My First Enclosure

[BigDazz]

Hello again... 

I'm pretty happy with my little setup ;-) It's the zoo med bugarium 8x8x11

Since this pic was taken a few things have changed... The soil is a lot dryer, I gave it a good soaking when I first introduced the plants to make sure the soil was settled & since then I've clipped a few leaves and things are a lot neater (the plants are all towards the back with a lot of open space upfront for viewing and molting.

I also added the zoo med thermometer humidity gauge... It replaced a digital acurite that was far from accurate lol.

Also added the exo terra light fixture (nano) but I'm still searching for the perfect light... It sits next to the window so I wanted to get a night moonlight but the 25w by zoo med is TERRIBLE and the Glofish is too bright and far from blue. Right now I'm using the Magic Light (the one with the remote control... I set it to blue and the lowest dimmer setting and it's working great... Only thing is I took it from one of my lamps so now I need to buy another one lol)

I replaced the the metal mesh with a piece of old bug screen I used for the front door last summer (Thanks to this forum I learned metal mesh is not good!) also added a few twigs to the top.

It took 3 weeks to set everything up and I received my lineola 2 days ago,,, So far so good she seems to be happy!!!

I will take updated pics either tonight or sometime this week... I'm looking forward to enjoying this hobby I'm Excited!!! 

I'm thinking about making picking up a little cleaning crew but have no idea where to buy... I don't want to start a culture and I really don't know how many I would need for a 3 gallon setup like mine... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in Advance!

 

[BigDazz]

Here's a quick side view so u can see the spacing I created.

 

[mantisman 230]

Looks great, although I would feed your mantis in something smaller until it reaches a decent size.

 

[BigDazz]

Thanks @mantisman 230 it was shipped with flies... Actually did great with the 2 I fed her the first day... She finished both off in less than a hr or so!

 

[Coyote]

Nice setup, you could add a background like i did in mine, might help the mantis to feel safer (check my thread there are pictures).

Regarding the feeding i feel like people are a bit paranoid that the mantis won't find food. But the sphodromantis are quite active hunters. I gave mine grasshoppers and flies and she usually find them in the next 15 minutes. Once she sees them she just dont stop looking at them and then tries to catch when they come close. Sometimes she goes at them.

 

[CosbyArt]

Looks great, even more so for a first habitat. Glad to hear you got a mantis and is happy too. 

The worry is mantids in larger tanks tend to have trouble finding their prey (and the reason for the concern); however, if you feed flies, moths, and other flying prey to your mantid they will fly to the top by the light and should not be a issue. As they will be seen and likely your mantid is already near or on the top anyway.

Just make sure your mantid finds the prey, if it does not then you may try feeding it in a smaller container during dinner (like a deli cup); otherwise, if it is eating I wouldn't worry as it isn't a issue of mantids that stalk prey (which yours should).

For a cleaning crew Peter offers a springtails and isopod combo, or individually if you prefer to choose the species of them yourself. The springtails eat mold growth and similar matter, especially useful in a vivarium setup with plenty of moisture. Isopods eat the leftover feeder/prey pieces, dead leaves/dead plant material, and mantid frass (poop), so that will cover cleaning.

Have fun with your new pet.

 

[BigDazz]

Thanks @Coyote... Maybe I'll go background shopping tomorrow Hopefully I'll find something to go with the mini Jungle theme I have going on. I agree this species is very aggressive... Glad I got it!

@CosbyArt Thanks for the warm welcome! 

She seems to be doing great with hunting down her food... I'm feeding her every other day... Only thing I'm a little concerned about is the second fly. I add both at once... I see her eat the first one then the second one kinda lays low like it know what's going on LOL The thing is about a hr or so later I no longer see it but I don't think it escaped so it has to be the 2nd course meal... Maybe I'll add one at a time & that way I can monitor what's going on a little better.

 

[BigDazz]

Here's a few pics with my curtain (Black) closed and the light on. I'm really diggin the vibe.

 

[CosbyArt]

Thanks @Coyote... Maybe I'll go background shopping tomorrow Hopefully I'll find something to go with the mini Jungle theme I have going on. I agree this species is very aggressive... Glad I got it!

@CosbyArt Thanks for the warm welcome! 

She seems to be doing great with hunting down her food... I'm feeding her every other day... Only thing I'm a little concerned about is the second fly. I add both at once... I see her eat the first one then the second one kinda lays low like it know what's going on LOL The thing is about a hr or so later I no longer see it but I don't think it escaped so it has to be the 2nd course meal... Maybe I'll add one at a time & that way I can monitor what's going on a little better.

Your welcome. In regards to the flies it's up to you, but as long as you witness her eating at least one you can be sure she is eating the rest too.

