my first idolos-any tips?

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ok a few things caught my mind. the L2 has a small black line/spot on the front of it's eye. is this an infection? also, the L3 keeps looking hungrily at the L2, but it hasn't moved after it yet. are these guys completely communal at this stage? the L3 might just be alarmed.

 
Could be an injury from them being in the FF cup together. Ive seen them get nasty with each other over terrirtories

 
If they're kept to close to each other they will try and steal food from the others raptors and that can be it for one of them when they don't stop at the fly. Need pics to see about dots on eyes? Is it the false pupil?

 
I've seen mantids where the entire front of the eye is black.

It's not the false pupil. I can't take pics bcause it is so tiny. I might need to hire precarious. :lol:

 
I've seen many mantids with black spots on the eyes and one with the entire eye exploded (yes, that is the right word) off. It was still moving and climbing just fine! I noticed the eyes turn black during night hunting and right b4 death. Also heard that eye infection is fatal. Do these black spots mean something?

 
Never had a eye explode, or the black eye people do speak of from time to time(with 600+ mantis of many species) but I also give all my mantis plenty of room, and I think that matters alot in the rubbing on the sides of enclosures to get it in the first place?

 
I found one in my garden with an exploded eye and black "tar" all over it's head. It was weird...

Ok so this is my final setup for now. Please comment on any flaws

Enclosure

About 2 ft. X 1 ft. Exo terra vivarium (will the glass sides be a problem?) with sticks hot glued all over the mesh top. It has 3 layers of paper towel on the bottem for humidity and a branched thin branch that has many branches on the bottom half and almost none in the top half so it does not interfere with molting. I don't want water stains from misting so I pour in a bit of water on the towels for humidity. It has a 100 watt flourescent bulb very close to the top on one side. Should I raise it?

Feeding

I'm giving 4 bbs every other day (making sure each one gets 2). do refrigerated flies need gutload?

Do I need bedding? For humidity and to help cushion falls. Maybe tropical reptile bedding.

 
A lamp four inches from a deli cup sounds like it will be too hot. Are you monitoring the temps in the cup?

 
It is a exoterra vivarium. I just moved them. I'm going to the pet store today for a thermometer. I should have gotten that heat gun at the reptile fair. :(

 
the dot looks like a few cells of his compound eye turned black. it hasn't grown bigger overnight so I'm guessing it's not an infection.

 
Ok they stopped fighting. how long until I need to get a bigger enclosure? These vivs are EXPENSIVE! A 12x12x24 cost 60 bucks! Maybe I will just get a fish tank, but then I lose the handy front door!

 
they seem to be going crazy trying to get between the twigs and to the light. also they keep shoving their heads into the gap between the lid and tank. anyone else have this behavior? and will they calm down as they get older? maybe the light is too close, but it is not too hot.

 
Crazy4mantis said:
they seem to be going crazy trying to get between the twigs and to the light. also they keep shoving their heads into the gap between the lid and tank. anyone else have this behavior? and will they calm down as they get older? maybe the light is too close, but it is not too hot.
Click to expand...
my subadult idolo does this <_<

 

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