Rosie's garden-Maynard's mantis

[ll_maynard_ll]

I have always wanted a mantis shrimp!

 

 

20L plumbed into 50 gal AIO

2.1w 21 blue/white led strip

Tunze 1073.008 (40-210gph)

Hydor Koralia nano 425

Finnex 300w with digital controller

Vidarock

Oolitic aragamax

[ll_maynard_ll]

So here are my plans. I received a freebie 20l a couple months ago and much to the displeasure of my wife began to think about how I could tie it into the sump area of my 50 gallon AIO mixed macro tank. While I enjoy corals and macros I have always been an oddball livestock enthusiast. I thought about a toby puffer, I had a green spotted puffer for years a while back and it is still one of my favorite fish i've ever had. But I've always had my eye on a mantis shrimp and their uniqueness. My idea is have a 10 gallon and use it as a fuge for breeding mysid shrimp above the mantis tank. I'm going to pump water from the sump up to the 10 and then overflow into the 20 for hopefully some live foods for the mantis before overflowing back to the sump. Anyway, UPS should be dropping off a bunch of stuff tomorrow and I'm going to start on the stand. I can't wait.

[ll_maynard_ll]

On a previous build I replaced one of the thin side panels on the 10 gallon with 1/4" glass and drilled it for two 3/4" bulkheads. I still need to drill the new to me 20L and build some overflows in both.

[ll_maynard_ll]

So I decided to tone it down a little, basically in an attempt to stay on speaking terms with my wife. I've scrapped the idea of a fuge above the mantis tank. Here is a shot of the stand before a paint job that matches my stand on my other tank.

 

And here is a shot of the tank being drilled with the water reservoir out of plumbers putty.

[ll_maynard_ll]

Here is the Vidarock I received earlier today. Actually only three of the four pieces I ordered. I went with this manufactured rock because I wanted an interesting aquascape I couldn't get from real live rock because I'm not going to put anything else in this tank besides the mantis. I looked at a couple sites online and one had WYSIWYG rocks that were way overpriced, but I got these pieces and one more for about $80. The other site some of the pieces were over $100 for one piece. Anyway, I'm not sure which ones I'm going to use, I was going for a more open look but I still have a while to decide.

[ll_maynard_ll]

Maybe this one.

[ll_maynard_ll]

I got the stand painted earlier plus the back glass. I'm still waiting on the strip light and some other pieces to arrive. I'm hoping the light is what I'm wanting, a good 20k feel but without the intensity of reef lighting. I also started soaking the vidarock in RO water just in case it may leach some undesirables. I'm impressed with how pourous it is, it doesn't look it, but when I put it into the water the amount of bubbles from it was unexpected. So here is a shot of the glass pane I put in that will keep the water out of the overflow section and the low profile strainers on the bulkheads to keep the mantis from taking a ride into the sump. The other shot is of the acrylic overflow I made yesterday the I will silicone in place tomorrow up against the glass overflow.

[ll_maynard_ll]

Well I did a no-no. I made an impulse buy. I almost got the tank done and will fill it tomorrow but I wanted it to run and cycle through for a couple weeks with my macro tank but I saw this beauty the other night after a few beverages. So she will be here Thursday. Anyway, the tank is plumbed into and shares water with my 50 gallon macro tank so I'm hoping there won't be any issues. I could put her into a temporary 5 gallon but figured this would be healthier for her since if there is any cycle the macro tank will make quick work of any ammonia or nitrites.

 

She is a G. glabrous. I'm gonna name her Rosie.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what Dr Roy thought when I asked for an ID on RC.

 

"Throughout the gonodactylids we find the occasional orange female color morph. In the Gonodactylaceus it occurs in all species except G. ternatensis. This is probably G. glabrous, but without a better look I can't be sure. It could G. graphurus, G. falcatus or G. randalli.

 

Roy"

[FlowerMama]

She's a nice orange/red! Someone told me the color of the macro algaes and anything else that's put in there home like mushrooms can alter their color. Have you heard of that? I know my maroon won't be that pretty but I think she's maroon w/ white specks. Who knows. I just want them to live til I can put them in there. I assume you need a lid for mantis, right? I figure they're quick and can probably jump out?

