May Take The Dive!

[matt020593]

Well don't bother with it then just keep looking on here. If you do decide to buy Orchids, make sure you look around for a decent price because some people will over charge you a lot. You want to be paying about £5/6 at L1/L2, well that's what I'd pay anyway.

GCSEs or A level? I'm doing GCSEs at the moment, it's not fun .

 

[adam98150]

That seems a fair price for the Orchids, I'll search around before making a purchase, thanks.

Doing A levels at the moment, pretty boring stuff. Just keep at the revision, short term effort for long term gain.

 

[matt020593]

That seems a fair price for the Orchids, I'll search around before making a purchase, thanks.Doing A levels at the moment, pretty boring stuff. Just keep at the revision, short term effort for long term gain.

Haha yeah thats what is keeping me going and the super long summer .

 

[jameslongo]

Do not buy anything under L2!!! Even L2 is a little risky. You may get a nymph that wasn't meant to be alive in the first place & that would make you a sad panda. Bigger the better. Who confirms/refutes?

 

[matt020593]

I kind of agree but I think it is very dependant on the species. IMO L2 is pretty safe L3 even better. The lower instar you get the more you should buy to make sure you get a good survival rate.

 

[adam98150]

Thanks all for your input, you have been of great help.

Right, I'm going to pick up an Exo Terra Terrarium (45x45x60) from the pet store where I work, to get it at a discount price. I know I can keep them in plastic tanks, net cubes and cups, but I'd rather have a nice big display enclosure to go on top of my snake viv.

I think I'm going to attempt to keep a few Ghost nymphs together, or a few Violin Mantids if I decide to obtain a lamp for the extra heat. I have a Bearded Dragon too, so hopefully if I decide to keep the Violins, they'll be able to tackle the Locusts which he eats.

Decisions, decisions . . .

 

[matt020593]

Unfortunately G. Gongylodes(Violin) need to only take flying prey (their bodys aren't design to eat prey which would be found on or just above the ground such as locusts/crickets)+ they are scared of anything bigger than a bee :lol: , also they cannot climb glass well so unless you put the back ground in they won't be able to climb. That enclosure is very big so I advise you don't get nymphs below 4th instar as they will not be able to find their food and feed them flying prey so it hangs around the top where they will be. Also one more tip, don't put too much foliage in because it could affect their moulting leave about 6" just below the mesh top free so they don't get caught on anything.

If you want something that can eat locusts, go for a Chinese mantis aswell, it's scary what they can tackle

I feel like I am just saying all your ideas are wrong, they are not, but I am just going on what I and others have experienced. We don't want you to one of the new beginners that just go into it buy all the wrong stuff and end up killing their mantids without proper advice .

Keep reading around and post any more questions you have, even if they sound stupid :lol: we've all done it.

 

[adam98150]

Thank you, I only really read a single caresheet for this particular species, I would have read more before I made the purchase.

I take it Fruit Flies would be an ideal choice? Would moths and house flies be ok if I found them everynow and again too? (naturally gut-loaded)

I'll make sure their's plenty of space to moult.

 

[matt020593]

Thank you, I only really read a single caresheet for this particular species, I would have read more before I made the purchase. I take it Fruit Flies would be an ideal choice? Would moths and house flies be ok if I found them everynow and again too? (naturally gut-loaded)

I'll make sure their's plenty of space to moult.

Fruit flies are perfect, for young mantids, but they will only take these up to 3rd instar maybe 4th for ghosts. House flies, moths, bees are a great food source as they are covered in polen which is great for mantids(do be careful though as they sometimes have a nasty bite, just make sure they go to adults and sub adults of large species). What most on here do is they get maggots from fishing shops, keep them in the fridge and take a few out every now and then to hatch them into flies(never a favourite of my mum:lol. I got a pint of maggots for £2.20 last week which will last me a very long time(make sure you do this in advance as sometimes they take longer to hatch than expected). Anything that flys your mantids will love- so will your beardie :lol: .

Gongys are a really nice species but I would do quite a bit of reading on them, although some find them hard to care for but I disagree they seem to be pretty hardy but just make sure you keep them hot, dry and feed them flies and they will be happy. I think it may be because I keep reptiles I am used to having all the heat bulbs and extra work.

 

[Katnapper]

I think P. paradoxa are a fine choice... for beginner and experienced alike! Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.

 

[adam98150]

Fruit flies are perfect, for young mantids, but they will only take these up to 3rd instar maybe 4th for ghosts. House flies, moths, bees are a great food source as they are covered in polen which is great for mantids(do be careful though as they sometimes have a nasty bite, just make sure they go to adults and sub adults of large species). What most on here do is they get maggots from fishing shops, keep them in the fridge and take a few out every now and then to hatch them into flies(never a favourite of my mum:lol. I got a pint of maggots for £2.20 last week which will last me a very long time(make sure you do this in advance as sometimes they take longer to hatch than expected). Anything that flys your mantids will love- so will your beardie :lol: .Gongys are a really nice species but I would do quite a bit of reading on them, although some find them hard to care for but I disagree they seem to be pretty hardy but just make sure you keep them hot, dry and feed them flies and they will be happy. I think it may be because I keep reptiles I am used to having all the heat bulbs and extra work.

Thanks again.

I'm pretty close to town, there's a fishing shop their, great idea. I'll get a hold of some fruit flies before I make a purchase too. I've just realised you're from Leeds too, have you found any decent places that stock Mantids? I'm fine with mail order, but I'd like to get a good look at the species I'm going to be buying before placing an order.

I think P. paradoxa are a fine choice... for beginner and experienced alike! Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.

That's good to know, these seem the most likely as I'm banned from using more electric.

 

[matt020593]

Where abouts in Leeds are you? Not many shops tend to stock mantids really but I have seen P. Wahlbergii in a reptile shop in keighley a long time ago if you can get there? No garantee they will have them though, might be worth ringing some shops.

 

[bassist]

That's good to know, these seem the most likely as I'm banned from using more electric.

Then it's good you're drawn to Orchids and Ghosts I keep both at room temperature.

 

[adam98150]

Good, they're going on top of one of my vivs anyway, so they'll likely get some heat from the ceramic attached underneath.

I'm near the carboot/football world (Osmondthorpe). It's a 5 minute drive to Paws for Thought.

I'll be sure to ring a few shops before making a trip.

 

[adam98150]

Right, I've decided to get 5 - 6 Phyllocrania paradoxa. Someones offered to ask a friend to pick me some up at a bug fair at the beginning of June. I'm wanting L2 - L3.

The thing is, are they ok to eat Crickets at all? They're much more readily avaliable. I'll supplement their diet with blue bottles, bees/wasps also. I don't believe my store carries fruit flies, and I'm not willing to culture them.

Anything I can gutload the crix with? Once the mantids are ready, I'll switch them to locust. And also, is it ok to keep just males / just females together? I don't want them mating.