# Indian stick insect???



## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

what sort of enclosure should i be getting for two of them also is it right they eat privet and bramble  

my nephew has been getting really into insects and asked me what to start with he is only 6 so i said indian stick insect and he was buzzing all day lol 

setup pics would be great, thanks all. 
Sam


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## kiansmum9 (Jun 8, 2009)

ive got 13 indian stink insects(well my son has,i just do all the work lol).ive adapted an old viv to house them in.you can buy small plastic reptile tanks if youve only got 2 but make sure they have plenty of space and things to climb on to keep them happy.
i experiemented with mine,bramble and private are always the favs,but you can give them rose leaves or oak leaves,i spray mine every other day with a fine mist of water.hope this helps:welcome:


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks it does help and i think i will be in the same situation with me doing all the work and him actually owning them lol but i dont mind  how do you keep the leaves and what not fresh
I really want this to look good for him


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

I stand the stems in a wet florists oasis. I've found that to be the safest re drowning. If you only have 2 at the mo a cheap way would be to cut down a 5ltr water bottle and cover with a bit of netting, or cut up a pair of tights. Whatever you keep them in will need to be about 10ins tall.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

i want a nice looking tank for them really i havnt bought them for him yet

should there be anything else in there apart from the oasis and the food plant


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

anyone have setup pics plz would be a great help thansk all 

Sam


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

This is what i keep sticks in, a 9L Rub, with ventilation slots cut out covered in thin mesh. In these the plant source is in a small beaker which i put kitchen roll round the top to block any gaps, so they don't drown. I also use oasis at times instead of beakers.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

thanks looks great and i think iv just found what im going to do for him  how many do you have in the open rub plz


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

I keep about 5 to 7 adults in them :smile: in the tub on the right are Macleay spectres which are another fairly easy stick to keep and are a bit more interesting and active than the indians.


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

We keep indian stick insects 
It is a mesh enclosure and currently we have about 25 baby stick insects in it.
We keep a narrow-necked vase inside with about 2 inches of water in to hold bramble and ivy and as the vase is stuffed with the plants there is no risk of any stickies falling in and drowning.
We put newspaper or kitchen paper in the bottom which makes it easier to take the poop out but as you'll only have 2 of them you don't really need to worry about the poo lol.
We keep a small spray thingy which we spray (from a distance!) at the leafs about 3-4 times a day. The sticks stay in the light for about half the day and one of the most important things is that they know when it's night and when it is day since their eating habits will mainly depend on this.
Handle GENTLY for a max of 15 minutes a day maximum as you might stress the sticky out... also if they stay straight and closed up then they're scared and handling at that moment would'nt be the best thing to do lol.
If you need any help just pm me


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

what do they eat plz and do they need heat etc thanks

did you build the mesh enclosure yourself


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

They eat bramble leaves (the stuff that blackberries grow on) and ivy which grows pretty much anywhere lol.
I can give you pics if you're not sure :2thumb:


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

They will also eat privet and hawthorn. Room temperature is ok for them.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

i meant the other ones that you had the more interesting ones lol


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

Oh sorry lol They eat Bramble, hawthorn, oak, and eucalyptus and ok at room temperature. The females are a lot bigger than the males, when they are adult good to put in sticks for them to climb and hang from. The males have wings when adult and can do short bursts of flight.


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

IMO they should always have sticks avaliable anyway as nearly all kinda of stick insect hang upside down to shed and they all seem appreciative of the sticks to hang on/walk on : victory:


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

I agree with you, that sticks are a good idea, my indians have always shed ok hanging from the food stuff, and the macleays usually shed from the mesh or the plants. But yeah with the females, sorry i put adult but would be better from the beginning.


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Do the Australian one's shed all in one or little bit by little bit?
I've never really seen the skins since they seem to eat them :lol2:


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

They shed all in one, i have seen some before its gone. Have seen a couple shed quite cool to watch.


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

just be prepared for LOTS of eggs. i've had mine about two weeks. only got her because she was being kept in bad conditions. now got about 25 - 30 eggs as well. she lays them almost daily


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

Lol i had 21 adults at one point, and had hundreds of eggs.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

could i feed the eggs to my fish ? or is this really cruel or not suitable for fish

right im thinking rub like you had but screwed to the wall securely with sticks fastened horizontally at the top with florists oasis with privet and bramble. the rub will have large holes cut in the sides and top and covered by mesh sound ok or not


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

I have fed some eggs to a friends fish, but some people don't agree.

That sounds fine :2thumb:


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

awesome thanks  why dont people agree surely every egg cant be hatched


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

Thats what i think, just had comments that its dosent seem right, but they don't really give a reason why.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

oh right lol surely it must be crueler to keep excessive numbers than destroy the eggs.

and iv asked in the fish section if its safe too lol


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

I agree. Good luck when you get them and hope your nephew enjoys them.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

cheers pal and if he doesnt i certainly will


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

It is very easy with certain species (inc indians) to get overrun with eggs and as said it really isn't feasible to let them all hatch. A lot of people do buy eggs as fish food but alternatively you can just gather them up and pop them in the freezer to destroy them. They really are prolific layers and quick hatching with a hatch rate well into 90+%.
Lol listen to me you haven't even got them yet and I telling you how to destroy them.
I keep mine in net cages but they are pretty much adaptable to most housing so long as it's well ventilated.


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

here's a pic of the tank we have for our thai stick insects. the top of fully mesh and comes right off, as well as a front opening. is made by zoo med. 12 inch cube with two thai stick insects in there. was only £25



















and here's a pic of one of the occupants


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

oooooh that cube thingy looks reall nice


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

sam432 said:


> oooooh that cube thingy looks reall nice


it is. just like the exo terra ones really but cheaper. we did have them in a plastic tank for a while but got this a few weeks later.


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## ginna (Jun 2, 2009)

you could get a tiny flexarium it is all mesh and is supported by plastic poles and joints and it has a zip up front 

i use one for my moths











i think they do a smaller one you will have to look around


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

hmmm maybe thanks for the replys everyone  i cant seem to find any smaller ones and the 38 is too big for what i want thanks anyway


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

ok the very very very final question  how long do they live? thanks


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

They generally live for 10 to 12 months.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

thank you very much 

I thought it would be shorter than that


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

From hatchling to adult takes about 5 to 6 months, then live for about another 4 to 6 months.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

awesome so i have nearly a year to prepare the im sorry dude they died speech


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

:lol2: yep.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

im quite looking forward to this actually  might have to go into leaf insects next


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Have gotta say though, they aren't the most fun creatures in the world but they're awesome to see eat :lol2:


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

yeah they are quite fun to watch eating. other than that they just hang there all day looking cool


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

Im going to get all the stuff tomoro and then get the sticks later tomoro afternoon thanks all


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## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

Thats good, where are you getting them from?


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

local pet/rep/garden centre, they are over run with them lol i dont like buying from there but i cant see a problem getting insects though.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Just make sure they have all their legs B4 you leave the shop. Also in indians when the top of their front legs turn red they are adult so be careful not to get fobbed off with some old ones.
I got my first ones about this time last year as nymphs and the last one has only just died so they are quite long lived.


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## sam432 (Mar 8, 2009)

oki doki thanks for the tips


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## dragonbeardo (Apr 20, 2010)

ok ok ok now you got me interested too :lol2: i've read that females are green and males brown, is this true? Also what size is regarded as baby, and adult?

Could it be possible to put pics up of a baby, an adult (with red on) and male n female so i know what to look for when i goto buy them, cheers in advance :2thumb:


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