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Innovative Marine Aquariums

The Mantis Shrimp Guide Thread


travisurfer

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ShrimpyPooh
I got mine as a hitchiker about 6 to 8 months ago when I broked open a piece of liverock I bought with a SPS on it. There was a tunnel inside and this creature fell from the tunnel. It was the size of a large amphipods just a bit longer. At first I thought it was an amphipod and I was going to kill it (I hate amphipods) but then I saw the eyes and realized it was a mantis.

 

I put it in my quarantine tank and it went hiding in the rocks. I forgot about it and tought it was dead. Then I set up my new nano 15 gallons with a 10 gallons sump and there it was one day, flying through the tank at great speed. It's now 2" to 3" long and come to eat from the pipette. I will have to be carefull as he grab as much food as he can and go back in his cave.. I guess that can pollute if he does not eat all.

 

Mine is soooooo skittish, and rarely come out of its cave, only when I am feeding with the pipette. It took months for it to be tame enough to do this as before it was not even coming out for food.

 

When it was a baby it was light beige in color, but now it is starting to gain nice colors. Amazing how it grew from about 1/2" to 2" 1/2. I guess it must be pretty close to adult size.

 

I will try to post some video, if I can, because it is so skittish. I have it now with one large cleaner shrimp, 2 blue legged hermit crabs, 2 clownfish and a leopard wrasse (going in my 75 gallons soon).

 

I had it for months with an orchid dottyback and they lived well together, but since I sold the dottyback the mantis took the dottyback's cave and it's really happy about it.

 

man yer lucky i wish i could get a mantis as a hitch hiker u should try to figure out what type he is

 

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/cr...traca/royslist/

heres a link to help if u wanna know

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  • 4 weeks later...
TeflonTomDosh

Quick question. My mantis (and I'm sure many others here) readily accepts food (silversides/shrimp/snails) but I looked in there earlier and he had "hidden" a piece of the silverside. Will they eat this later? In the meantime should I be concerned with spikes in ammonia due to the rotting of the fish carcass? Any input appreciated.

 

Thanks!

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  • 6 months later...

I used to have a Gonodactylaceus falcatus that I kept in a 4 gallon finnex tank. He was fine until my tank cracked. Right now I have a peacock mantis. She has been with me for over a year now. I keep her in my 29 gallon biocube.

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Quick question. My mantis (and I'm sure many others here) readily accepts food (silversides/shrimp/snails) but I looked in there earlier and he had "hidden" a piece of the silverside. Will they eat this later? In the meantime should I be concerned with spikes in ammonia due to the rotting of the fish carcass? Any input appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

I've only had mine about a week, but my experience thus far with feeding is that when it gets done eating it pushes the remains out of it's cave and I remove them immediately. I offer it food twice a day and it never refuses. I have not seen it try to hide bits of food either. Clean little guy and very active too. What kind do you have?

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Quick question. My mantis (and I'm sure many others here) readily accepts food (silversides/shrimp/snails) but I looked in there earlier and he had "hidden" a piece of the silverside. Will they eat this later? In the meantime should I be concerned with spikes in ammonia due to the rotting of the fish carcass? Any input appreciated.

 

Thanks!

I know it's old but you had a mantis?

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Hi i am keeping my Mantis in my sub tank. Is it okie as there is no sand for it to burrow but i have rocks inside for it to hide around. Its a peacock mantis shrimp

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xxShaddowxx

So my lfs has had a mantis sitting around for quite some time now. Because of this thread I went and picked up a 10 gallon tank that is now cycling :) can't wait till its ready for him :D

post-78992-0-09128600-1364969988_thumb.jpg

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So my lfs has had a mantis sitting around for quite some time now. Because of this thread I went and picked up a 10 gallon tank that is now cycling :) can't wait till its ready for him :D
Do you know what species of mantis it is?

 

Hi i am keeping my Mantis in my sub tank. Is it okie as there is no sand for it to burrow but i have rocks inside for it to hide around. Its a peacock mantis shrimp
I'm no expert but I think you should either put a sand bed in or move the mantis to where there is one. Mine loves to dig. I'm assuming most or all of them do. Also, without sand a peacock could conceivably crack the bottom of your tank.
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xxShaddowxx

Do you know what species of mantis it is?

I haven't gotten a great look at her because she has eggs so she won't leave the tube she has been in. I asked if it was a peacock though and they said it wasn't. It's only 3 or 4 inches and the coloring from what I've seen of her head poking out is bright like a peacock. I'll post more when I get a better look at her.

 

Also, does anyone know if urchins are safe from a mantis? I would figure long spine would be, but what about tuxedos?

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xxShaddowxx

So I got my mantis today. First thing she did when I got her into the tank was grab a Nass snail that was right outsider the PVC tube she came in and pull it in. Been listening to her smash it for the past 15 minutes or so haha. Guess she is healthy xD

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Good for you! Snag a picture when you can! My little girl is very social, but runs when I get the camera.

Just a thought but have you tried leaving the camera next to the tank? Maybe try to acclimate the mantis to a camera?

 

It worked for my clowns and goby

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xxShaddowxx

I tried to tank some pics today while she had her eyes sticking out of the tube staring at me but they didn't come out well with or without flash. I'm almost positive that she is a wennerae though :)

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fretfreak13

Just a thought but have you tried leaving the camera next to the tank? Maybe try to acclimate the mantis to a camera?

 

It worked for my clowns and goby

 

No I haven't! What a fantastic idea! Putting it there now! =)

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