# Custom Acrylic Mantis Housing



## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

I made a few custom mantis cages for a member here in the forum so he can display his mantids. Thought i'd make these available to you guys as well. $18 for the small cages and $28 for the medium. I haven't decided on the final dimensions for a large cage yet. They're ventilated on the top and on the side, but you can also request to have it ventilated on just one side.


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 8, 2012)

wow! u da man! silicone or acrylic glue?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

i forgot to add the dimensions of these cages:

Small: 4"x4"x5"

Medium: 6"x6"x7.5"


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## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

hibiscusmile said:


> wow! u da man! silicone or acrylic glue?


Thanks. It's this acrylic glue called WELD-ON. Kinda slow to set though, but the bond continues to strengthen gradually over a 48hr period.


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## sueb4653 (Aug 8, 2012)

very nice houses


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## patrickfraser (Aug 8, 2012)

What would shipping run on the different sizes?


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## stacy (Aug 8, 2012)

love them..


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## frogparty (Aug 8, 2012)

Very nice! What kind of acrylic?


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## JackTopus (Aug 8, 2012)

wow! they look even better with a mantis inside!


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## agent A (Aug 8, 2012)

how can they be shipped without breaking??


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## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

patrickfraser said:


> What would shipping run on the different sizes?


you can skip the shipping costs and just pick them up from me in downtown. you live pretty close to me.


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## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

agent A said:


> how can they be shipped without breaking??


acrylic is ten times harder than glass (i think). i doubt it would break during shipping w/ proper reinforcement.


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## agent A (Aug 8, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> acrylic is ten times harder than glass (i think). i doubt it would break during shipping w/ proper reinforcement.


nice!! i might want a custom one for my toads


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## mantid_mike (Aug 8, 2012)

agent A said:


> nice!! i might want a custom one for my toads


you can draw it up for me and give me the dimensions when you're ready


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## agent A (Aug 8, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> you can draw it up for me and give me the dimensions when you're ready


ok

it would probably be bigger than your dimensions but idk yet it may be cheaper to just get 5 gallon plastic tanks at the pet store, but i deffinitely need more cages i will need one for toadlets one for tadpoles one for adults one for axolotls and one for saturniid cocoons and i am 2 cages short of that and an acrylic cage would look much nicer than plastic i will have to think abt it...


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## Danny. (Aug 10, 2012)

These are pretty cool. But do you deliver?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 10, 2012)

Danny. said:


> These are pretty cool. But do you deliver?


Where in LA are you located?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 10, 2012)

Not the best quality picture, but i've been making a few enclosures for myself and been transferring my mantids into their new homes. ^_^


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## Danny. (Aug 10, 2012)

Hacienda Heights for now but I'll be in East L.A. In two weeks.


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## Paradoxica (Aug 11, 2012)

I just got mine all set. Originally I was gunna put my Idolo in it but then I would have to glue sticks to the top, and it just seems wrong to modify such a perfect enclosure. So I put my special needs ghost that I've been hand feeding in there.







Thanks Mike, good stuff.


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## mantid_mike (Aug 12, 2012)

Paradoxica said:


> I just got mine all set. Originally I was gunna put my Idolo in it but then I would have to glue sticks to the top, and it just seems wrong to modify such a perfect enclosure. So I put my special needs ghost that I've been hand feeding in there.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


np. thanks for posting it! looks great. i can't see your ghost in there?


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## Mime454 (Aug 12, 2012)

mantid_mike said:


> np. thanks for posting it! looks great. i can't see your ghost in there?


I can. Look at the bottom-center.


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## Paradoxica (Aug 12, 2012)

She's in there, she's just got a contorted body. Also she's green with brown wings so she blends in really well.


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## mantisboy (Aug 15, 2012)

Those are very cool....I think good ventilation to aid in preventing mold and evaporating mist over spray is especially important for adults. So do you have to remove everything to clean out the housing and replace the bottom bedding? As well is the acrylic porous enough for the Mantids to crawl on?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 15, 2012)

Paradoxica said:


> She's in there, she's just got a contorted body. Also she's green with brown wings so she blends in really well.


i see her now lol


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## mantid_mike (Aug 15, 2012)

idahomantid said:


> Those are very cool....I think good ventilation to aid in preventing mold and evaporating mist over spray is especially important for adults. So do you have to remove everything to clean out the housing and replace the bottom bedding? As well is the acrylic porous enough for the Mantids to crawl on?


thanks. i agree. so far i've had no problems or signs of mold. i think double-ventilation allows the air to flow in and out nicely. the only time i clean them out is when there's too much feces and dead flies/wings on the bottom. i don't want any type of mite infestation. as far as the acrylic being porous enough, all the mantids seem to climb it w/out a problem. I haven't placed my idolos in them yet, but if i did, i'd probably glue some mesh directly on all the acrylic walls so they can move up and down.


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## massaman (Aug 15, 2012)

hmm would love some of those the size of 32 oz deli cups but prob would cost a arm and a leg and prob dont take credit cards?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 15, 2012)

massaman said:


> hmm would love some of those the size of 32 oz deli cups but prob would cost a arm and a leg and prob dont take credit cards?


paypal accepts credit cards


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## massaman (Aug 15, 2012)

I forever will never use pay pal as I dont like giving out personal information usually and all the horror stories I hear about pay pal will forever keep me using checks or cash as my main use of currency as its just my choice and I am happy with it!

http://www.makercapitalist.com/the-ugly-truth-about-paypal/


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## Bug Trader (Aug 15, 2012)

I had a person buy a $2,000 trio of dart frogs to then turn around and file a dispute with paypal and get their money back no matter what I did. I had proof through both fedex and the actual person that bought the frogs that they arrived, the problem is he used his wifes account and I had no proof that the she received the frogs, there are many ways for you to get screwed these days with paypal. I only use it for small stuff now.