[ll_maynard_ll]

She's a nice orange/red! Someone told me the color of the macro algaes and anything else that's put in there home like mushrooms can alter their color. Have you heard of that? I know my maroon won't be that pretty but I think she's maroon w/ white specks. Who knows. I just want them to live til I can put them in there. I assume you need a lid for mantis, right? I figure they're quick and can probably jump out?

 

I haven't read that about the color, although a couple of people have posted how theirs colored up after a couple molts but I hope she stays a bright red/orange. I am definitely going to put a screen on the tank, I already have all the parts leftover from my other tank. I don't want to have any of my inhabitants go carpet surfing.

[ll_maynard_ll]

The light finally arrived. It is pretty close to what I was looking for in a cheapy light. I was going for a dull blue/white led strip and that is exactly what I got. Its only 2.1 watts with blue and white lights. I know Rosie is a shallow water species so she would probably be ok in reef lighting, but when i ordered it i didnt know what type of mantis i was going to get and im not going to put corals into the tank anyway. It seems well built and I think I know how I'm going to hang it above the tank.

 

[ll_maynard_ll]

She arrived, in probably 6 bags so she is tough to get a good look at. I'm floating the bag right now then in a little bit I'll move her to a temporary container and drip acclimate her.

[ll_maynard_ll]

She is moving all around in the bag so I'm relieved. I'll post some pics of her in a bit. Here is a shot of the light mount I made, just painting it black then I'll bolt the light to it.

 

[ll_maynard_ll]

A curious cleaner shrimp. Ummmm, I don't think you wanna play with her.

 

[ll_maynard_ll]

Here she is in her new temporary home. She is tiny, a little over an inch. I put some PVC in for her to hide. My plan is to put this small container in the macro tank until her tank is finished in a week or so. It has a plastic lid on it that will allow water to circulate so she is in a healthy system until hers is plumbed into it.

 

[ll_maynard_ll]

Here is her temporary home sitting in the macro tank. Hopefully she won't be too disappointed in me for not having her tank ready yet. I'm still waiting on the return pump and sand then paint the PVC. Here is a shot of the tank and light mounted above. Yeah it is a huge tank for such a small mantis that a lot of people consider a pest. But I don't like the idea of overstocking and would rather error on the side of caution.

 

[FlowerMama]

Aw, she's tiny too. Colors were just like you said. Pretty, I like the two tone thing she has going on w/ the lighter orange on the tail and darker orange on the body. What are you going to cover your tank with?

[ll_maynard_ll]

Aw, she's tiny too. Colors were just like you said. Pretty, I like the two tone thing she has going on w/ the lighter orange on the tail and darker orange on the body. What are you going to cover your tank with?

 

She is nice looking isn't she, and happy so far by the looks of it. She has found a small hole in the piece of live rock and sounds to be making it her own.

 

I use a screen frame that I got at the hardware store and cut it to the size I need. Then I found some plastic mesh in place of the screen, I think it is 1/4" mesh similar to what BRS sells.

[FlowerMama]

Following of course because I've been kinda thrown into this mantis world if you saw my thread. One day I'd like to get rid of my 55g freshwater and put a tank the equivalent length, just only be like 17" high like my 34. Then I could split it too and give them a condo instead of the apartment they'll be in shortly.

[ll_maynard_ll]

Following of course because I've been kinda thrown into this mantis world if you saw my thread. One day I'd like to get rid of my 55g freshwater and put a tank the equivalent length, just only be like 17" high like my 34. Then I could split it too and give them a condo instead of the apartment they'll be in shortly.

 

I saw your two new additions the day you got em. I'm glad keeping them, unique little critters from everything I've read and saw. I think I've been more excited about this tank than any other.

[FlowerMama]

Have you heard yours yet?

[ll_maynard_ll]

She's been clicking away at her hole in the rock. I just hope she doesn't try to break out of the cheap container she is in. She would love the macro tank and I doubt I'd ever get her out.

[FlowerMama]

I haven't heard any clicks today. Yesterday was the first I heard and I was excited.

[ll_maynard_ll]

Well she is still alive this morning, normally I am a snooze button guy but today I had to get up and check on her. I'm now a little nervous about the first 24 hours, I lost a pistol shrimp and pom pom crab on the same first night a while back so I'm relieved she made it through the tough part of her journey.

[Tamberav]

Following along! All these mantis threads make me want more mantises.