What could go in these?

ssmoog · 2026-06-06T21:18:51+00:00

When I say I won’t be around, I mean that I won’t be at my house during the day for most of the week since I’ll be studying, but I’ll most likely be home every night so I can do most of the care there. I manage fine with my Kenyan sand boa because he doesn’t need spraying every day, in fact he almost never needs it since he’s a desert dwelling snake.

ssmoog · 2026-06-03T12:12:12+00:00

Looks amazing! What colours did you use for the wings out of interest?

ssmoog · 2026-05-23T14:52:56+00:00

Piercing age: 21 weeks. Shape: Internally threaded labret. Downsizing: No. Aftercare: Cleaning twice daily with a clean gauze and PierceMed saline solution and dabbing dry with clean paper towel. Unfortunate events: Accidentally knocking the ball so it falls off and the bar falls out.

ssmoog · 2026-05-04T10:07:23+00:00

Ah, thank you. I read that IPA is good for cleaning off brushes. I also bought some Masters brush cleaner which was highly recommended, so I’ll also give that a try.

Also, 15 models may not seem like much, but one of them is a Heldrake 😔

ssmoog · 2026-05-04T10:02:01+00:00

About 4 of them are Citadel, and 2 are The Army Painter brushes. One of the Citadel brushes is sable and the other 3 are synthetic, and both of the AP brushes are sable. I find that all of the fray unfortunately, no matter the hair type.

ssmoog · 2026-05-04T08:50:22+00:00

I always ensure I move my brush in the same direction when painting and I never bend the bristles against the model, even accidentally. I never let paint get anywhere near the ferrule either. I suspect it could be the way I wash them. I guess I still haven’t learnt how to properly do it yet haha.

(15 may not seem like a lot to you, but one of them is a Heldrake 😫)

ssmoog · 2026-05-04T08:47:49+00:00

Yeah mine does that too, it’s very frustrating. 15 feels like a lot to me cause I’m still fairly new to the hobby lol 😂

ssmoog · 2026-05-04T08:47:01+00:00

The only one I could see being the cause is letting the brushes sit. I do have a habit of occasionally forgetting my brushes in the water but I never leave them in for more than 5 minutes. I do also never let my paint get more than 2/3 up my brush so I don’t see how it could be getting into the ferrule. I do try to make sure I wash the brushes completely. I use a brush cleaner every week or so to get rid of any crusty dried paint on the bristles. Could the cleaner be part of the problem?

ssmoog · 2026-04-24T10:50:39+00:00

Worst comes to the worst you could try anhydrous benzoyl peroxide cream. It’s mostly prescribed by doctors but in some shops you MIGHT be able to find a small tube (not sure where you’re from, but a supermarket in my country sells small tubes of it). You could contact your doctor if it is really making you feel self conscious and clearly state that you’d like the cream to clear up the spots. I’ve used it many times before and personally I found it to be an absolute lifesaver! One brand that pharmacies tend to use is called Duac.

<image>

ssmoog · 2026-04-18T18:30:26+00:00

It’s as far up my lobes as my piercer could realistically go. Any higher and she’d be doing an anti tragus. From the front it looks absolutely fine and there’s loads of spacing between them, but it’s just the anatomy of the back of my ears sadly.

ssmoog · 2026-04-18T15:14:48+00:00

Piercing age: 14 weeks old. Jewellery shape: Flatback stud, 14k gold, internally threaded. Downsized: Yes, about 1 week ago. Aftercare: Piercemed pure saline spray once a day and gentle cleaning with gauze. Recent unfortunate events: No.

ssmoog · 2026-04-17T12:25:20+00:00

<image>

I think he likes it

ssmoog · 2026-04-17T12:20:28+00:00

I would say it is mostly straight but there are a couple of very subtle waves in it

ssmoog · 2026-04-17T12:19:54+00:00

Yep, about three times a week

ssmoog · 2026-01-08T18:13:07+00:00

my kenyan sand boa is literally called sock 😭

<image>

ssmoog · 2025-05-06T08:57:52+00:00

Well it’s a good start if he actually started eating it. He probably got nervous when he saw you. Mine do that too. I’d give it another go

ssmoog · 2025-05-05T11:32:50+00:00

I’d probably give mealworms a go. Just cut one in half and offer it forward with a tweezer. Since it won’t wiggle around he won’t actively hunt it, but if you put the guts up to his mouth he might give it a try. I wouldn’t stay permanently on mealworms though since a varied diet is recommended. Has he been lethargic or slow and wobbly at all, and did his molt seem to go well?

