Praying Mantis Setup

Heating the Praying Mantis Setup

This set up list is designed for terrestrial invertebrates that don't require much additional heating. The opposite side of the enclosure should remain cool but as we aren't using basking lamps and the heat can easily escape through a glass wall or mesh lid you should be able to achieve the correct temperature gradient in a tank as small as 45cm wide.

To provide the basking area simply chose one side of the enclosure (left or right). This will be the warm end and all heating should be kept on this side. Stick your heatmat (flat side down) to outside of the of the glass side panel, the more contact it can make the better it will work. We find this process easiest when using adhesive tape over the corners or along the clear plastic part of the heatmat as these parts shouldn't get very warm.

Controlling Temperatures in the Praying Mantis Setup

To control temperatures we use a simple on off thermostat. The thermostat will have 3 wires extending from a central control panel. The first wire leads to a plug, this is plugged into your power source. The second wire leads to a socket, plug your heatmat into this. The third wire ends in a sensor, this can be placed inbeetween the heatmat and glass panel on the outside or can be adhered to the glass panel that's being warmed on the inside. On the control panel we set the temperature to 75f.

Lighting the Praying Mantis Setup

To light the enclosure we would usually use Exo Terra's matching canopy. This guarantees a seemless fit and high quality finish. We use natural lamps to provide additional lighting and make sure the entire tank is well lit all day. If the enclosure will be featuring live plants you could also use a LED lamp like Arcadia Jungle Dawn to promote plant growth.

The lights should be on all day and off at night. We usually aim to provide 10-12 hours of light per day then complete darkness all night.

If you need any further help setting up the enclosure or caring for the mantis please let us know.