Mantis Burrows

[kookerson]

I wanted to get started this weekend on making a burrow for my future mantis....but had a couple concerns. I know it has to have an entrance and an exit, but what shape should I make it? Also, Do you think it is likely that I will go through this big PITA effort of rescaping my Nano for his burrow, to have him not use it and make his own? IS there anything special I should take into consideration.....something that people commonly miss?

 

[wanabebell]

i made a big cave outa rock for my peacock so the structure he dosent mess with. its still awsome he resently made a new entrence and is always working on the entrence of his home

 

[Gonodactylus]

Each species of stomatopod has its own unique type of preferred burrow or cavity. What species are you getting?

Roy

 

[kookerson]

O. Scyllarus

 

[Gonodactylus]

The natural burrow of an O. scyllarus is a u-shaped burrow in an open habitat. The burrow of a 5 inch animal would be about 2 - 2.5 inches in diameter and the entrances about 20 inches apart. Depending on the substrate, it would be 6 to 10 inches deep. These animals burrow in shelly mud or sand usually mixed with a lot of gravel. It is almost impossible to establish this type of substrate in an aquarium that will allow the animal to burrow. (Small 2.5 to 3 inch O. s can build good burrows out of rubble and gravel.) For large animals I usually use 2 inch ID pvc about three times the length of the stomatopod.

Roy

 

[kookerson]

So just make a U-shaped burrow out of PVC and bury it in the sand? Under rock work or in the open?

 

[Guygettnby]

i have mine burried under the rock work with the entrance and exit were i can see it. the placement is really up to you but i would make it to were you can atleast see the mantis, but give him plenty of rubble rock to make doors and build with. to give you an idea i have about 15lbs of rubble rock in my peacock tank wich is a 20g and that still isnt enough beacuse he likes to build and make a bunch of hidding spots.... oh yea and he likes to decerate his front lawn every soo often for a new view. lol

 

[clownFish1313]

Cant they just make there own?

 

[kookerson]

Yeah, But I dont have very much rubble.....and I wanted to try to pursuade him to reside in a particular area of the tank.

 

[clownFish1313]

ok sorry im new to the mantis thing.

 

[kookerson]

No need to be sorry. : )

 

[kookerson]

Just an update......I picked up my peacock today and he took to the 2" PVC burrow right away. I only have a 3 inch sand bed, so I burried it as much as I could and put some sand on the inside.......Thanks for everyones help! : ) Ill post pics later.