What do you keep your mantids in?
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nice!I am currently not housing any mantids, but i have two oothecae incubating in old cake and pie containers standing on their sides (The kinds that have a solid bottom and clear walls and top) and they work good
awesome containers!enclosures.jpg my adults and larger nymphs are in these large hex containers...smaller nymphs 32 ounce cups until they get a little bigger...
yeah i was reading that thread its what got me to make this. i saw the conditions of one persons mantids ani know theyre not mine but it upsets me. im not gonna lie for peoples feelings and say i think its fine if i dont, you know?
D_Hemptress
Well-known member
he actually messaged me personally just to say that he appreciates the care i put into my pets... i never even saw those so called thread. im curious now, what was the topic? i wanna go look
ScienceGirl
Well-known member
Terrariums. Larger terrariums for larger mantids, smaller for smaller mantids, etc. It depends on the size, and when we're keeping mantids they all have ample room and a fly buffet.
Digger
Well-known member
Hi death,
Not concerned about the cost of the Keepers. The tops are plastic with a clear, openable hatch. I'm not convinced deli cups will do a better job. Don't see how. Also, deli cups are ugly.
Digger
Well-known member
Patricia,
Yes, there's more than enough ventilation for mantids. I've kept L3s through L6s in hose-covered containers (i.e. many weeks)
angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
It's just Nick bud, of course to each his(or her) own, I have critter keepers as well I just don't use them much. people use 100's of different types of containers, from empty candy jars to 100 gallon aquariums and every thing in between, if it works then use it I say.
Oh I didn't mean I thought malakyoma was the one doing it. It was somebody else. I don't want to mention who, no need to cause trouble, lol. I'll tell you which topic it was in a private message.
D_Hemptress
Well-known member
no i know your not talking about malakyoma. tell me privately was exactly what i ment.... im just being nosey now
D_Hemptress
Well-known member
i started out with smaller home made enclosures
and im slowly upgrading as they grow. i really dont give them more room than is really needed but i do giv ethem enough so that if they were to choose to take a stroll they have that option.. even the ghosts, which yes, barely move. but because they hardly choose to move im able to keep them together in a larger enclosure.
i alwasy add color for them. as i was telling some other people that had come to me with the topic, its like living in a single room with a biege chair in the center. ya, you get to stand-up, sit down move around if you want ... but how boring is that?! that would make any creature unhappy.
im learning from experience where the furniture should go on the inside based on the personalities of each mantis. my Stagmomantis Limbata prefers to to run around upside down (and crickets like to hide under flowers placed on the bottom of the enclosure) so i glued a large red flower on one side and branch on the other side. there is plenty of room directly in the middle where she always chooses to molt. i adjust everything to each individual personality. you cant generalize and keep everything in the exact same conditions... just my opinion. ide usually keep to myself but i was asked to share by several other members
hope this helps
and im slowly upgrading as they grow. i really dont give them more room than is really needed but i do giv ethem enough so that if they were to choose to take a stroll they have that option.. even the ghosts, which yes, barely move. but because they hardly choose to move im able to keep them together in a larger enclosure.
i alwasy add color for them. as i was telling some other people that had come to me with the topic, its like living in a single room with a biege chair in the center. ya, you get to stand-up, sit down move around if you want ... but how boring is that?! that would make any creature unhappy.
im learning from experience where the furniture should go on the inside based on the personalities of each mantis. my Stagmomantis Limbata prefers to to run around upside down (and crickets like to hide under flowers placed on the bottom of the enclosure) so i glued a large red flower on one side and branch on the other side. there is plenty of room directly in the middle where she always chooses to molt. i adjust everything to each individual personality. you cant generalize and keep everything in the exact same conditions... just my opinion. ide usually keep to myself but i was asked to share by several other members
hope this helps
glock34girl
Well-known member
I do think some of them like to go for strolls when I take dessicata out, she goes on walk-a-bouts. Strolls all the ways down the couch, up the wall and around to the bar and goes walking all over all the enclosures as if to gloat. Oddly, I have one ghost that is always jamming. Dude just blasts everywhere. I have to be very careful when I let him out. My orchid just chills and looks outside while she hangs from one of my orchid plants.
Awesome set ups for your mantids. Again I have to say my Phyllocrania paradoxa is extremely active except when in her container.i started out with smaller home made enclosures
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and im slowly upgrading as they grow. i really dont give them more room than is really needed but i do giv ethem enough so that if they were to choose to take a stroll they have that option.. even the ghosts, which yes, barely move. but because they hardly choose to move im able to keep them together in a larger enclosure.
i alwasy add color for them. as i was telling some other people that had come to me with the topic, its like living in a single room with a biege chair in the center. ya, you get to stand-up, sit down move around if you want ... but how boring is that?! that would make any creature unhappy.
im learning from experience where the furniture should go on the inside based on the personalities of each mantis. my Stagmomantis Limbata prefers to to run around upside down (and crickets like to hide under flowers placed on the bottom of the enclosure) so i glued a large red flower on one side and branch on the other side. there is plenty of room directly in the middle where she always chooses to molt. i adjust everything to each individual personality. you cant generalize and keep everything in the exact same conditions... just my opinion. ide usually keep to myself but i was asked to share by several other members
hope this helps
I use a variety of enclosures, depending on the size of the mantis and the number in one container. As the mantids grow, I move them to larger enclosures. My enclosures include:
- plastic deli cups that range in size from 16 ounce to 80 ounce
- Exo Terra breeding boxes (9 in use - 2 different sizes)
- Exo Terra critter keepers (3 currently in use - 2 different sizes)
- Net enclosures (more than 20 currently in use; several are the 12 x 12 cube nets but have a variety of other shapes and sizes)
- Exo Terra terrariums (6 in use in different sizes)
- Bug Trader cages (2 in use that are 12 x 12 x 12; love these!)
D_Hemptress
Well-known member
those wire racks are a nice suggetion. ive been thinking that i need to start finding a way to have a mantis area. on top of my fish tank works alright but i think it should look nicer. on the plus side of using the top of the fish tank is they have the warmth from the light under the enclosures
Krissim Klaw
Well-known member
I start nymphs out in the 12" net cubes and 11" base by 4" top 12 tall" triangular cages (Love these triangular cages for molting). Once they get a decent size they also get to hang out in my 13" by 13" by 24" and my 24" by 24" by 36" rectangular net cages. I've never kept a mantis in a deli cup, not even as a nymph. I should also note I've never kept any of my mantises communally so they get all the space to themselves.
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