# Sand?



## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 13, 2007)

I saw a video clip on you tube of a praying mantis. It's habitat had sand. Is it a good idea to use sand over moss for the base of the habitat? I prefer white sand or very clean fine sand!

got decals?


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## Rick (Jul 13, 2007)

Spaghnum moss is my choice.


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## Asa (Jul 13, 2007)

You could use it with the desert species, but its easier to just use moss.


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## OGIGA (Jul 13, 2007)

Your choice of substrate is up to you. It's not absolutely necessary though. I think sand works better than nothing at all and it's easier to remove large pieces of dropped food.


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## colddigger (Jul 13, 2007)

i would use moss as if you spray sand it might stick to the animal


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 13, 2007)

is spanish moss similar to spaghma moss? what about spaghma peat moss?


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 13, 2007)

How about living plants? Is it a good idea to put living plants in the habitat? I placed a venus fly trap inside the tank. I can spray that and it will create moist and humititty? I have a picture of the venus flytrap inside my cage if you want to see.


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## Asa (Jul 13, 2007)

> How about living plants? Is it a good idea to put living plants in the habitat? I placed a venus fly trap inside the tank. I can spray that and it will create moist and humititty? I have a picture of the venus flytrap inside my cage if you want to see.


Hope your venus flytrap doensn't mistake your mantid for a fly :lol: 

You can use a sponge and just put that in the bottom.


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 13, 2007)

how about fuzzy grass? would that make a good base for habitat? Not the long pointy grass kind. The short and fuzzy kind. What do you think?


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## Asa (Jul 13, 2007)

Mmm, perhaps. Sponge or Spagnum moss would be better.


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## OGIGA (Jul 13, 2007)

> is spanish moss similar to spaghma moss? what about spaghma peat moss?


Sphagnum moss... They're both moss so they're similar. Peat moss is actually soil with sphagnum moss mixed into it. You can use Spanish moss if you like. Really, it's just your preference.


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 14, 2007)

I think sand will be fine as long as you find a way for moister. I will accomplish that by adding in live plants. occasionally spray the plant and might as well the mantids. Thanks for the advice with the spaghnum moss but i think i will stick with SAND! somehow i get a more sense of cleaniness with sand instead of moss. Cause mold comes to my mind when I come to think of moss. And I think I will be using a few plant species in my plan. I already got my first plant which is a Venus Flytrap the send will be a Bonsai tree &amp; 3rd will be an Orchid Flower plant. At the bottom will be sand. Of course I will Customize &amp; integrate everything to make it look nice and appealing.


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## Phantom (Jul 15, 2007)

Venus Fly Traps require intese light and are best grown outside in full sun. This plant is dangerous to your mantid regardless of size. The VFT trap has trigger hairs that could be tripped by leg of a much larger mantid. Nice plant, but I would take it out immediately.

Bonsai trees typically need really good air circulation.

I use live plants, but not ones that have the potential to hurt a mantid.


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## captainmerkin (Jul 16, 2007)

ferns are a safe bet, dont need to much light and grow up and outwards..

my next tank is being set up for something different but that will be high light levels and loads of living plants


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 16, 2007)

Well my tanks theme is warzone. So i'm trying to make the environment more real by adding dangerous plants and insects. I'm making my tank kind of like the wilderness and anything goes in there. Survival of the fittest. And I'm betting on the mantis. Although I know they don't always have the advantage but I'm willing to take the risk. Trying to make it more tropical and exotic. Still working on it though. The venus flytrap needs moister not necessary alot of sun. Just enough is fine. And moister is good for the mantids. The more sun it has the more moister and humidity in the tank. I believe my mantis will survive the wilderness. Which is where they were ment to be in the first place.


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## Asa (Jul 16, 2007)

> Well my tanks them is warzone. So i'm trying to make the environment more real by adding dangerous plants and insects. I'm making my tank kind of like the wilderness and anything goes in there. Survival of the fittest. And I'm betting on the mantis. Although I know they don't always have the advantage but I'm willing to take the risk. Trying to make it more tropical and exotic. Still working on it though. The venus flytrap needs moister not necessary alot of sun. Just enough is fine. And moister is good for the mantids. The more sun it has the more moister and humidity in the tank. I believe my mantis will survive the wilderness. Which is where they were ment to be in the first place.


