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I was intending to use blanched vegetables for things that spoil more easily and raw for root vegetables. Blanching is nice for a few reasons. First, it allows things like zucchini to last longer so that spoiling and nutrient loss is held off for a while longer in the enclosure. Second, while...

Thanks @MantisGirl13 for linking me. I have typed my responses in-line with the quote. Your setup is fine for bioactive. I haven't found maintenance to be much different but I think the bioactive with live plants and isopods are more enjoyable. Just don't get super exotic isopods since they may...

I have recently decided to start an isopod breeding project. While I quite enjoy keeping mantises, I am not terribly interested in their breeding. Other invertebrates are much easier to breed since they are kept as a culture rather than individuals. Species that breed and live more quickly and...

Agree with @MantisGirl13. Some people do this as a way to narrow down their mantises, but I don't recommend it. Also, a 10g is not very large as they grow. A 10g is 20x10x12". Most common recommendation is 2x mantis for depth and width, 3x for height. Chinese mantises can get about 4", so you...

Thanks. It will hopefully look even better once the plants grow in. The little bits of green in the front left should eventually be a carpet. And the moss in the "tree" should fill out to look more like a canopy.

Yeah between this change and setting up our new aquarium we have been awfully busy. Here is a quick shot of the aquarium just for fun. This is where we keep our shrimp, a couple snails, and some small fish.

Upgraded to now have an overkill vivarium for one of my mantises. Long story long... I am wanting to start a small A. Vulgare (isopod) breeding project. That got me to thinking I really wish I had a good display for my  isopods. For isopods, floor space is the name of the game. You only really...

To piggy-back on this, I also do not believe it to be inbreeding. From my limited knowledge, the more simple the animal, the less inbreeding matters. While even one or two generations in humans can have serious negative effects, colonies of insects are very often inter-bred. When you look at...

Ours are kept within inches of each other. Only one has been a problem. The h. majuscula would constantly hunt his neighbor ghost mantis. The ghost mantis didn't seem to notice, but I felt bad for the h. majuscula since he always spent energy hunting but never being able to succeed. We put a...

I will buy one.

You and her could definitely handle the powder oranges. You can handle any of the ones commonly available. There are other awesome types that are more colorful, but they generally cost quite a bit more. Most of the semi-exotic species you should expect to pay $1-3 each. If you have a local...

Haha thanks. Prepare for my long-winded answer. 🤣 Regarding your substrate. It looks like you have done a good job to learn about the drainage layer and substrate. It is difficult to manage in small enclosures since the depth is precious, but you would be better off with 3x or 4x as much...

Another point to note, many mantises prefer to walk inverted, so make sure your design allows for them to hang from what you are making, not just walk upright. Also be sure to leave enough room for the mantis to comfortably molt. Have fun!

Giant Rainforest is fun and fairly easy. Along with ghosts mantises, h. majuscula was our first. He just passed a couple of days ago. He was way more active and dynamic than our peacock and ghosts. At adult size he was a little intimidating to handle since he had such a strong prey drive. The...

That is awesome news. His is medium sized, but definitely not like a female.

For now he is in the fridge. My research shows two primary methods to prevent gut rot. 1. take out the insides and stuff him with cotton or wool. Since he was my pet, I don't think I have the stomach for it. 2. inject rubbing alcohol. This is the route I think I am going to go, but getting...

Thank you!

Yeah I always wonder what I will get when I make Imgur albums public. People are funny.

Our adult male h. majuscula Carl passed away yesterday from, I believe, old age. He was our first mantis and was our most entertaining. Since getting mantids I have planned to preserve them after they passed to remember them and display their fantastic colors. That said, I probably wasn't as...

My question was answered yesterday when he passed away. I have heard that mantids get these black spots and have strange behavior shortly before dying. He was (I believe) an appropriate age to go based on feeding schedule and temperature. I always leaned towards keeping him warm and fed rather...