plants will lack luster, or even die outright. After that, the rest is relatively cheap. A layer of LECA/hydroton to cover the bottom 1-2 inches, then a layer of mosquito web (or something similar) to prevent the substrate from mixing with the bottom layer. On top of that, a mixture of bark chips (without fertilizer or other additives), coco fibres and peat moss. A commercial orchid substrate mix will most likely do just fine, but make sure it doesn't have any fertilizer or other chemicals added.

You may also need something to get access to the bottom layer in case you need to drain water. I use the top of a plastic bottle for that, like this;












It's hidden under a layer of moss but easily accessible whenever I need it. One of the most important things to understand is that the substrate should NEVER be in direct contact with the excess water. That's what the LECA/Hydroton layer is intended to prevent. If that happens, nasty bacteria will start to multiply and the vivarium will smell bad. The plants may also die. So, make sure you have some way to drain water from the bottom layer.


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## PhilinYuma (Sep 23, 2009)

broderickgil said:


> Thanks a lot guys, now I know the difference between a vivarium and a terrarium, and I'm deffinatly going to get a vivarium can anybody help me out with some supplies I need?


Mantids are not normally kept in vivaria. Join Dendroboard and check their threads, blogs and advertisements. You will find everything you need. If you plan on keeping mantids in it, though, read Tony's original thread very carefully. Do you have any mantids, by the way?


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## Peter Clausen (Sep 24, 2009)

"Tony's Original Thread": http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=13500


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## tonyi (Sep 24, 2009)

I would suggest spending at least 2-3 months learning how to manage a tropical vivarium and the microfauna necessary to make it work, before introducing any mantids.


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