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The Mantis Shrimp Guide Thread


travisurfer

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3-5 gallons. Probably a 4g cube. Mantis and macro

 

3 gallons? Maybe a G. viridis which might be tough to intentionally find. I had one, but it was an unwanted hitchhiker and a crazy random happenstance. Not super interactive though.

 

If you can go up to 5 gallons, maybe an N. wennerae. or G. smithii would be ideal. Both hearty and fairly interactive.

 

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/ sells N. wennerae for pretty cheap. $50.00 including shipping which really doesn't make them any money. All of their mantis shrimp are hitchhikers in live rock and by getting one from them you're both getting a great species of mantis and you're giving an otherwise unwanted critter a good home. All three of my mantis shrimp have been "rescued" from situations that weren't idea for them, so I feel much better about keeping them in these situations.

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I've got an IM 8 that needs to be cleaned out. Would it be able to house a mantis? Would the stock light be just right for one or would it be too much? It's getting set up soon I just can't figure out what to put in it. First world problems are the worst.

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3 gallons? Maybe a G. viridis which might be tough to intentionally find. I had one, but it was an unwanted hitchhiker and a crazy random happenstance. Not super interactive though.

 

If you can go up to 5 gallons, maybe an N. wennerae. or G. smithii would be ideal. Both hearty and fairly interactive.

 

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/ sells N. wennerae for pretty cheap. $50.00 including shipping which really doesn't make them any money. All of their mantis shrimp are hitchhikers in live rock and by getting one from them you're both getting a great species of mantis and you're giving an otherwise unwanted critter a good home. All three of my mantis shrimp have been "rescued" from situations that weren't idea for them, so I feel much better about keeping them in these situations.

I think I will have a 5.5g tank. I know they are sensitive to light, though, with shell rot and stuff. Would a CC 18K 14W LED Par30 bulb be problematic?

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I think I will have a 5.5g tank. I know they are sensitive to light, though, with shell rot and stuff. Would a CC 18K 14W LED Par30 bulb be problematic?

 

It's only some species that are prone to shell rot. N. wennerae and G. smithii are not, so you're good for any lighting you want.

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I've got an IM 8 that needs to be cleaned out. Would it be able to house a mantis? Would the stock light be just right for one or would it be too much? It's getting set up soon I just can't figure out what to put in it. First world problems are the worst.

 

Consider a G. smithii or N. wennerae. Both are great choices for that tank size and they aren't prone to shell rot, so lighting isn't a problem.

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Consider a G. smithii or N. wennerae. Both are great choices for that tank size and they aren't prone to shell rot, so lighting isn't a problem.

Thanks! I'll look into them. I assume a single rock structure with a nice PVC pipe structure for the mantis to live in is good? I was just thinking a macro forest with the shrimp.

 

Weekly water changes and weekly feeding? I plan on AC70 with floss and carbon, and maybe a skimmer? Other than that, normal tank maintenance, right? 1.204 SG, 78-80 temps, etc.

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ok I've read this entire thread and clicked on practically ever species link on Roy's list. I can see if pruess' pets could order me one. Where would be the best online place to order from? I've never ordered live stock except for a CUC from reef cleaners. Any experiences with certain online stores?

 

 

Wheres a good spot to get cool macros from? Maybe some dragon's tongue

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Oh man, I'm pumped. I think I have everything to set up a mantis pico. I just need to replace the 5g tank I have that's breaking, and once I swap over the stuff in that to the new upgrade tank, I'll have all this stuff for a small tank that I can't do anything with... yet :owned:

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Thanks! I'll look into them. I assume a single rock structure with a nice PVC pipe structure for the mantis to live in is good? I was just thinking a macro forest with the shrimp.

 

Weekly water changes and weekly feeding? I plan on AC70 with floss and carbon, and maybe a skimmer? Other than that, normal tank maintenance, right? 1.204 SG, 78-80 temps, etc.

 

It sounds like you're on the right track. Tank care is the same as for any reef tank.

 

I would personally feed the smaller species of mantis daily with a reasonable amount of food that they can consume completely. The larger ones can get away with bigger meals every other day. Most mantis shrimp will eat any time you feed them.

 

ok I've read this entire thread and clicked on practically ever species link on Roy's list. I can see if pruess' pets could order me one. Where would be the best online place to order from? I've never ordered live stock except for a CUC from reef cleaners. Any experiences with certain online stores?

 

 

Wheres a good spot to get cool macros from? Maybe some dragon's tongue

 

I know Tampa Bay Saltwater sells N. Wennerae mantis for $50.00 including shipping. It seems like people have had good experiences with them, but I haven't ordered from them.

 

I'm not sure where the good places to buy macros are. Maybe someone else can chime in on that.

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It sounds like you're on the right track. Tank care is the same as for any reef tank.

