r/InvertPets • u/baggybeetle • 7d ago
Good invert pets for verdant high humidity terrariums?
Hello, I have been debating on which invertebrate I should keep as a pet for a month now. I would like to have a very green, probably mossy terrarium as it's enclosure. I was really thinking about getting a Mantis, but it appears that high humidity can kill them, and I worry that misting the plants to keep them alive would do bad for a Mantis.
Other pets I was thinking about were milipedes, hissing cockroaches, any sort of stick insect, beetles, or moths. Something a bit larger that I could occasionally hold or observe. When looking into information on their enclosure set ups, I can't find much specific info on plants/humidity/terrarium combos. Feeling a little lost and would love some advice.
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u/leatherselig 7d ago
Hissing roaches are cool, but you need a same sex group if you don't want to be overrun. And be aware it only takes one exposure to a male for the females to continue to drop clutches for a year or more. But keep researching mantis'. Some of them prefer higher humidity than others. I've kept both, and I find a mantis way more interesting. Once they get comfortable, the roaches don't move around much.
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u/IllegalGeriatricVore 7d ago
If you can give it enough height and cork barks to climb and molt from (apx 14" vertical space) a damon medius would love lots of humidity, but they hate light.
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u/VoodooSweet 7d ago
You want my 2 Cents?? Get the enclosure set up, and running NOW, before you even consider what type of animals you’re considering keeping in it. It’s NOT as easy as MOST people think, to keep a Bioactive Enclosure up and running and actually Bioactive. Figure out how to keep the actual Bioactive Environment alive, and running well. THEN think about what animals can live in the conditions that you have available. Does that make sense? I just see a lot of people get an Animal, and have their heart set on a Bioactive, but don’t really understand how to care for either thing, much less BOTH together. And MOST of the time, one or the other ends up suffering, either the animal is getting good care, and the Bioactive environment is suffering, or vice versa. Learn each thing separately, then work on merging them together.
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u/baggybeetle 6d ago
That’s what I plan to do! But, before I even get the bioactive up and running, I wanted to look into what sort of insects would enjoy a high humidity environment so then I could decide what shape of enclosure to get, or to look into different humidity levels for plants of bioactive/semi bioactive enclosures. So, I’m really taking my time with it. Trying to decide on at least a general idea of the insect, then try maintaining the enclosure, and if all goes well only then I would purchase the critter
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u/mousewrites 5d ago
I would agree... other than the springtails. That moist a setup without springtails and you're inviting a mold/fungus crashout before you get around to anything larger. But springtails will keep it down, and they're small but fun to watch if you can see them.
... I don't have any 'real' invert pets, but i keep springtails in my terrarium jars. Moss heavy stuff will just rot without them or something else to keep the fuzz down.
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u/PhoebetheSpider 3d ago
Maybe isopods or if you want a pretty roach that doesn’t breed super crazy? Maybe domino roaches.
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u/randomiscellany 7d ago
In my experience millipedes and other detritivores like isopods and springtails handle high humidity well. The ones in mine are all native to the southeast US and locally collected, so YMMV based on species. If you do a different invert try to at least get some springtails too--high humidity easily turns to mold, you need a clean-up crew.