INTRO

[Morgsmom]

I’m Morgan’s mom she just received her 1st mantis today. We ordered from PanTerra Pets and are very pleased with the whole transaction. She has named her baby “Groot” He (we think it’s he?) is a very lucky mantis. Any advice for us newbies is appreciated. My daughter is 12 years old, so if we let him die she will be devastated. And I’ve already explained to her lifespan, so I’m thinking we need more mantids so it won’t be so shocking when one dies. 

 

[hysteresis]

Looks like a female. Welcome @Morgsmom!

 

[Synapze]

Great species choice. Very cute mantis and great name! 

Check out this post from the Care-Sheet section. Everything she'll need to know. She's certain to be a healthy specimen if she's from Panterra. Good luck! 

 

[Morgsmom]

Advice on isopods. The enclosure is glass nano terrarium with bottom layer lava rock, then layer of fabric weed barrier, next layer of verticulate (if I’m spelling that right) then organic potting soil. An orchid and another small houseplant I forgot the name of lol. Do we really need isopods? If so how many for small enclosure? Will they repopulate and take over? 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Welcome to the Forum!

That cage is too humid for a ghost mantis. I would suggest not spraying it  as much, and keeping the dirt a little less moist. Looks like a great setup though! Isopods shouldn't be necessary. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Morgsmom]

Welcome to the Forum!

That cage is too humid for a ghost mantis. I would suggest not spraying it  as much, and keeping the dirt a little less moist. Looks like a great setup though! Isopods shouldn't be necessary. 

- MantisGirl13

Thank you! I didn’t know

 

[hysteresis]

I have an ecoterra too. Make sure the full screen at the top is unobstructed and I think you'll be okay as far as ventilation. Even if it soaks a bit, it'll dry up fast. They have excellent ventilation, and that's why they are said to make good stuff. It works!

If your house is very dry, you may want to mask off some of the mesh to keep in some humidity. Don't use tape.

Purchase an analog ecoterra hygrometer (less than ten bucks) and aim for 50 pct humidity give or take and you're set. I keep my Hierodula venosa in one and I spray down the ecoearth (coco fiber instead of soil) when it drops below that. It stays in range nicely.

I have plastic foliage in mine. If I were to put plants in there, id buy a small cup of springtails, and let them feast on mantis frass and prey leftovers.

Point is, I don't have springtails so I'm not experienced. 

I've read that If there's extra food, the springtails will grow, reproduce, and thrive. If not, they'll taper off to sustainable levels.

 

[Morgsmom]

I have an ecoterra too. Make sure the full screen at the top is unobstructed and I think you'll be okay as far as ventilation. Even if it soaks a bit, it'll dry up fast. They have excellent ventilation l, and that's why they are said to make good stuff. It works!

If your house is very dry, you may want to mask off some of the mesh to keep in some humidity. 

Purchase an analog ecoterra hygrometer (less than ten bucks) and aim for 50 pct humidity give or take and you're set. I keep my Hierodula venosa in one and I spray down the ecoearth (coco fiber instead of soil) when it drops below that. It stays in range nicely.

I have plastic foliage in mine. If I were to put plants in there, id buy a small cup of springtails, and let them feast on mantis frass and prey leftovers.

Point is, I dont have springtails so I'm not experienced. 

I've read that If there's extra food, the springtails will grow, reproduce, and thrive. If not, theyll taper off to substainable levels.

My fear is the springtails will overpopulate and then I will have to be digging them out. Any advice on better plants that don’t need as much water since our little Groot doesn’t need much humidity? 

 

[hysteresis]

As I said, I use plastic!

@ohaple, viv master, any suggestions? @Synapze you know plants?

I know nothing, Jon Snow.

 

[Graceface]

I love Ghosts and she is a cutie! Welcome

 

[MantisGirl13]

Thank you! I didn’t know

Glad to help!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

Welcome

Your daughter is lucky she got a green ghost. I want a green ghost too.

 

[Morgsmom]

Welcome

Your daughter is lucky she got a green ghost. I want a green ghost too.

Thank you.  We had our fingers crossed for green. Sometimes it looks greener, probably the lighting. She loves baby Groot! But we found out yesterday from members it’s a girl

 

[ohaple]

As I said, I use plastic!

