# flooring my tank



## sk8erkho (Dec 30, 2006)

Cheers!

Hey Guys,

What about this "Repti Bark?" My nephew uses it to floor the tank with the chinese mother mantid. I read the specs and it seems ideal for almost any repti-amphibi-terium. The only thing I'm not certain about is whether it is suitable for the nymphs. I tried one out just to see how it would react and it kept seeming to have to stop and clean it self like forever. This bark, when I poured it into the tank, gave out this fine dust that kind of lodged in my throat!! (clear up minutes later) but Maybe for them as they grow older? Other than than what would be ideal for the flooring with all the waste and what not that collects at the bottom of the tank. Potting soil???? The idea here is to cut down on cleaning mantid poop &amp; parts as the tank becomes riddled with it.


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## Rick (Dec 31, 2006)

Use moist spaghnum moss...........


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## Moosashi (Dec 10, 2007)

Rick said:


> Use moist spaghnum moss...........


Do you just allow things to gather in the sphagnum and leave it there, or do you need to take out the sphagnum moss and clean it somehow once a week or something? I some sphagnum moss at home if I can use it...


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 10, 2007)

The dust in the reptile bark is not good for them if they keep cleaning their feet. From what I read their feet being clean is an important part of their well being. I would go with what Rick suggests. After all he uses it all the time and seems happy with it. The new stuff I just got in is easy to shake out, I know some people keep it moist, so that would make it harder to shake, Rick what is your take on the cleaning end?


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## Rick (Dec 11, 2007)

Moosashi said:


> Do you just allow things to gather in the sphagnum and leave it there, or do you need to take out the sphagnum moss and clean it somehow once a week or something? I some sphagnum moss at home if I can use it...


Change it when it starts looking bad. I have tried many different substrates and found this works best. For many mantids I don't use any substrate at all.


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## acerbity (Dec 11, 2007)

Those precut sponges (that Rebbecca sells) always work immaculately in cups of any size... maybe get a few square sponges or a big fitted rectangular one... so easy to clean.


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## macro junkie (Dec 11, 2007)

i use sponge...every week i take it out and rinse it under the tap..simple and keeps humdierty up.


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## Rick (Dec 11, 2007)

I've tried sponge but did not like how the feces and food parts sit on top of it. With the moss I don't have to change it all that often. But like I said I don't use anything for adult mantids.


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## macro junkie (Dec 11, 2007)

Rick said:


> But like I said I don't use anything for adult mantids.


why not rick&gt;?


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## Mantis Keeper (Dec 11, 2007)

The substrate is mainly to provide a surface to molt for the mantids. Once they are adult it is no longer neccessary and is a waste anyway as most of my mantids spend most of their time on the top of whatever container I have them in.


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## Juergen (Dec 11, 2007)

Mostly I use leaf litter (mixture of oak, beech, maple, linden) from a forest behind my house... recommendable,

regards,

Juergen


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## macro junkie (Dec 11, 2007)

Mantis Keeper said:


> The substrate is mainly to provide a surface to molt for the mantids. Once they are adult it is no longer neccessary and is a waste anyway as most of my mantids spend most of their time on the top of whatever container I have them in.


my mantids always shead at top on the netting..the flooring i thought is to keep humdierty up ?


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## joossa (Dec 11, 2007)

Make sure to provide plenty of air circulation to the enclosure when using sphagnum. Back in the old days, I would constantly have mold/fungus growing on the sphagnum because of stagnant air.


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## Rick (Dec 11, 2007)

Mantis Keeper said:


> The substrate is mainly to provide a surface to molt for the mantids. Once they are adult it is no longer neccessary and is a waste anyway as most of my mantids spend most of their time on the top of whatever container I have them in.


No. Mantids mate on the lid not the substrate. But you're half right. It is used mainly for humidity and at adult they are not in danger of mismolts so I often don't use it. I do mist those daily though.


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## darkspeed (Dec 12, 2007)

I have had really good results with sand. Sand retains moisture remarkably well and can be quite usefull at maintaining constant humidity. Furthermore waste is easily scooped out or simply buried, and fungus does not seem to grow on sand no matter how humid or stagnant the air is, though I have found however that an air hose conected to one of those bubbler pumps for fish tanks does wonders for providing constant fresh air and positive air displacement that pushes old air out of the enclosure.


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## macro junkie (Dec 12, 2007)

DARKSPEED said:


> though I have found however that an air hose conected to one of those bubbler pumps for fish tanks does wonders for providing constant fresh air and positive air displacement that pushes old air out of the enclosure.


thats a very good idear..But breeding and having 100s of pots thats just not an option.if i had only 2 mantids i would do that for sure.sounds like good idear,.


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## darkspeed (Dec 13, 2007)

yeah... I can see how that wouldnt be an option... unlike with vacuum hose on a car positive air doesnt displace evenly through multiple exits, meaning only one hose per pump. Teeing the hose off to multiple exits is not an option as the air will exit therough the path of least resistance only, not through all exits equally.


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## Mantis Keeper (Dec 13, 2007)

Actually Rick, several of my mantids consistently molt from whatever substrate I use, which is usually twigs. My pretiosa does every time and my flower mantids did too. At the moment my giant asians molt from the top of the container, as do my tenodera, but other than that, generally my mantids molt from the substrate.


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## yen_saw (Dec 13, 2007)

Except for my dead leaf mantis, i didn't use any substrate at all. I mist them often as i have a heater running in the bug room. As for dead leaf, i use oak leaves.


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