8 gallon Custom Terrarium Grow Out (Ghost Mantis)

[The Masked Shadow]

This is the grow out thread for my the new 8 Gallon Terrarium. Let’s start with the basics:

How I got the terrarium:

My mom works at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. The Natural History Museum was giving away a lot of things, and this wood and glass terrarium was one. Knowing me, my mom grabbed it. I put it through the tank calculator, and it is around 8 gallons.

About the Terrarium:

This terrarium is custom made. It has 2 ventilation holes on each side. It is 8x18x13, bringing it to 8.12 gallons. The top has a has a stainless steel handle, and another ventilation hole. On the other side of the top, there is a lid that is bolted. You can unscrew it, and lift it off. The width is wood, the bottom and top is wood, and the 2 sides are acrylic.

Decoration:

To decorate, it came with some leaf litter. I think it is oak Leaves, and other little seed pods. The depth is about an inch to 2 inches. I added about 10 small sticks from around my yard to it, and then I added an air plant. I was planning the terrarium for a mantis or stick insect. Pics!

 

[Deadeye]

Following along!
Looks like a fun little terrarium!

 

[The Masked Shadow]

The Inhabitant:

Phyllocrania Paradoxica commonly called the Ghost Mantis is a species of Praying Mantid. It hails from the Saharan Desert in Africa and is one of the most common mantis species in captivity. It is remarkable for its exclusive weathered leaf-like camouflage. This mantis only grows to a mere 2 inches and can be communal until sub-adult hood. The mantis can be held in a tank of 4 inches wide by 8 inches tall, by 8 inches long. In captivity, you can feed it Drosophila melanogaster as an L2-L3 nymph. As it gets older, they will eat Drosophilia hydei, then Green Bottle Flies, and lastly blue bottle flies. Those are the preferred food for it, though they will eat small crickets, small cockroaches, and the flightless fruit flies from PetSmart. Though living only 8 months, they are one of the longer-lived mantises. They are used in large Marijuana Plants for their major apetite. If anyone else is interested, I have provided a little basic care thing below.

Temperature: 20-30 degrees Celsius, or 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit (you can put a heater in the cage; I don't have one in)
Relative Humidity: 60-70% during the day and 70-80% during night
Recommended tank size: 20x20x30 cm or 7x7x8 inches
Aggression: Semi-aggressive
Difficulty: Easy
Molts until fully grown: 8 for female (L9 is an adult female), and 6 for males (L7 is adult male)
Sexually Mature: Female: L9 molt, 3-4 weeks after, Male: L5 molt, a week after
Duration in the ootheca (egg): ~6 weeks
Hatching rate: 20-30 nymphs
Feeding: 2-3 times a week

And mine:

I decided to name my Ghost Mantis Charlie, for absolutely no reason at all! He is an L3 nymph and came from usmantis.com. He came 1 day late because usmantis only ships on Monday and Tuesdays. He is about a centimeter long, came in one of those little plastic things the Mexican restaurants give you for salsa, and molted in the package. All his limbs are there, and he came out ready for food. I guess I will be catching some fruit flies around the house or making a trip to Petsmart. He is the cutest thing! He sits on his branch, hanging upside down. I have held him, and he just crawls around like he owns my hand! When he gets spooked, he stretches out his forelegs (the ones he catches food with). He seems to like hanging upside down and is content sitting in the sunlight. At night, we heat the house, and I bring the cage upstairs where the hot air is. He is the cutest thing! Pics later, as I am typing this on my computer and can't take good pics.

Thanks for your time,
Charlie and Shadow

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Ok, here are the pics! Try to find him first ?

 

[Deadeye]

Is he that dead leaf right in the center?

 

[The Masked Shadow]

There he is! He is cool! He has this earwig friend, about the same size that is eating strawberry as we speak. There is also an aphid-lookin thing. They are both vegetarian, so shouldn’t pose a threat, and I am taking them out soon.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Moved him to a 2.5 gallon for the sake of finding him lol. Once he is big enough, I’ll move him into there.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Update:

I think I am going to get a stick insect. Charlie the Ghost Mantis can live in a 2.5 gallon for life.