Mantis Shrimp

[HeyLookItsCaps]

i have a sand sifting star in my reef tank, and i got a bloom i need to take care of inmy mantis tank.

 

will my star be ok will or will dr. robotnik eat him?

[travisurfer]

thats more hit or miss than anything

[HeyLookItsCaps]

:/ bollocks. guess i need some huge nassarius?

[caponeman]

:/ bollocks. guess i need some huge nassarius?

 

I stuck a 4 inch Brittle Star in with my 1 inch Mantis Shrimp (Neogonodactylus wennerae) thinking he might not mess with him cause of his size, bristles and maybe not care about sea stars. The next day, the star fish flesh was cracked open and was struggling. I then saw my mantis come out and start whacking the heck outta him.

 

So I guess it comes down to if the mantis feels threatened by the sea star. My mantis did not sem interested in eating the star, just beating him up.

[HeyLookItsCaps]

so what do you do for detritus control?

[forrestp38829]

I have a 3" G. smithii who on a daily basis beats the crap out of my full grown striped serpent star, 6-7" across.

 

I have found that the thicher the shell, the better. Get a bad azz hermit with some tank armor, or a giant turbo snail, I have never heard of a sea hare being killed by a mantis. At least I dont think so.

[justinl]

a sea hare is not something i would try. that one could be disastrous. stars are a crap shoot, brittle stars usually do fine, but no guarantee. Urchins sometimes do okay but are eaten more often than not.

 

I would not try a giant crab or hermit. one of those could injure a small mantis (a certain one eyed mantis comes to mind). If your mantis is small, then sure thick shelled snails (like turbos) work.

 

In my mantis tanks i dont really have much of a clean up crew other than bristle worms and small brittle stars. I depend on myself more than anything to keep the tank clean.