Diabolica Set-up

[animalexplorer]

I pretty much got the ideas from the forum members guapoalto049, The Gex Files, precarious. Although I have made modification that are slighty different. I do agree with people on this forum that it is not a good idea to use this kind of setup for diabolica when they are molting. You should have another separate setup just for the molting process, one with less obstuctions. A clever branch configuration is important for this species as well as branch surface and diameter.

 

[sporeworld]

Any updates on this enclosure...?

 

[animalexplorer]

Here is an addition that helps keep more heat inside the terrarium. I have noticed that the gaps in each individual terrarium is not consistant. I have to stuff paper in the cracks on the hinge sides of the glass doors to cope with some of the heat loss, and because idolos like the warmer temperature ranges up in the 90's I created a cardboard cutout with the combination of a hockey puck light to generate more heat plus trap in more humidity keeping the levels higher for longer periods of time.

 

[animalexplorer]

Here is the tray of spagnum moss that I wet down to help increase and maintain humidity levels. I set up a heating pad on the right side of the terrarium where the moss is which helps maintain the night time humidity & heat.

Also added a auto timer that turns lights on 7:00am and off at 8:00PM

Temp/Hum gauge is set in back top to get better readings. I figure the mantids spending most the time on the ceiling substrate, plus they molt, what it always seems, is the highest spot they can perch.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I never seen anything like it in all my born days!

 

[sporeworld]

You can also just line the bottom of the cage with wax paper or foil, and put the moss and such on top of it. That way you can scoop out the whole thing and clean or throw it away.

 

[animalexplorer]

With a container holding the moss, if it ever gets moldy I can just remove it, dump it out, clean it, put fresh moss and replace it with little disturbance to the mantid(s). I don't have to worry about cleaning the whole bottom of the terrarium and reduce contamination issues. Thanks for the advice, always good to hear about alternative solutions.

 

[sporeworld]

Presumably, you still have to clean the bottom of droppings, waste, skin and such. How do you do that?

 

[animalexplorer]

Clean it after the mantid molts. This set-up is for molting, I have other terrariums plus recently acquired castle net cages to keep them in. I'm referring to cleaning out the spagnum moss with ease if it gets moldy with little disturbance to the mantid during it's transition. We are all trying different ways and everything imaginable is concidered when trying to succeed with this species as it molts to its final stage as an adult.

 

[sporeworld]

Clean it after the mantid molts. This set-up is for molting, I have other terrariums plus recently acquired castle net cages to keep them in. I'm referring to cleaning out the spagnum moss with ease if it gets moldy with little disturbance to the mantid during it's transition. We are all trying different ways and everything imaginable is concidered when trying to succeed with this species as it molts to its final stage as an adult.

Ah, I get it now. Forgot the part about it just for molting.

 

[animalexplorer]

Ah, I get it now. Forgot the part about it just for molting.

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I'm putting together another terrarium just for moulting, thanks to other peoples recomendations and ideas I'm doing that, and the results are being posted in this thread.

 

[animalexplorer]

Here's an image of one of my female idolos that is curently in the molting terrarium.

 

[sporeworld]

Gorgeous! I think she winked at me!