BIOACTIVE MANTIS ENCLOSURE | Step by Step

[@torramtorram]

Yo how is your mantis so nice to you 😂😂 . Mine is sooo mean and aggressive

[@isaacswift8950]

Hahaha what kind of mantis do you have

[@hollygalek7009]

Mine is so chilled but I looked after my friends which was a spiny and it tried to go for me everytime I was trying to feed it😂

[@YumsyVR]

Did you rise it from baby cause sometimes if they don't get use to you when they are baby's they will be that way when they grown up

[@mindovrmatter33]

Do the clean up crew ever escape the enclosure? I think my wife would kick me out if she started finding them all over lol

[@theotimney-thompson6439]

Hi, What light did you use ? Also, what lights do you use for your animals if they do not require any UVB lighting or anything ?

[@theotimney-thompson6439]

Btw, I really like your tank set up.

[@isaacswift8950]

I just use LED lighting for the ones that don’t need UV or heating, my mantis is the only one that only has LED’s :)

[@theotimney-thompson6439]

@@isaacswift8950 Thanks

[@bigpoosock]

could you add worms in place of the springtails?

[@isaacswift8950]

I think you could, but I’d go with springtails

[@BuzzyBee4]

Wow, if l was a mantis l would love that home! Keep up the great videos!

[@isaacswift8950]

Thank you!!

[@kuipercat8899]

This is awesome! What size tank is that from exoterra?

[@frickeraa]

i think its a 8x8x8 exo terra

[@isaacswift8950]

It’s the 30x30x30cm Exo Terra (mini/wide)

[@Leescreaturefeatures]

Great video the setup looks ace I did a similar thing for my mantis a couple of videos ago feel free to check mine out and let me know what you think

[@aquaz7194]

Is it fine if I put dirt

[@isaacswift8950]

Aqua Z I would say don’t use dirt from your garden bc they have pests in them and might carry disease, but if you do put it in the oven for a while to sterilise it. You can buy coconut fibre substrate quite cheap online so that’s an option and it’s sterile :)

[@aquaz7194]

No I’m talking about the one you buy at the store

[@isaacswift8950]

Aqua Z yeah that’s fine!

[@megaroo6110]

Aqua Z not sure what you mean by dirt but be careful because some potting soils, that you get a hardware store or Walmart, have fertilizers in them. It's much better to get something from the pet store.

[@ilovevegans6979]

Hi! I know this is totally random but how old r u? Btw just subbed ❤️

[@isaacswift8950]

Scales & tails 17 :)

[@ilovevegans6979]

Isaac Swift I’m just going to guess you’re from the UK?

[@isaacswift8950]

Scales & tails yeah!

[@TheLovelorn192]

Was watching this after noticing the huge amount of mantises I’ve been seeing in the tree outside my house. One is so used to me now that it lets me pick it up

[@danielbale2006]

hey really like your set up and your mantis is a beaut what were the plants that you used? not sure if i missed them in the vid? cheers D

[@isaacswift8950]

Pothos normal form and golden form, jewel orchids, peperomia prostrata and philodendron scandens I think!

[@thzaaaamthzadddy4045]

what would you recommend for lighting in regards to bioactive enclosures?

[@irish1759able]

Leaf litter, was it just collected from garden or shop bought

[@mikemccoy7931]

Looks great! I will be setting up a similar enclosure for a future pet mantis soon. Recently took in a wild one from the cold and really fell in love with it. I don't believe she has much life left though as she is already quite large (chinese mantis). Planning on looking after her for the rest of her days and setting up a nice tank for an orchid or ghost mantis of some sort

[@M3.1]

Tysm I am getting a mantis so this helps a lot

[@patricksu2174]

This is the best home for a mantis

[@maryjosephine9993]

What to do if the mantis is eating the isopods

[@LM-et7sg]

Thank you 🙏

[@ajazman7]

I've been watching your video among others' because I'm migrating my Chinese from his cup to the empty 10 gallon I have I found small rocks for very cheap but what cloth are you using to top off the drainage layer? Other than that, I have my fake plants, coco fiber, and springs + isos coming soon besides leaf litter, do you think I need anything else or would it all be optional? (like Spaghnum etc)

[@isaacswift8950]

ajazman any rocks would be good for the drainage layer :) and I think coco fibre would break down fast with Isopods in there so you might want to get a bioactive mix. Leaf litter and sphagnum moss is optional so it’s up to you!

[@isaacswift8950]

You could mix in coco fibre with things such as charcoal, sand and other substrates to give it some structure and something for the Isopods to live in

[@wolfmania10]

You never listed what plants you used! The other one I know is some type of Pothos... did you plant it in the soil or did you just hang it over the branches like a vine? And then what is the dark red plant?

[@wolfmania10]

Or is the big green plant philodendron? I can’t tell

[@isaacswift8950]

ElectricBlue Aquatics sorry ahaha I used two different types of pothos, Neon and variegated, philodendron scandens, Jewel orchids and peperomia prostrata. I left the peperomia dangling over the branches but I planted all of the others.

[@wolfmania10]

Isaac Swift thank you! I arrived at your video cuz after years w all sorts of pets I finally want to tackle my first bio active tank! Most likely will be for a mantis. And I just have so many questions on what plants to use cuz the tank is only 30x30x45 cm and I know how crazy Pothos and philos can grow. I don’t want to drown the tank in plants so that I’ll never see my mantis and it’ll never find it’s food. Are there are any nice, more well behaved plants I could use? I’ll look into orchids cuz I definitely want something with a flower. But for the rest of the plants, any suggestions?