@ohaple, viv master, any suggestions? @Synapze you know plants?

I know nothing, Jon Snow.

Haha thanks. Prepare for my long-winded answer.

Regarding your substrate. It looks like you have done a good job to learn about the drainage layer and substrate. It is difficult to manage in small enclosures since the depth is precious, but you would be better off with 3x or 4x as much drainage as it appears you currently have. I know how much of a pain it is to tear it up, so maybe just add more if you run into problems or are replanting plants already. Then you can make sure there is always a little bit of water at the bottom without it soaking into the soil. About the plants, I am terrible at orchids but understand they have more specific watering needs. I would not be surprised if you fail at keeping the orchid in there. We have defaulted now to only moss, bromeliads, and easy plants like philodendrons. Bromeliads, you just fill up the cup in the middle of the plant so it doesn't impact soil moisture or humidity much. Philodendrons thrive in a variety of conditions. I don't see any discussion of lighting in your post, but be careful with only sunlight from a window. It can cause temperature spikes and humidity spikes if you aren't careful. I use small LED aquarium lights on a timer to keep the plants growing well away from the window. They are about $15, timers are another $5.

Regarding sprintails:

Springtails will not overpopulate, will not likely escape, and are not harmful to your mantis. They will occasionally have population booms that may concern you, but it just means they are doing their job. They eat mold and detritus, so they are almost entirely beneficial. I add them to any substrate without hesitation. They live with my cockroaches, my isopods, and my mantises. Regarding your "picking them out" comment, once they are added they are there for good and baking, freezing, or starting fresh is about the only way to get rid of them. They look like mites somewhat so some people find them creepy, but in my experience they only benefit the setup. Here is an example from my own vivarium. A lot of mold started to form on my grapewood (bottom left). After another day or two the springtail population grew and found the mold, and ate it all up. Especially if anyone in your family has a mold allergy, these guys are your friends.

Regarding isopods:

Isopods can be helpful to the vivarium in many of the same ways as the springtails, but they have more challenges as well. Some isopods eat more protein and may go after a mantis who fell during molting. I haven't seen this myself, or any direct proof, but have heard about it. The mantis will eat isopods if it sees them and they are the right size. Every time I have added isopods to my mantis enclosure, the mantis eats them all up except one or two that hide well enough. This can be concerning financially since isopods can range from $0.50-10 each depending on species. They are a fine food source and will serve as supplemental food between feedings, but you should keep a colony of the isopods outside of the vivarium so you can replenish when they are eaten without always having to buy more. You will likely need to feed them in the vivarium as well since the mantis won't create quite enough waste for them. A good substrate goes a long ways towards their feeding needs.

The exception to about everything I said above is the dwarf white and dwarf purple isopods. They are quite small and hide in the substrate, so they are rarely eaten. Their size also makes them less fun, so your daughter isn't likely to get attached to them (whether that is a pro or con). They are also the cheapest and most available.

With all that said, here is what I would do. Buy a springtail culture. They are cheap and make managing mold and moisture so much easier. You will want to only add maybe 25% of the springtails to the vivarium and keep the rest in their container. They need fed about once a month, but otherwise have almost no care requirements. That way you have more for later if you get more mantises or want to change substrate. If the vivarium is large or you are concerned about waste building up, I would look into isopods. They are by no means needed and should be considered almost a secondary hobby with the mantis. I spend almost as much time enjoying my isopods as I do my mantis. Get dwarf whites if you think your daughter will be unhappy seeing them get eaten. Otherwise, get any variety that is attractive to you and your daughter. Like the springtails, only add about a quarter of what you buy, and keep the rest in their own container so they can continue to breed. They are more work than springtails, but still much easier to care for than mantises. They can provide an additional opportunity for your daughter to learn about the food chain and selective breeding if you get a more ornamental type. Here are our powder orange (which we no longer have since I added them all and a mantis snacked on them). Happy to answer any other questions you have about them or make purchasing recommendations.

 

[Morgsmom]

Haha thanks. Prepare for my long-winded answer.

