The Mantis Biotope...

[Wallace Grover]

If any of you are interested I'm going to document as I go along building this mantis viv. Here is the start after I siliconed the back so the Great Stuff would adhere:

Now all I have to do is wait a week for the GS to cure and expand, then I will smear silicone over it and apply coco-fiber.

 

[LauraMG]

Interesting concept. Can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[Jesskb]

looks like a good start

 

[Wallace Grover]

Oh, thank you both. I forgot to say, this is a 20H and it's going to be vertical...

 

[Seattle79]

Hmmm....... I see. Very good.

 

[Wallace Grover]

I am a little worried about too much humidity though. The cage will be pretty much completely glass except for a 2 inch (or so) vent at the top that goes across the aquarium. Can European or Chinese Mantids stand these conditions?

 

[LauraMG]

Should be fine. May just not have to mist them as often to control humidity, however I haven't had a problem with too much humidity yet. I'm sure more exotic species that are sensitive might, but a Chinese can handle most anything. Just wanna make sure they have at least 3 times their length in the height of your tank for them to molt properly. I made that mistake once and only once.

 

[Wallace Grover]

Should be fine. May just not have to mist them as often to control humidity, however I haven't had a problem with too much humidity yet. I'm sure more exotic species that are sensitive might, but a Chinese can handle most anything. Just wanna make sure they have at least 3 times their length in the height of your tank for them to molt properly. I made that mistake once and only once.

Good to know then. It's about 2 feet high, so hopefully I won't be getting an 8+ inch mantis

 

[LauraMG]

Good to know then. It's about 2 feet high, so hopefully I won't be getting an 8+ inch mantis

GAWD I hope not! :lol:

 

[Jesskb]

The screen should provide sufficient humidity. I keep my Chinese in divided fish tanks with a screen top and haven't had a problem at all.

 

[Rick]

Interesting. How will the front work? I turned a tank on its side once and never did find a good way to do the front/lid.

 

[Wallace Grover]

Interesting. How will the front work? I turned a tank on its side once and never did find a good way to do the front/lid.

Well, actually I'm using a conversion kit from Jungle Box: My link

But, if any are interested here's a good DIY way to do it: My link

 

[Wallace Grover]

Tomorrow I'll post pics of the Tank since the great stuff is about cured (I'm going to wait till saturday or sunday to coco-fiber and silicone though just in case). Will Post Pics, including a depth pic. I don't think the tank has enough branches though. Even though it'll be pretty lushly planted I want to find a branch or stick I like, wash it really well, and then bake it. I hope to have one happy mantis :lol:

 

[Wallace Grover]

My Praying Mantis construction is finally DONE!!!

This vivarium will house a chinese praying mantis. I had the theme of "temperate" and will choose ferns, and other plants that help execute this theme further. The wood, pine cones, and pine needles were locally collected. I baked, then freezed, then (in the case of the needles and cones) boiled. Hope you like it!!

 

[LauraMG]

Very cool!

 

[massaman]

Nice mantis image but not a lady ga ga fan heh!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Very nice setup. My only question is how hard/easy it will be to keep clean. I've bought stuff from the guy at Jungle Box. He's very obliging, and it's nice to talk with a real person! Keep us posted.

 

[Wallace Grover]

Very nice setup. My only question is how hard/easy it will be to keep clean. I've bought stuff from the guy at Jungle Box. He's very obliging, and it's nice to talk with a real person! Keep us posted.

It's 20 gallons, and I will have springtails and wood lice as a clean-up crew. I'm pretty sure the mantis won't eat them all because they mainly reside in the floor and leaf litter, and are quite tiny. So hopefully it will need minimum intervention from me between the bugs and fungi. Stay tuned, I'm getting the clean-up crew this week and the plants within the month!!

PS: The humidity in the tank is around 50%(I expect it to go up a bit once I start spraying it a little more regularly) is this ideal for a Chinese?

 

[LauraMG]

PS: The humidity in the tank is around 50%(I expect it to go up a bit once I start spraying it a little more regularly) is this ideal for a Chinese?

Chinese can do well in that low of a humidity, but that's like normal room humidity and you may want to raise it a bit for molting purposes. Just seems a little too low to me, although as I said Chinese are a very easy and tolerant species. How tall is the biotope? I assume it sits upright, correct?

BTW, one of my mantids is named Lady Gaga :tt2: