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Hahaha, no problem. A lot of people like play sand for usage with animals because it is safe and clean yet not overpriced like most stuff in pet specialty shops. Mantises are very forgiving with what you can place in their cages. They don't chew/eat off of stuff so something like polymer...

You can get some play sand (type sold for children's sandboxes) It is cheap, clean, and can be found easily at places like Home Depot/Lowes/ect

Take that back. Their wings aren't useless. They are there to make them look twice as cute. :wub:

There isn't such a thing as too large outside of the fact your mantis can have problems finding its food (depending on what you are feeding) You can feed your mantis with tongs or in a separate container to avoid this issue. For reference, I have a 36” x 18” x 36” Exo Terrra tank and I start...

It isn't so much hanging upside down but hanging from a flat horizontal service directly after a shedding that tends to cause this problem. Tenderas are an extremely active species and a lot of times they move pretty quickly after shedding. I usually keep these guys in net cubes and I found...

I got a giant shield that just flat out stopped growing. It had 1-2 sheddings and they stopped molting. It's sibling that was an instar behind it it reached adulthood while the other nymph was barely bigger than its head. I regret not taking a photo of the size difference between the pair. The...

My guess is your he is actually a she. Females are naturally bigger and they put on even more weight as they build up in preparation to lay oothecae (something they do regardless of if they have been bred).

I used to have a breeder tank of crickets. I know some people separate the eggs but I never did, having pinheads-adults in the same enclosure. I used a 20 gallon long with substrate on the bottom. I kept one side moist and kept the other side (where the egg crate was) dry. I even propped it up...

Fasting in nymphs is almost always a sign they are getting ready to molt. As long as they molt within a couple of days you know things are fine. Make sure to offer water daily while waiting as many will drink despite there lack of appetite for food.

One thing to make sure of is to mist near the mantis so they can drink when you spray. This species tends to enjoy their water and internal hydration tends to be more important than the humidity. You really don't need to feed the boys/girls at different rates as they tend to mature about the...

Yep, I would avoid it. I used it briefly when I was first starting out and twice had a mantis get their claws stuck striking at prey. If I hadn't been there the second time the mantis would have damaged its claw trying to twist free in a panic.

Yes, this is rather normal. Basically as their bodies shut down and they loose control of their limbs, which is why you can see fits of shaking intermittently. Some will even grab their heads/antennae. Some mantises go quicker than others. Boys tend to fade fast while girls can linger for...

For small nymphs you can get something like a light plain colored towel/blanket to set on the floor and sit there for handling. It makes it easier to keep track of the nymph if they decide to jump. As mantises get older they calm down considerably and tend to be rather fun to handle. Girls...

Never seen this happen from overeating. Usually this occurs when the mantis sheds from a horizontal surface and then moves to quickly to cling to the lid. In my opinion, it is best to avoiding letting this species shed from a flat lid when they get to the later instars. I would suggest getting a...

If the mantis is wild caught they could already be a carrier from being outside. Even with an infected cricket, I imagine transfer to a mantis would depend partially on the stage the worm is in when consumed.

You buy a 100 gallon tank that only ever has 1 praying mantis in it at a time cause you want your mantises to have a pad to chill in style. You include your mantises names when signing any holiday/birthday cards for family/friends. When you go shopping, you constantly see random things you...

As long as you aren't talking one of the giant strains of banana roaches, they are one of the species you can keep in Florida.

The petstore I shop at for my dog has hornworms and I often pick up one or two for my mantises. That being said, I wouldn't consider them a good choice for a main feeder. They are really juicy (so much of their bulk is liquid). Makes them rather messy to feed as the mantises tend to get rid of...

For small nymphs feeding daily can help keep them hydrated, which is important for shedding. For that reason I prefer every day versus every other. When it comes to feeding, how often is only half the equation as it also depends how much food you are offering. For nymphs you want them plump but...

Selling stuff via friends and family is a good way to get your account closed since it is against paypal rules. The seller pays the fee so there should be zero incentive for buyer to give up all their protections.