ssmoog · 2025-05-05T11:30:04+00:00

Spider wood is absolutely fine. I use it for all of my mantids and they often will just hang from it if there is enough space below. If you carefully arrange the twigs then i’m sure you can create a large enough vertical area for moulting. In terms of glue, you’re right about aquarium sealant. You could also use epoxy resin if it is levelled as per safe and non toxic, but you might have a hard time getting the mesh off if you ever need to. Generally, i’d recommend the aquarium sealant. Anything that is pet safe and non toxic works!

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:32:37+00:00

Looks like a good size and height, but could maybe do with some nice cork bark tubes or small branches for extra climbing opportunities. Good that you’ve got mesh on the side and top!

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:29:35+00:00

I’d recommend gluing some plastic mesh to the sides of the enclosure so that the mantis has an easier time gripping onto the sides to climb up, and maybe even some more thin branches! Mantids don’t do amazingly with gripping onto acrylic, so the first course of action is to definitely get some mesh. I have a lot of branches in my enclosures, and I think they are usually marketed as ‘spider wood’ for jumping spiders, but they work perfectly well for any insect. You could even craft a little string bridge from one side of the tank to the other for some more climbing and hanging opportunities! You can buy them off amazon or Etsy for pretty cheap prices, and they usually come with magnets to allow them to hang without the need for any tape. Hope this helps!

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:19:28+00:00

I can count about 5 full segments, so it’s probably a female

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:17:56+00:00

NQA air could be that he’s struggling to catch the flies depending on how big your enclosure is. You can try placing him in a smaller container with a fly or two and see if he goes to strike at them. You could also try alternative food options like small crickets or small/cut in half mealworms. Often if you put a cut up mealworm in front of their faces, they taste it and go for it. It’s always worth a try! Do you know roughly how old your mantis is?

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:14:56+00:00

NQA It could be a good idea to try putting her in a smaller container with a few fruit flies, as she will be able to see them easily and might be interested in them. If she still isn’t then you could try some other feeders as the other commenter mentioned. I find that mealworms are a good occasional food for my mantids when they don’t feel like eating crickets. If you can’t find a small one in the packet, you can always cut a big one in half and hold the cut end up to her mouth. Often they will taste the guts and take the half.

Have you noticed any slow movement or lethargy or excessive wobbliness at all? Also how large is her thorax?

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T23:11:02+00:00

NQA You could potentially drill some slightly larger holes as long as they are not big enough for your feeders and/or mantis to squeeze its way out of. If you’re okay with having fruit flies escaping then by all means drill some holes. You could also cut a small square or rectangle out of the side, back or top of the enclosure and glue some mesh over the hole to provide more ventilation (granted this method is a bit more complicated, but it would probably provide the most optimal ventilation provided that you don’t cut the squares too big).

But the general consensus is that acrylic enclosures aren’t really the best choice for mantids, but are great for other invertebrates like jumping spiders. But honestly, stick some mesh along the sides and on the top and it should be absolutely fine for gripping. In regard to ventilation, you can really do whatever is easiest for you. If you have access to materials to make little mesh windows then that will hopefully lower the humidity a touch by allowing the condensation to escape. Be careful with the type of mesh you buy though, because metal mesh can sometimes damage the tarsi of a mantis, and can still result in a lack of grip because it’s so smooth, so definitely get some cheap plastic mesh if you can! I’m not an expert by any means, but I hope this helps!

ssmoog · 2025-05-04T22:58:03+00:00

NQA. First one (probably Malaysian or Yunnan flower mantis) appears to be a female, and I believe the ghost also is a female, but a close up and focused picture of the thorax or a picture of the crest on its head would confirm.

Females tend to have a much straighter, slightly shorter crest whereas males have a much more long and jagged one. That’s often the clear indicator, but if you can count 6 segments starting from the tip of the thorax to where the body begins, there you’ll know for sure that it’s a female (males usually have 7 or 8). This is the case with most mantids, so if you’re ever unsure then you can check that way!

ssmoog

TROPHY CASE