The biggest eaters in the various mantid species I've kept so far has to be Chinese mantids (Tenodera sinensis) - the adult females tend to be bottomless pits, eating 4-8 bottle flies every other day (which is good to keep plump for their ooths). I dump them in and let them eat as many as they care to eat in about 30-45 minutes, and remove any excess.

Judging her size in your other post, it looks like 2-3 houseflies, or 1-2 bottle flies every other day would be about right. If you have a lawn you can catch the flies yourself, with a fly trap or just net them. Of course if you prefer to save time, or can't catch your own, you can order them online too (another site); however, if you run out before you get a shipment (it happens) just capture them until they arrive.

The light looks great for nighttime use, even providing less lighting like late evenings so when it's time for bed she isn't so startled by the lights going off - nice transition.

 

[BigDazz]

@CosbyArt for another great idea... 

I really like the light... I was using it for my lamps and after trying to find the perfect night light (Moon Light effect) I gave these a go... Come to find out it's perfect for what I need... The white is a very soft white light (led) even at it's highest setting and for bed time I just hit the blue button... I think it's making us both happy and able to sleep lol.

He's the blue light and here's the remote.

 

[CosbyArt]

@CosbyArt for another great idea...

I really like the light... I was using it for my lamps and after trying to find the perfect night light (Moon Light effect) I gave these a go... Come to find out it's perfect for what I need... The white is a very soft white light (led) even at it's highest setting and for bed time I just hit the blue button... I think it's making us both happy and able to sleep lol.

He's the blue light and here's the remote.

Sweet! The moonlight effect looks great, and shouldn't bother Triple OG, but give her enough light if she is actively feeding. Looks like I should try finding something similar myself.

 

[BigDazz]

Ran across these today at a local pet store... Talked to one of the guys at Lugarti and he said the grass doesn't need a lot of light or watering to grow so I figure what the heck and decided to drop a few seeds in... Should look nice in a week or so... Figured I can play around at the bottom of the tank cause she basically spends her time in the middle or the top anyway lol 

Still left a lot of room in the middle and front for her to roam and molt without issues.

 

[BigDazz]

Also clipped a few pothos leaves... I had to clip her favorite hide out but it had reached the ceiling and was pushing away at the top

 

[CosbyArt]

@BigDazz Looks like your keeping a close eye on her and her habitat. It is amazing how fast a plant can grow. I'm curious to see how the grass does for you, as it could be a good filler material for your vivarium. I've done moss before myself and it takes lots of water and time to get it to cover well, usually 6 months to start a decent covering for any I did.

 

[ashleenicole]

Your enclosure looks incredible, I'm jealous! Your mantis is a lucky little guy.  

 

[BigDazz]

@CosbyArt @ashleenicole

I dropped in 10 earthworms about a week or so ago (leftover from a fishing trip)... so far the two plants work perfectly... One grows VERY slow and the other very fast... The great thing about the one that grows fast is it can take a lot of trimming. they both need very little water and light... very hardy for a not so green thumb.

 Between feeding her and attending to the plants I stay busy .... Really enjoying it. I'm adding springtails in a few weeks to make sure everything stays balanced.  

 

[CosbyArt]

I dropped in 10 earthworms about a week or so ago (leftover from a fishing trip)... so far the two plants work perfectly... One grows VERY slow and the other very fast... The great thing about the one that grows fast is it can take a lot of trimming. they both need very little water and light... very hardy for a not so green thumb.

 Between feeding her and attending to the plants I stay busy .... Really enjoying it. I'm adding springtails in a few weeks to make sure everything stays balanced.  

Sounds interesting, I'm very curious how the earthworms (fishing bait so the larger "night crawlers" I imagine too) work out for you. I say that because in my terrarium and vivarium books, they all say to avoid earthworms completely (recommending even to bake the dirt to kill their eggs too), as they will quickly dig many tunnels and cause plant issues (unearthed plant roots, etc).

Springtails are really great though and keep mold, feeder remains, and mantis frass (poop) cleaned up. The only downside is depending on their population levels they can make a habitat look like it's invaded by a pest with all the commonly white springtails everywhere (but it doesn't stress mantids).

 

[BigDazz]

So far so good... I will definitely keep you updated.

 

[Precious]

Dazz you have the SERIOUS SET-UP!  I'm thoroughly impressed!  Just WOW!  You thought of everything, your mantis is so stoked.  I'm currently keeping/breeding large, hardy species in cheesy, plastic enclosures with faux fauna.  They'd be in heaven in your set-up.  My favorite enclosure is an un-enclosure.  I have a hierodula that lives on a houseplant and quite happily!  It's a bit cool but she's fine, the common air is very humid here.  I just hand her a couple of crix every day and she stays put!  My guests love it!  She'll put down an ooth soon, it's only practical for adults I guess - but it's fun!  I'm looking for new house plants so I can house a couple of other females this way, they don't wander like the males.  Have fun and do keep us updated.  Kudos on taking on something so complex!