we have 3 mantis tanx...FASCINATING critters.
for your LED's, for just a few, your best bet may be to simply go to your local electronics store (Radio Shack, Fry's, etc). i know peeps that have gotten good deals on Ebay for larger lots.
you'll need a "wall wart" type DC power supply as well. look for a 4.5 or 5 volt model.
i also recommend adding a 100 ohm resistor to one leg of the LED's as a current limiter and to lessen the impact of switching them on and off.
wire the LED's in parallel. as a housing i used a piece of 1"
PVC split in half and drilled to accomodate the LED's.
how many to use? i used 5 for a 55 gal (48") tank, and that's about perfect in terms of brightness.
