Can you keep various communal species together

[bobokeblaber127]

I was wondering can you keep various communal species together? I saw somebody keeping idolos and gongylus together and they didn't have that much of a problem. So do you guys think that it is possible?

 

[hibiscusmile]

I t is, diff species do diff things. The ghost are also good together and for the most part medinca! But they all eat bugs, so no guarantees, its just some I think are lazier than others and don't mind waiting till something gets real close. Other wise you don't see them move much, at least I don't. Whenever I tell someone they can be together, it never fails, they write me later and say " blab blab, ate doo doo! :blink: DUH!

 

[Malakyoma]

I was wondering can you keep various communal species together? I saw somebody keeping idolos and gongylus together and they didn't have that much of a problem. So do you guys think that it is possible?

If you have the spare mantids to risk then you can try it. Guaranteed you will lose some, even keeping one communal species together will have losses. A communal species is not so much tolerant of others of its kind as it is tolerant of other mantids. I'm sure you could mix 2 or 3 different communal species in a large enough tank and have the same losses as if there was just 1 species, but there will always be losses. I dont think there will ever be a time where you can keep a group of mantids together, no matter how communal or how many species or how much space or how much food, and not have losses.

 

[Paradoxica]

I think the video your thinking of was by KitKat (if memory serves) I asked him about it and he said that he had plenty of those mantids so he didn't have to worry about losing a few. Also he said that he didn't have them together until they reached adult.

 

[D_Hemptress]

i have 4 ghosts in one container and two in an other. they do fine together, but i may just be a lucky one

 

[hibiscusmile]

I have a lot together, but I do lose a few too.

 

[brancsikia339]

I think he's talking about if it's safe to have two communal species together, ie. Idolos and gongys or gongys and popas or something along those lines

 

[bobokeblaber127]

I think he's talking about if it's safe to have two communal species together, ie. Idolos and gongys or gongys and popas or something along those lines

Yeah that's what i mean. I wanted to keep multiple communal species together. Is it possible

 

[hibiscusmile]

I would not recommend it, They would not recognize each other as anything other than food.

 

[twolfe]

I personally have never tried this and probably never will. I do know a few who have done this and had mixed results. It just seems as if it would create more stress for them, and as hibiscusmile said, I would not recommend it.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yes, Tammy, sometimes we forget how stress can make the mantis die to. Many times to many feeders cause a mantis to mismolt or run itself ragged trying to get away from them, and to have another species in with them, just makes it hard to rest as the mantis has to maintain alertness to protect itself.

 

[bobokeblaber127]

Okay thanks for the advice. Looks like it wont be that possible. Do you think if i kept them well fed it would turn out better? NOT saying that i will though but i heard of some people who didn't feed their mantids and they cannibalized. Well that was what i heard

 

[bobokeblaber127]

this is a video that is showing what i am saying. you can probably find a comment with a negative response but whatever...