[@isaacswift8950]

ElectricBlue Aquatics Im not too sure about many flowering plants, but there are thousands of different types of orchids and also flowering bromeliads that you could use!

[@wolfmania10]

Isaac Swift I know bromeliads don’t like to be planted they live in the trees like most orchids. Idk if my tank has enough height to to plant something up higher. What about other plants besides bromes and orchids. Stuff that’s just for scenery is but something that doesn’t grow as crazy as Pothos and stays a moderate size in the tank. Any suggestions?

[@deadbird4164]

An alternative for rocks if you can’t buy or find them is bottle caps. I use water bottle caps.

[@isaacswift8950]

Good idea!

[@deadbird4164]

Isaac Swift thank you! I love the cage btw! Amazing tutorial.

[@SharkPog690]

You have a beautiful mantis I hope she’s doin well in the enclosure.

[@carolejazbec5004]

What did you use for divider cloth? I'm doing the same setup as you've shown, but can't find that type of cloth. thank you!

[@GuppyGurl]

Looks like a garden weed barrier. Can buy it in rolls at most garden shops.

[@zearr0]

I am about to buy a mantis myself, already have the same enclosure but bigger (not to be that guy). But would you still recommend this? No problems? A little extra curious cus every other video I see uses smaller clear casing instead of the double door mesh top enclosure we have.

[@isaacswift8950]

that would be completely fine, it doesn’t really matter how big the enclosure is, just make sure that the mantis is able to find its food because it can be harder in a larger enclosure :)

[@LillyOfOzland]

What plants did you use?

[@auroraptry]

What if i use artificial plants with cocopeat as the media and dump in the cleaning crew? Do i need to make undergravel base just like yours?

[@isaacswift8950]

If you are making a bioactive setup then it would need a drainage layer even without plants so that water doesn’t sit in the soil. But you can use artificial plants if you want!! :)

[@kirasaunders9915]

What plants did he use I want to know

[@devinb1930]

What size eco terra is that

[@C.Woodford]

Looks like the 8x8x8 :>

[@isaacswift8950]

It’s the 30x30x30cm (Exo terra mini/wide)

[@dxrhxx.14]

I’m curious what the dimensions of your glass container is?

[@isaacswift8950]

It’s 30x30x30cm (Exo Terra mini/wide)

[@mauriziomartinez9493]

I mean wow

[@mauriziomartinez9493]

Woe

[@71kennychoo]

very nice mantis cage

[@Doopdedoopdedoopdoop]

Thankyou

[@wackyantman5893]

Hi does slate work as a drainage layer?

[@isaacswift8950]

Hi yeah it should do! Just anything to create gaps below the soil to drain the water :)

[@pkirbyinatx]

Woah what kind of mantis is that?

[@isaacswift8950]

an orchid mantis!

[@jenniecogs7214]

My girl won’t feed off tongs so I’m afraid when I set up her new enclosure I’ll just lose all the feeders in the substrate. Any tricks?

[@isaacswift8950]

What about putting them in a small cup or a dish, what type of feeders do you have?

[@jenniecogs7214]

@@isaacswift8950 I actually thought of that, perhaps a suction cup gecko feeding ledge with bowls. I mostly have dubia roaches and blue bottle fly larvae and spikes (which is fine because she’ll eat the emerged flies later if they get lost) but she loves the larvae when they crawl up the wall. The dubias hide forever at the bottom it seems.

[@isaacswift8950]

@@jenniecogs7214 yeahh I had the same problem with dubias, so I switched to locusts instead - dubias like to hide in dark places so I think the only thing you could do it try them in a cup?

[@jenniecogs7214]

@@isaacswift8950 will do! Thanks and great video!

[@TheLawlessPanda]

What enclosure did you use ?

[@julianberlinghoff3709]

Its a Exoterra enclosure

[@mataskaulinis8959]

Where did u get the box? Link?

[@isaacswift8950]

www.amazon.co.uk/Exo-Terra-Glass-Natural-Terrarium/dp/B000OAVN0W

[@jordanpratley5252]

So cool!

[@DoogieNguyen]

Does this enclosure have cross ventilation?

[@isaacswift8950]

There are vents at the front and the top is mesh to yes :)

[@DoogieNguyen]

@@isaacswift8950 Ah nice! I see on forums people saying to never feed Mantids crickets but thats all i have right now. Think that is risky? I had a Mantis 10 years ago that only ate crickets are was fine. But the one i have no is an Orchid Mantis.

[@isaacswift8950]

@@DoogieNguyen crickets are fine as long as you don’t leave them in there over night!

[@kayleepaterson2946]

no water added?

[@isaacswift8950]

I spray it for the plants and humidity but it doesn’t get a lot of water because it’s not necessary

[@naturezone1212]

This is a stunning tank! Nice Mantis!

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks so much!

[@samuelsneesby1771]

Dude, this is so cool! Amazing! BTW, what camera do you use?

[@isaacswift8950]

Canon 200d with different lenses :)

[@samuelsneesby1771]

@@isaacswift8950 Awsome! Thnks so much!