Custom Vivarium Opinions Wanted

[ohaple]

Hello,

We are fairly new to the hobby, but are jumping right into the deep end. I am hoping that some of you might be able to give constructive criticism or opinions on our proposed setup. This will house our L5 Giant Rainforest Mantis, hopefully through his entire life. Currently he is in a smaller, simpler, temporary enclosure.

We built a custom vivarium that is 10.5"x8"x6" from clear acrylic. It has a removable top lid made from screen. The sides have very thin slits for additional ventilation. All seams have been sealed to be almost completely water-tight. The lid is a friction fit, with an overlapping lip so that no feeders can escape. Here is a photo of them before anything has been put inside. What are your thoughts on the general enclosure design? Have we overlooked anything major? The wood was treated with polyurethane to finish it. I intend to let it sit until I can no longer smell any fumes, but if anyone has experience with the timing to be safe for mantids, let me know.

Now for part 2: the plan is to turn this into a bioactive vivarium.

We have set it up with gravel on the bottom, a mesh barrier which water can pass through, and a mixture of moss and zoo-med creatures substrate on top. We have two small lucky bamboo plants planted in the substrate, a chunk of cork bark on the floor (for the cleanup crew), and a twisted branch for the mantis to climb. For cleanup crew we intend to use springtails and white dwarf isopods. We have an aquarium light that will be hooked to a timer to supplement natural sunlight and the day/night cycle, and a thermostat-controlled heating pad for underneath. Temperature and humidity are being monitored with a digital hygrometer/thermometer to keep it in the right range for the mantis. Will the heat pad work sufficiently through the substrate and gravel? We tried to make sure that there is plenty of room for the mantis to molt from the lid or from the wood if he wants.

Here is what it looks like. Again, any critique or changes or opinions are welcome. We want to enjoy the bioactive nature of such a vivarium, but also want to make sure we are giving the mantis a suitable home. The mantis hasn't been introduced yet.

Thanks!

 

[Synapze]

Absolutely beautiful enclosures. ?

Don't forget the size recommendation of 3x taller and 2x wider than the length of your mantis. You may need to add some mesh at the top for molting. My giants always molt upside down while hanging from the mesh. I've raised a couple in enclosures which were slightly undersized, but I know it's not recommended. 

Gosh... you should make and sell those things! 

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon. 

 

[ohaple]

I have read that recommendation, and designed the enclosure around it (I think). My research shows that a male giant rainforest mantis shouldn't get longer than 3" (please correct me if that isn't right). At that length, 9x6x6 should be big enough?  UPDATE: I'm not sure where the information originates, but MantidsGalore.com says females reach a maximum 3". It may be a typo. I confirmed with Patricia and some other websites that he will grow closer to 4". When he gets that large we will definitely need a larger enclosure. 12x8x8 minimum. And that is without substrate. 15x9x9 may be more appropriate.

Could you elaborate a little about the additional "mesh at the top"? The entire top is mesh, except a 1/8" rim of acrylic for the lid to sit on tightly.

I appreciate your kind words. I made the design and then cut it using a laser cutter. Unfortunately they wouldn't be practical to sell. They cost probably $50 in materials and maybe 4 hours in labor. I am open to sharing the design file for anyone that is interested to try it though. It could also be made on a cnc machine (except the vent slits in the side, which are 0.02", unless you have a mill that small).

 

[Synapze]

Depending on it's sex, I think 4" is average for a H. majuscula female, but I'm not certain. I've raised 3 Hierodula females (2 venosa/1 membranacea) and that's been the case with all 3... but certainly there are exceptions. 

Derp... I missed the word mesh in your post. You certainly have plenty of that! ?

 

[ohaple]

Depending on it's sex, I think 4" is average for a H. majuscula female, but I'm not certain. I've raised 3 Hierodula females (2 venosa/1 membranacea) and that's been the case with all 3... but certainly there are exceptions. 

Derp... I missed the word mesh in your post. You certainly have plenty of that! ?

Thanks! We made sure to use mesh to aid in ventilation and molting. With the plants and substrate, mold is a concern, so we want to make sure there is plenty of ventilation. I'm not sure if it matters with most species, but I remember reading a long debate over what type of mesh weave is best for I. diabolica, but I think they have a harder time climbing. We used this mesh since it is very transparent and allows easier viewing. In some pictures you can barely see it is there. With the size confirmed, this will eventually become a habitat for a P. paradoxa and we will make something new for the adult H. majuscula. We still have a few molts before that will be necessary though.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Wow! You have a beautiful setup! The only thing I would worry about is too much humidity, so I would not mist it too often because your materials will hold the water. You will need a larger setup as your mantis grows, but it is a beautiful vivarium.

- MantisGirl13

 

[ohaple]

Wow! You have a beautiful setup! The only thing I would worry about is too much humidity, so I would not mist it too often because your materials will hold the water. You will need a larger setup as your mantis grows, but it is a beautiful vivarium.

- MantisGirl13

We are in Colorado where it is very dry, so even with daily misting the hygrometer has read 60-75% pretty consistently. Thank you for the input. ?