 

I would personally feed the smaller species of mantis daily with a reasonable amount of food that they can consume completely. The larger ones can get away with bigger meals every other day. Most mantis shrimp will eat any time you feed them.

The first post mentions just recycling a CUC... Should I just feed food via tongs instead?

 

Does flow matter for the mantis? lower, higher?

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Hmm maybe I'll search around the forum for macros. I did see a lot of people mention Tampa bay saltwater. I guess it's time to get scrubbing this weekend. Are PVC burrows a good idea for all mantis or just some? What do people usually glue PVC with for aquarium use?

 

Loved your pest tank btw Island

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I hear good things about this website. Keep in mind that you can always look for macros right here in the forums, since there are a couple of users who have a bunch of different kinds and routinely sell off what they prune for nutrient export. :]

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I hear good things about this website. Keep in mind that you can always look for macros right here in the forums, since there are a couple of users who have a bunch of different kinds and routinely sell off what they prune for nutrient export. :]

Was just going to link that ;)

 

I'm thinking of this http://www.live-plants.com/refugiumpack.htm and the current rock I have, plus the mantis and maybe some other macro.

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Hmm maybe I'll search around the forum for macros. I did see a lot of people mention Tampa bay saltwater. I guess it's time to get scrubbing this weekend. Are PVC burrows a good idea for all mantis or just some? What do people usually glue PVC with for aquarium use?

 

Loved your pest tank btw Island

 

I've used both epoxy and aquarium safe silicone to attach sand to the outside of my PVC burrows so they don't look like bare plumbing pipe. Both worked well.

 

A PVC burrow is pretty ideal for them, but you can also drill out a good size chunk of live rock and make a burrow that way. I did that on my G. ternatensis tank. Live rock is really easy to drill, but you have to be careful that you don't break it in half while drilling.

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The first post mentions just recycling a CUC... Should I just feed food via tongs instead?

 

Does flow matter for the mantis? lower, higher?

 

I forgot about the idea of feeding them clean up crew. We didn't do that with any of our mantis shrimp. I mainly fed krill soaked in selcon and vitachem or chunks of LRF frozen food also soaked in selcon and vitachem. There was no hope of ever keeping any clean up crew in Betty's tank and Chuck wouldn't kill or eat hermits of snails, so I've always just gone with no CUC in my mantis tanks.

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I forgot about the idea of feeding them clean up crew. We didn't do that with any of our mantis shrimp. I mainly fed krill soaked in selcon and vitachem or chunks of LRF frozen food also soaked in selcon and vitachem. There was no hope of ever keeping any clean up crew in Betty's tank and Chuck wouldn't kill or eat hermits of snails, so I've always just gone with no CUC in my mantis tanks.

Cool. The LRF with selcon and stuff is easy (made right up the road from me). I'll probably go that route. Besides, the fish in my new tank will probably eat that stuff too.

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Are mantis reef safe? and could it be kept in a 4g pico?

 

or a 15g tall tank with a dsb and 10mm glass?

 

Not safe with CUC and fish but they are mostly safe with corals. They will however, move corals around and turn them upside down if they aren't glued down.

 

Your mileage may vary.

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Not safe with CUC and fish but they are mostly safe with corals. They will however, move corals around and turn them upside down if they aren't glued down.

 

Your mileage may vary.

So many questions... There are some really nice mantis tanks on here. I'm kind of worried about bioload?

 

I have an AC70 with an AC30 impeller for a 5g tank. I was also given a Fluval Sea PS-1 skimmer by a friend. Should I use that instead of carbon in the AC70 rear chamber for a mantis? Or I put it in the tank behind the live rock/macro forest... Or I just leave it out and stick with carbon/floss/phosguard as I need.

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Not safe with CUC and fish but they are mostly safe with corals. They will however, move corals around and turn them upside down if they aren't glued down.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

Ok I think I might skip it :D

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So many questions... There are some really nice mantis tanks on here. I'm kind of worried about bioload?

 

I have an AC70 with an AC30 impeller for a 5g tank. I was also given a Fluval Sea PS-1 skimmer by a friend. Should I use that instead of carbon in the AC70 rear chamber for a mantis? Or I put it in the tank behind the live rock/macro forest... Or I just leave it out and stick with carbon/floss/phosguard as I need.

 

I had a smithii in a 5g for awhile and I just used a filter (no skimmer). It worked fine since mantis shrimp don't need to be fed every day and waterchanges are so easy on a 5g. I did have some display macro in the tank though.

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Some people say to use market shrimp for feeding mantis. Would this be ok? Getting frozen shrimp is pretty easy at kroger compared to paying shipping on frozen foods. It's a hour and a half drive to my store. Ill check the classifieds here too. Never thought of that.

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