If you want to do that, there is no point in keeping the mantid at all, as it will surely die. They are fragile creatures.


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## Rob Byatt (Jul 16, 2007)

Mantids (except _Eremiaphila_) find it very hard to walk on sand, if they feel the need to venture onto the substrate that is !

Venus fly traps do need moisture. but do not like high temperatures - they are a bog species.

Most bonsai trees will die if you try to grow them in a hot enclosed environment, they are just small trees afterall.


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## TranCE_Productions_Inc (Jul 16, 2007)

Flytrap won't be able to kill mantis. Maybe eat it's leg. But that "can be regenerated after moulting."

So it doesn't really matter much if Flytrappy is in there. It's not like the Venus Flytrap is gonna become the mantis and grapple the mantis in the trap. The trap is set for a one time closure only and will probably get it's leg. In general, the Venus Flytrap will not become physically active pull it in the trap like quicksand and swallow it whole. I'm fine with losing a limb which can be regenerated. It will be an awesome site to watch.


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## Rob Byatt (Jul 16, 2007)

> Flytrap won't be able to kill mantis. Maybe eat it's leg. But that "can be regenerated after moulting."So it doesn't really matter much if Flytrappy is in there. It's not like the Venus Flytrap is gonna become the mantis and grapple the mantis in the trap. The trap is set for a one time closure only and will probably get it's leg. In general, the Venus Flytrap will not become physically active pull it in the trap like quicksand and swallow it whole. I'm fine with losing a limb which can be regenerated. It will be an awesome site to watch.


I gather you've kept plenty of flytraps then ? :wink:


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## Asa (Jul 16, 2007)

Seems kind of cruel.


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## Phantom (Jul 16, 2007)

> The venus flytrap needs moister not necessary alot of sun.


Not true. The myth is that they need really high humidity, so they are sold with a plastic dome on top. Light is far more important, and while you can grow them indoors, improper light will cause long, weak leaves and slow trapping mechanisms. These plants also need a cold dormancy period which tend to make them a poor candidate for a planted terrarium.

They also have a deep root system, so they should always be repotted out of the tiny pots they are often sold in.

There are carnivorous plants that might not kill a mantid, but there are traps have enzymes that work like acid which can burn parts of your mantid.

A VFT trap can open and close about 7 times before it dies.

A leg, a head, antenae, are all at risk.


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## OGIGA (Jul 17, 2007)

I think you need a huge terrain so you have a good sample size before a survival-of-the-fittest experiment will ever come near working.


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## Asa (Jul 17, 2007)

Yeah, something like spanning the length of the wilderness...


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## buddhistsoldier88 (Aug 4, 2007)

Seems really cruel! And its like setting the mantis in a minefield! And your not likely to find an orchid plant in a bog mate.... :roll:


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## Butterfly (Aug 4, 2007)

On the regenerating a leg end of this conversation I thought Id jump in because I have a Mantid I call Tri pod because she lost a back leg early on.

It did grow back with all her sheds, and got longer each time. But...

Now that she's just molted to adult I see a problem!

She cant walk right because her one back leg that wasnt removed is still longer than the other one. She didnt dry properly so her wings are kinda funny but thats ok she can still eat. Her main problem is that she only wants to hang because she has problems walking on a flat surface now.

As long as she can eat is the main thing but still dont risk it, your gonna end up with a poor damaged Mantis!


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## OGIGA (Aug 5, 2007)

Yeah, that's what I'd say too. Don't amputate a mantis' leg unless it'll die of inability to eat.


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## Asa (Aug 5, 2007)

Or can't shed.


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## OGIGA (Aug 5, 2007)

It's hard to tell whether or not they can shed. I've seen lots of mantises molt while not hanging. They're kind of on the floor squirming out of their exoskeleton.


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## Asa (Aug 5, 2007)

It would probably be hard to wriggle, with a broken leg.


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## Lessian (Jan 2, 2008)

What is the point of asking for other peoples opinions if you have already made up your mind to do your own thing anyway? You seem to have already rationalised all the arguments and appear determined to do things your way despite people making valid comments to the contrary.


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## Andrew (Jan 2, 2008)

This is kind of an old thread....


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