Precarious
Well-known member
Since there are Ghost Mantis squatters in the twig-filled tank I originally made for the Idolos, I evicted my adult Violins to a net cage so I could remodel and move the Idolos in.
I started with a 12x12x12 Exo-Terra terrarium, which I love since they open in the front. Great if you plan of taking pics or shooting video.
The roof is covered in thin twigs for delicate Idolo feets. Just cut twigs to size, lay 2 bamboo skewers long enough to hang over the lip of the tank spaced so they'll span the roof, then hot glue the twigs in place. Very simple to do and very effective. Just make sure your screen will seat properly with the skewers underneath.
I did something very similar to the right side of the tank to give them vertical hang space. Horizontal branches glued to 2 bamboo skewers, and the skewers glued to the glass.
I have various branches, a vine and leaves lower but within reach of the roof as convenient step off points for molting Idolos. That way they won't have to climb up the old skin when they need to flip to inflate their wings. The reports indicate this is when most fall during their final molt.
Plenty of moss for humidity and a shallow dish with extra moist moss. The dish makes it easy to take it out to clean and I can dump water into the dish without it soaking the whole floor of the tank. If mold ever developed it would be in this dish which I can easily replace without disturbing the rest of the tank.
I'll probably mount the white temp/humidity gauge near the roof and keep the black one on the floor. You'd be surprised how it can vary over that short distance. I blocked off the front half of the screen to help hold humidity. Still plenty of air flow between the grill in front and the open back half of the roof.
They seem to like it so far!
I started with a 12x12x12 Exo-Terra terrarium, which I love since they open in the front. Great if you plan of taking pics or shooting video.
The roof is covered in thin twigs for delicate Idolo feets. Just cut twigs to size, lay 2 bamboo skewers long enough to hang over the lip of the tank spaced so they'll span the roof, then hot glue the twigs in place. Very simple to do and very effective. Just make sure your screen will seat properly with the skewers underneath.
I did something very similar to the right side of the tank to give them vertical hang space. Horizontal branches glued to 2 bamboo skewers, and the skewers glued to the glass.
I have various branches, a vine and leaves lower but within reach of the roof as convenient step off points for molting Idolos. That way they won't have to climb up the old skin when they need to flip to inflate their wings. The reports indicate this is when most fall during their final molt.
Plenty of moss for humidity and a shallow dish with extra moist moss. The dish makes it easy to take it out to clean and I can dump water into the dish without it soaking the whole floor of the tank. If mold ever developed it would be in this dish which I can easily replace without disturbing the rest of the tank.
I'll probably mount the white temp/humidity gauge near the roof and keep the black one on the floor. You'd be surprised how it can vary over that short distance. I blocked off the front half of the screen to help hold humidity. Still plenty of air flow between the grill in front and the open back half of the roof.
They seem to like it so far!
