Best Substrate

[Ryanromaine]

what do you think the best bedding or substrate is for a mantis? im new in the hobby and starting fast with a rapidly growing collection and need to know what is the most effective ground cover where the crickets will be eaten and the essentials and what not.

 

[CoolMantid]

Eco earth is great. If not moss, but prey can get lost in the moss

 

[Mvalenz]

I use sponges. Cover the whole bottom with it. It hold moisture well and feeders can't hide. However, when mantids strike at feeders mantid claws can get stuck in the sponge a little. Mantids usually get them free pretty easy though.

 

[Rick]

Eco earth is entirely too messy and dries out fast. I used spaghnum (orchid) moss for years. It works great. Yes, some food can burrow into it, but I never found it to be that big of an issue. But after years I found the best and cheapest is just a couple layers of plain paper towel. I admit the paper towels are not very pleasing to the eye, but they work best.

 

[Ryanromaine]

i've kinda decided from what you guys said to put my really amazing, pre-sub or sub adult which are in nice enclosures on the spaghnum moss and the nymphs, which are in deli cups, on paper towel, thanks for the help

 

[meaganelise9]

I was using sphagnum moss, but it's too easy for all the feeders to hide in it (and then die in it and smell bad). Right now I'm using some kind of mixture of coco bark and sand. I think it's called jungle bed. It has slow release of humidity after wetting and is mold resistant.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I'm with Rick on the paper towels. Cheap, effective, and super easy to tell when it is time to change it out.

 

[Precarious]

I don't recommend any substrate beyond a layer of paper towel in something as small as a deli cup. Very easy to have too much moisture in such a small space. Can kill young nymphs. Also encourages fungal/mold growth and gives mites a place of constant moisture to reproduce.

Besides, it's much easier to clean the cup by changing the paper towel.

 

[SomeWhiteGuy]

I went to my local store and got this calcium sand its supposed to be great for insects and lizards also looks cool. >_> WHITE SAND! was not expensive either like 20 bucks got me a 20 pound bag i'm sure you can find better prices tho.

 

[hibiscusmile]

for me, it is moss or nothing, I like to take the girls out one by one when feeding and go rinse their containers out, they get a nice fresh container and a nice drink of water and seem to do well that way. but each to his own.!!!

 

[mkayum]

Paper Towel is a best opinion to use as Mantis's substrate.

 

[sporeworld]

... I admit the paper towels are not very pleasing to the eye, but they work best.

+1, sad to say. As much as I LOVE an eye-pleasing enclosure - all colorful and thought-out, in large numbers, it's probably just papertowels. For enclosures that aren't needing the substrate for moisture-retention, I have a large box of sandwich wraps from Smart & Final (essential wax paper). Very good for cleaning large enclosure quickly.

For vanity enclosures, I use CareFresh (from PetCo). Pretty colors, very absorbent, relatively cheap (sort of). On an extreme budget, you can use paper from your office shredder (although no idea what kind of toxins might be involved).

 

[Psychobunny]

Put me down as another paper towel user.

Just cut to size, and layer depending on how much humidity U need.

Tried spagnum moss, but dont like it! possible mold, feeders burrow into it and hid

for days if not weeks, and you cant tell how dirty the cage is.

With paper towels, you can see the poop and bug parts!!

 

[rs4guy]

I use paper towel in 32oz or smaller. Moss for larger enclsosures like an 80oz tub, but moss does tend to mold over time and get smelly.

 

[meaganelise9]

I actually disagree about paper towels. I've had mantids fall on occasion. One broke a leg on the hard bottom because there was only a paper towel. Now I like to keep some cushion.

 

[rs4guy]

Layer it up then

 

[hibiscusmile]

I remember reading a post once on Ian's site about paper towels having a chemical in them that rendered the females infertile. I dont use the towels and thats why. Did not want to chance it, and Ian's site had a lot of good info there.

 

[Mimblex]

I remember reading a post once on Ian's site about paper towels having a chemical in them that rendered the females infertile. I dont use the towels and thats why. Did not want to chance it, and Ian's site had a lot of good info there.

Crazy! Any idea if newspaper or blank art newsprint would do the same? The only chemical treatment paper towels get that I know of is bleach, so using something recycled and unbleached might be better. Maybe?

 

[hibiscusmile]

i dont remember the exact wording, but it was not bleach