The Puffer Forum

My African mantis is now L6 (prior to sixth molt) and too big for its nymph cup, so today I moved it to the "big kid" mantis enclosure - a 10g tank!





I'll get some better pics with an actual camera ASAP!

i love mantises! how did you get yours and what are the care requirements?

edit: oh! also, would you be willing to sell me a few triops eggs(if you have any)? i only see them sold as kits in stores and i just need the eggs, but i dont want a lot of them. im finally ready to try raising some!

I ordered my nymph from mantisplace.com. African mantids are pretty low-maintenance. They need a container at least three times as long as their bodies (it's best to keep young ones in very small containers so that they can find their food easily), something to climb around on, and usually something to hold humidity, like spagnum (can't spell that!) moss or something similar. I maintain the humidity at 55% or above, and maintain the temperature at around 70*. For me, the tricky part was baby food - keeping a steady supply of fruit flies. Now this big guy/gal eats 1" crickets or whatever I can catch for it.

I honestly don't know what eggs I have right now... I didn't even open up my triops stuff while I was gone... I'm still unpacking, so let me get back to you on that. If I don't, remind me!

LilGreenPuffer wrote:I ordered my nymph from mantisplace.com. African mantids are pretty low-maintenance. They need a container at least three times as long as their bodies (it's best to keep young ones in very small containers so that they can find their food easily), something to climb around on, and usually something to hold humidity, like spagnum (can't spell that!) moss or something similar. I maintain the humidity at 55% or above, and maintain the temperature at around 70*. For me, the tricky part was baby food - keeping a steady supply of fruit flies. Now this big guy/gal eats 1" crickets or whatever I can catch for it.

I honestly don't know what eggs I have right now... I didn't even open up my triops stuff while I was gone... I'm still unpacking, so let me get back to you on that. If I don't, remind me!

oh ok, thanks. so is it possible to just buy an adult one? how long do they usually live?

I found one of these around my house/apt/etc a lot and have thought about keeping them as pets but didnt know anything about them

same here xray. i have always been intrigued by them. always wanted to keep one. when i was young we used to catch them, bring them to my porch so we can catch crickets and feed them. used to take the cricket and poke a sewing needle through them with thread, hang it above the mantis and watch it grab/eat. still to this day(15 yrs later lol) i still try to find a bug to feed a mantis if i see one outside.

this past weekend at my part time job i found a baby! probably the youngest i have ever seen. it was on the side of the pizza shop building, it was alive but not really responsive to something just coming up to it(didnt take notice to me or turn to look at me), but when i picked it up to put it in the bushes he became very lively! the mantis was only about an inch and a half long. seemed like it could barely use its grabbers(not sure what they are called lol). i would love to keep one from a baby able to eat small crickets to a large adult. i would want one that was a little bit older so i dont have to worry about rearing baby food. i dont think they live very long. i could be wrong though.

hadla wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:I ordered my nymph from mantisplace.com. African mantids are pretty low-maintenance. They need a container at least three times as long as their bodies (it's best to keep young ones in very small containers so that they can find their food easily), something to climb around on, and usually something to hold humidity, like spagnum (can't spell that!) moss or something similar. I maintain the humidity at 55% or above, and maintain the temperature at around 70*. For me, the tricky part was baby food - keeping a steady supply of fruit flies. Now this big guy/gal eats 1" crickets or whatever I can catch for it.

I honestly don't know what eggs I have right now... I didn't even open up my triops stuff while I was gone... I'm still unpacking, so let me get back to you on that. If I don't, remind me!

oh ok, thanks. so is it possible to just buy an adult one? how long do they usually live?

I've never seen adults for sale. They don't live long enough for that to be worth it. Depending on the species, they live less than six months to one year at most.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:

hadla wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:I ordered my nymph from mantisplace.com. African mantids are pretty low-maintenance. They need a container at least three times as long as their bodies (it's best to keep young ones in very small containers so that they can find their food easily), something to climb around on, and usually something to hold humidity, like spagnum (can't spell that!) moss or something similar. I maintain the humidity at 55% or above, and maintain the temperature at around 70*. For me, the tricky part was baby food - keeping a steady supply of fruit flies. Now this big guy/gal eats 1" crickets or whatever I can catch for it.

I honestly don't know what eggs I have right now... I didn't even open up my triops stuff while I was gone... I'm still unpacking, so let me get back to you on that. If I don't, remind me!

oh ok, thanks. so is it possible to just buy an adult one? how long do they usually live?

I've never seen adults for sale. They don't live long enough for that to be worth it. Depending on the species, they live less than six months to one year at most.

aww i was hoping it would have 2 years at least. i still want to get at least one though, it would be a very interesting experience.

They're not designed to live past one mating season.

Check out the last video. OMG!

http://devecim.blogspot.com/

LilGreenPuffer wrote:They're not designed to live past one mating season.

have you made it a recycling operation where you have a pair that breeds every season and you have young ones for the next? or does anyone here have something like that going?

i just re-read that, i dont mean have a specific pair each year, but pickup a pair with intentions to breed so you have more for the next season

This is my first mantis, and I only have the space for one. I buy them from a breeder who does have mating pairs.

the mouse video, right? poor little mouse...

Yes, it was like...

I'm gonna have nightmares.