Non-live Food

[Tylt33]

I'm considering the purchase of a P. Cilata in the somewhat distant future, and just have one major question-

Can they, or any other mantis for that matter, be fed non-living food? Dead feeders from the fish store? My girlfriend gets very squeamish watching aquarium residents eat one another (even if it's only a snail being eaten), and I can't say I'm a big fan of it either. Are there any mantises out there for us... gentle folk :lol:

 

[Gonodactylus]

They will eat frozen shrimp and krill.

Roy

 

[justinl]

P. ciliata is a good choice then. live food is completely optional for spearers like P. ciliata. it is much more mandatory for smashers who need the excercise to not rip their own arms off.

As to what a P. ciliata would eat, well, it isnt picky. frozen krill, silversides, shrimp, squid etc etc etc. Pick three frozen meaty foods and cycle between them. It isnt hard to find them in the frozen food section of your grocery store. Because you aren't feeding any live food, you will need to supplement at least some of the frozen feedings with something like selcon.