im new at this

[preyboy12]

i just got 6 new what i think are commons (i live in ny, usa) mantis they are in a 15 gal with at least 20 crickets and are about 2 2 1/2 in. long. they have stickes and grass in there tank and i mist it ever couple hours am i doing this right?? :roll: :?:

 

[DMJ]

umm I'm not sure what mantis you got but I can tell you this....if you have 6 living together prepare to lose 5...they will eat each other if not fed correctly or just for the heck of it so seperate them.

 

[Macano]

Definitely keep each mantid in it's own enclosure, or they will kill each other. Also, keep the crickets out of the cage, and feed them one at a time. Uneaten crickets will kill and eat your mantids also. Good luck.

 

[worldofmantis]

ypur misting evrey hour? You should mist like once a day. Here are the three most common mantises in america. carolina mantis,european mantis,chinese mantis,

 

[preyboy12]

THANKS ALL I RERALLY APRECIATE IT. HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BREED???? I WOULD LIKE TO START

 

[DMJ]

They will be ready once they have their wings fully developed meaning they are adults.

 

[preyboy12]

how will i know if they have there wings? and i separated them 8)

 

[DMJ]

You'll know when they have wings when you see long wings on their backs not hard to figure out.

 

[worldofmantis]

heres how you will know they will fly. flap their wings and it,ll be very noticable

 

[Peekaboo]

Find out what species you have and try looking at the care sheets here: http://www.mantiskingdom.com/ .

DeShawn's page offers some good generalized information for beginners and can answer a lot of the questions you have right now. When you're done reading up, and still have some specific questions, feel free to ask.