Regarding your substrate. It looks like you have done a good job to learn about the drainage layer and substrate. It is difficult to manage in small enclosures since the depth is precious, but you would be better off with 3x or 4x as much drainage as it appears you currently have. I know how much of a pain it is to tear it up, so maybe just add more if you run into problems or are replanting plants already. Then you can make sure there is always a little bit of water at the bottom without it soaking into the soil. About the plants, I am terrible at orchids but understand they have more specific watering needs. I would not be surprised if you fail at keeping the orchid in there. We have defaulted now to only moss, bromeliads, and easy plants like philodendrons. Bromeliads, you just fill up the cup in the middle of the plant so it doesn't impact soil moisture or humidity much. Philodendrons thrive in a variety of conditions. I don't see any discussion of lighting in your post, but be careful with only sunlight from a window. It can cause temperature spikes and humidity spikes if you aren't careful. I use small LED aquarium lights on a timer to keep the plants growing well away from the window. They are about $15, timers are another $5.



Regarding sprintails:

Springtails will not overpopulate, will not likely escape, and are not harmful to your mantis. They will occasionally have population booms that may concern you, but it just means they are doing their job. They eat mold and detritus, so they are almost entirely beneficial. I add them to any substrate without hesitation. They live with my cockroaches, my isopods, and my mantises. Regarding your "picking them out" comment, once they are added they are there for good and baking, freezing, or starting fresh is about the only way to get rid of them. They look like mites somewhat so some people find them creepy, but in my experience they only benefit the setup. Here is an example from my own vivarium. A lot of mold started to form on my grapewood (bottom left). After another day or two the springtail population grew and found the mold, and ate it all up. Especially if anyone in your family has a mold allergy, these guys are your friends.





Regarding isopods:

Isopods can be helpful to the vivarium in many of the same ways as the springtails, but they have more challenges as well. Some isopods eat more protein and may go after a mantis who fell during molting. I haven't seen this myself, or any direct proof, but have heard about it. The mantis will eat isopods if it sees them and they are the right size. Every time I have added isopods to my mantis enclosure, the mantis eats them all up except one or two that hide well enough. This can be concerning financially since isopods can range from $0.50-10 each depending on species. They are a fine food source and will serve as supplemental food between feedings, but you should keep a colony of the isopods outside of the vivarium so you can replenish when they are eaten without always having to buy more. You will likely need to feed them in the vivarium as well since the mantis won't create quite enough waste for them. A good substrate goes a long ways towards their feeding needs.

The exception to about everything I said above is the dwarf white and dwarf purple isopods. They are quite small and hide in the substrate, so they are rarely eaten. Their size also makes them less fun, so your daughter isn't likely to get attached to them (whether that is a pro or con). They are also the cheapest and most available.

With all that said, here is what I would do. Buy a springtail culture. They are cheap and make managing mold and moisture so much easier. You will want to only add maybe 25% of the springtails to the vivarium and keep the rest in their container. They need fed about once a month, but otherwise have almost no care requirements. That way you have more for later if you get more mantises or want to change substrate. If the vivarium is large or you are concerned about waste building up, I would look into isopods. They are by no means needed and should be considered almost a secondary hobby with the mantis. I spend almost as much time enjoying my isopods as I do my mantis. Get dwarf whites if you think your daughter will be unhappy seeing them get eaten. Otherwise, get any variety that is attractive to you and your daughter. Like the springtails, only add about a quarter of what you buy, and keep the rest in their own container so they can continue to breed. They are more work than springtails, but still much easier to care for than mantises. They can provide an additional opportunity for your daughter to learn about the food chain and selective breeding if you get a more ornamental type. Here are our powder orange (which we no longer have since I added them all and a mantis snacked on them). Happy to answer any other questions you have about them or make purchasing recommendations.

Wow! Thank you for all the information. She wants the powder orange you have pictured. Now is that one that you think we could handle? She is 12 years old and loves learning about animals and habitats. She invests a lot of her free time on YouTube watching videos about reptiles, insects, and other animals. She has raised sugar glider pair, ducks, chickens, rabbits, freshwater shrimp and she had success breeding angelfish which was a pain for me  Biggest problem is she is so sad to see something die. We had a massacre with her duck being murdered by a raccoon and she still gets upset about it. I encourage her every possible way I can with her hobbies and interests. She did the research on the soil, but didn’t on plants. I honestly just grabbed up 2 houseplants from Lowe’s and she stuck them in there. We have no problem starting over and in the process use the opportunity to help teach my daughter about plants, humidity, etc. I do need to make a priority to order a humidity thermometer of some sort. As far as soil goes, We would be up for a new plan there too. I would like to learn and experience a mini self sustaining ecosystem with her. Great mother/daughter bonding lol. So...any suggestions for success? Soil, plants, even like the wood, I think you said you had olive wood maybe? She just broke some sticks off a tree in our landscaping.  Thank you again for taking the time to give me all that valuable information. I’m so excited about this learning process!