 

[rantology]

Those look awesome! the bases/tops really make them look elegant- did you custom build those too? 

I used to live in CO - the low humidity is brutal (every time I go visit family my lips will start cracking lol) - If you end up having concerns with this I would suggest maybe looking into getting a humidifier for your mantis room. Does wonders!

 

[ohaple]

Those look awesome! the bases/tops really make them look elegant- did you custom build those too? 

I used to live in CO - the low humidity is brutal (every time I go visit family my lips will start cracking lol) - If you end up having concerns with this I would suggest maybe looking into getting a humidifier for your mantis room. Does wonders!

They are completely custom designed and built. It started as a pile of acrylic and wood. The only parts we didn't build are accessories like the lighting and heat pad. Have a small humidifier that we keep in the area, but it is not very effective. The damp substrate seems to do a fine job though. The care guides I have found range from about 60-80% humidity for H. majuscula. My main concern is mold, which is why we have springtails and isopods coming in the mail today. We have been struggling with our fruit fly culture though, so I am a little nervous about keeping springtail and isopod cultures. So far this has been very rewarding. It has given us a lot to learn and enjoy. I am glad I created this thread since it made me re-investigate the adult size of the h. majuscula. The ghost mantids will eventually get to move into these enclosures when the giant rainforest gets too large.

I still haven't done it, but we plan on using the front part of the base to put a laser-etched species identifier, which will be neat. Maybe if I look at it enough times I will eventually remember how to spell hierodula majuscula without having to google it. ?

 

[MantisGirl13]

We are in Colorado where it is very dry, so even with daily misting the hygrometer has read 60-75% pretty consistently. Thank you for the input. ?

Ok!  You have very professionally made enclosures! 

They are completely custom designed and built. It started as a pile of acrylic and wood. The only parts we didn't build are accessories like the lighting and heat pad. Have a small humidifier that we keep in the area, but it is not very effective. The damp substrate seems to do a fine job though. The care guides I have found range from about 60-80% humidity for H. majuscula. My main concern is mold, which is why we have springtails and isopods coming in the mail today. We have been struggling with our fruit fly culture though, so I am a little nervous about keeping springtail and isopod cultures. So far this has been very rewarding. It has given us a lot to learn and enjoy. I am glad I created this thread since it made me re-investigate the adult size of the h. majuscula. The ghost mantids will eventually get to move into these enclosures when the giant rainforest gets too large.

I still haven't done it, but we plan on using the front part of the base to put a laser-etched species identifier, which will be neat. Maybe if I look at it enough times I will eventually remember how to spell hierodula majuscula without having to google it. ?

The humidity might be a little too much for the ghosts, but the enclosures would be perfect! 

If you hang around the forum for a while, you will get used to spelling complicated words! 

- MantisGirl13

 

[ohaple]

Ok!  You have very professionally made enclosures! 

The humidity might be a little too much for the ghosts, but the enclosures would be perfect! 

If you hang around the forum for a while, you will get used to spelling complicated words! 

- MantisGirl13

I will have to post the other enclosures we have made and are making. My dad also is getting setup himself. He got an L5 peacock mantis and an L3 Devil's flower (over my objection). He built two enclosures very similar to these but larger, and is currently working on small enclosures for while they are still little.

We only intend to have one or two be bioactive for the sake of keeping maintenance down. Unfortunately our isopods and springtails weren't delivered yesterday like they were supposed to be, but that ok. We will set them up tonight. Very happy that all of our mantids have gone through their first molt in our care without issue. After reading the problems people sometimes have I was pretty nervous.

 

[MantisGirl13]

You must have a lot of time on your hands to do such great projects! I hope that the cleanup crew arrives today! 

- MantisGirl13

 

[ohaple]

You must have a lot of time on your hands to do such great projects! I hope that the cleanup crew arrives today! 

- MantisGirl13

We dedicate all day every Saturday to make projects like this. We really do a wide variety. Custom knives, custom speakers, birdhouses, etc. I like to think we do a pretty good job, but we don't have formal training so its a lot of trial and error. Thanks for the kind words

 

[MantisGirl13]

 Wow! That sounds like fun! 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Pun1sh3R]

Can you give a little more info on the Acrylic.  I know you said you have files for the design.  What software did you use for the design? Did you send out the file to have the Material cut?  If so can you provide said Vendor information?

I love this project and it has got the wheels in my head turning.

Thank you for sharing this project.

 

[ohaple]

Can you give a little more info on the Acrylic.  I know you said you have files for the design.  What software did you use for the design? Did you send out the file to have the Material cut?  If so can you provide said Vendor information?

I love this project and it has got the wheels in my head turning.

Thank you for sharing this project.

I used software called Vcarve to design the files. It is generally for cnc but we also use it to export vectors for laser cutting. We have a glowforge laser cutter so we just cut it ourself from eighth inch and quarter inch acrylic. I know some plastics suppliers will also do manufacturing though. Look online for plastics in your area.

 

[Pun1sh3R]

Thank you