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## mantid_mike (Aug 16, 2012)

that sucks for you guys. i've been using paypal via Etsy and i've never encountered a problem...yet. ::knock on wood::


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## ShieldMantid1997 (Aug 16, 2012)

These are so cool! Would it be cheaper to ship the acrylic and the buyer assembles at home?

I would love some because i hate keeping them all in my room. My mother always says the cages are too ugly, well these would show her!


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## mantid_mike (Aug 16, 2012)

ShieldMantid1997 said:


> These are so cool! Would it be cheaper to ship the acrylic and the buyer assembles at home?
> 
> I would love some because i hate keeping them all in my room. My mother always says the cages are too ugly, well these would show her!


yes, it'd be cheaper if you assemble it yourself. i can give you instructions and tell you what type of acrylic glue to use. I had the same issue w/ my gf. she thought the deli cups made our apartment look sloppy but now it looks much better and organized. now i have a nice display adjacent to our dining table lol.


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## ShieldMantid1997 (Aug 16, 2012)

well, maybe i could buy glue off you  and where can i buy this kind of glass, to try it myself? Like what kind of stores?


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## mantid_mike (Aug 17, 2012)

ShieldMantid1997 said:


> well, maybe i could buy glue off you  and where can i buy this kind of glass, to try it myself? Like what kind of stores?


try an art supply store.


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## Kloned (Mar 21, 2013)

These are Awsome! any updates? are you still making them ?


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## mantid_mike (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks! I still have some.


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## ScienceGirl (Mar 21, 2013)

Very cool!

Where is the opening/door?


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## ScienceGirl (Mar 21, 2013)

mantid_mike said:


> yes, it'd be cheaper if you assemble it yourself. i can give you instructions and tell you what type of acrylic glue to use. I had the same issue w/ my gf. she thought the deli cups made our apartment look sloppy but now it looks much better and organized. now i have a nice display adjacent to our dining table lol.


Oh, instructions would be so nice!  

I bet you have a great dinner converstation starter with guests, now!  

And... you can feed the mantids while guests are still eating! What a nice little community you'll have... Until the guests notice, of course.


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## mantid_mike (Mar 21, 2013)

ScienceGirl said:


> Very cool!
> 
> Where is the opening/door?


There's no actual hinged door on it. You just lift the top. I glued acrylic rods along the edges so it doesn't slip off when it's on. I like them because they provide plenty of ventilation, they're translucent, and they look much cleaner than a deli cup. Right now i'm only displaying 3 mantids in my dining area with these cages. In my last residence, I had 12 containers next to the dining table before I realized it was too much. lol


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## ScienceGirl (Mar 21, 2013)

mantid_mike said:


> There's no actual hinged door on it. You just lift the top. I glued acrylic rods along the edges so it doesn't slip off when it's on. I like them because they provide plenty of ventilation, they're translucent, and they look much cleaner than a deli cup. Right now i'm only displaying 3 mantids in my dining area with these cages. In my last residence, I had 12 containers next to the dining table before I realized it was too much. lol


Very cool! I like it that the lid is removable. Do you have instructions avaliable, or are those top-secret?  

What types of mantids are on display whilst meals are being enjoyed now?


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## mantid_mike (Mar 22, 2013)

It's pretty straight forward. I had to draw each side of the prism on a CAD program and then laser cut them at school. Everything else is just gluing it together.

On display I have an adult female ghost, an L4 orchid mantis and an adult female oxyopsis gracilis.


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## ScienceGirl (Mar 24, 2013)

mantid_mike said:


> It's pretty straight forward. I had to draw each side of the prism on a CAD program and then laser cut them at school. Everything else is just gluing it together.
> 
> On display I have an adult female ghost, an L4 orchid mantis and an adult female oxyopsis gracilis.


That is so cool!!! College or Highschool?

I'll have to take a required class of engineering, so I'll definately be looking into something that would let me design things like this! Mantid_mike, you are an inspiration!


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## mantid_mike (Mar 26, 2013)

ScienceGirl said:


> That is so cool!!! College or Highschool?
> 
> I'll have to take a required class of engineering, so I'll definately be looking into something that would let me design things like this! Mantid_mike, you are an inspiration!


College. Thanks, I think you'll enjoy taking a couple classes to learn CAD. At the end of the day, it's just memorizing about 500 commands to draw whatever you want.


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## Paradoxica (May 14, 2013)

I just set mine up for an L2 Idolo, but I didn't want to ruin all of Mike's awesome handiwork...

So I built a cage.







And dropped it in.


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## mantid_mike (May 14, 2013)

Brian, that is effin awesome and innovative!!

I'm stealing that idea since I have dozens of basswood sticks to work with.


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## dgerndt (May 15, 2013)

Oh my gosh, these are so amazing!! I totally want some of my own! I just use deli cups and old pretzel and cookie containers. I have one glass tank, but that has my scorpion in it now.


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