 

 

[ohaple]

Wow! Thank you for all the information. She wants the powder orange you have pictured. Now is that one that you think we could handle? She is 12 years old and loves learning about animals and habitats. She invests a lot of her free time on YouTube watching videos about reptiles, insects, and other animals. She has raised sugar glider pair, ducks, chickens, rabbits, freshwater shrimp and she had success breeding angelfish which was a pain for me  Biggest problem is she is so sad to see something die. We had a massacre with her duck being murdered by a raccoon and she still gets upset about it. I encourage her every possible way I can with her hobbies and interests. She did the research on the soil, but didn’t on plants. I honestly just grabbed up 2 houseplants from Lowe’s and she stuck them in there. We have no problem starting over and in the process use the opportunity to help teach my daughter about plants, humidity, etc. I do need to make a priority to order a humidity thermometer of some sort. As far as soil goes, We would be up for a new plan there too. I would like to learn and experience a mini self sustaining ecosystem with her. Great mother/daughter bonding lol. So...any suggestions for success? Soil, plants, even like the wood, I think you said you had olive wood maybe? She just broke some sticks off a tree in our landscaping.  Thank you again for taking the time to give me all that valuable information. I’m so excited about this learning process!

 

You and her could definitely handle the powder oranges. You can handle any of the ones commonly available. There are other awesome types that are more colorful, but they generally cost quite a bit more. Most of the semi-exotic species you should expect to pay $1-3 each. If you have a local reptile store, call them. Ours carries dwarf whites consistently and occasionally has more exotic species. Since they are easy to breed hobbyists usually try to sell them to pet stores. Isopods are far easier than any of the other animals you listed. We ordered ours from Josh's Frogs. They are Porcellionides pruinosus. We have also had success with Glass Box Tropicals for ordering springtails and isopods. This article is great for isopod care. http://www.neherpetoculture.com/isopodcare

We are also enjoying breeding freshwater shrimp. Isopods are similar in the type of enjoyment, but they are easier to care for and a little harder to observe.

Most houseplants will be fine for mantises as long as the humidity requirements aren't too much different. Just be careful about pesticides and fertilizers. Many nurseries use pesticides and it could be dangerous to put those plants with your mantis. I order from places like Josh's Frogs just to avoid the issue, but if you are careful it shouldn't be a problem.

Regarding soil, if you hope to breed isopods in it, use a good isopod substrate blend. Otherwise any natural potting soil should be fine. You want it to drain well, provide food for the isopods, and also nutrients for the plants.

For wood, people use all sorts of things. Most hardwood is fine for mantises, we usually just bake it or boil it to get rid of potential pests first. If you go to the pet store you can also find cool aquarium wood that mantises will like that won't mold easily. Look at spiderwood, malaysian driftwood, and mopani. Grapewood is fine, but does mold some. For our non-bioactive setups we use maple and cottonwood branches that we have baked. I just don't like how they look as well in the bioactive enclosures.

I understand she will be upset at deaths, but with mantises death is a common occurrence. We have to sacrifice many other insects to feed the mantis. It is easy to get attached to isopods, and even to some types of cockroaches used for feeding. If she finds that difficult to watch, maybe try blue bottle flies. For some reason they are harder to relate to. Good chance for her to experience the circle of life. Feeding can be graphic at times. They mantises are surprisingly alien and brutal when they hunt. Even my wife has a hard time being part of feeding. 

Here is the video of one hunting: https://imgur.com/wBoSSj4

And of a ghost mantis feeding on a cricket up close: https://imgur.com/p836Rvf

 

[Rick]

Welcome

 

[Bentis]

Welcome to a fun and addictive hobby!