19jeffro83 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 So I picked this guy up last night from my buddies fish store. He's currently residing in the sump of my 50 for the time being. I plan on homing him in my biocube when I get it back on track. Just curious who's keeping or has kept a mantis. What your feeding and how often? What kind of things can I do Toledo him entertained? What the longevity in captivity is? What kinda set up you think is best and so on? Any info is appreciated. Here's a pic of my not so little guy, he's about 4-5" long. Thanks, Jeff Link to comment
surgicalsense Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Ezsharkman ... the mantis shrimp whisper Link to comment
Fearlessmoto Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 they live a long time for one, make sure he has plenty of caves and places to duck into to feel secure, DO NOT PUT HIM IN WITH ANYTHING, he will kill any and all inverts (crabs, shrimp, snails, etc) they like to be fed live food now and then, maybe once a month or every couple of weeks, they are ok to keep with corals and SOME fish which will host closely with anemones are OK but only with caution, these little guys are extremely intelligent and will eventually develop a dog like personality, ex, coming to the glass to greet you in the morning and afternoon, trying to get your attention etc, ALSO BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU PUT YOUR HAND IN THE TANK THEY ARE CALLED THUMB SPLITTERS FOR A REASON, they have the fastest strike and best eyesight of any creature in the animal world! they make incredible pets, but he may be best left in the 50 as a species specific, tank oh one more note, they like dimmer light over super bright lighting (maybe something to do with the best eyesight on earth, not sure. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 they live a long time for one, make sure he has plenty of caves and places to duck into to feel secure, DO NOT PUT HIM IN WITH ANYTHING, he will kill any and all inverts (crabs, shrimp, snails, etc) they like to be fed live food now and then, maybe once a month or every couple of weeks, they are ok to keep with corals and SOME fish which will host closely with anemones are OK but only with caution, these little guys are extremely intelligent and will eventually develop a dog like personality, ex, coming to the glass to greet you in the morning and afternoon, trying to get your attention etc, ALSO BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU PUT YOUR HAND IN THE TANK THEY ARE CALLED THUMB SPLITTERS FOR A REASON, they have the fastest strike and best eyesight of any creature in the animal world! they make incredible pets, but he may be best left in the 50 as a species specific, tank oh one more note, they like dimmer light over super bright lighting (maybe something to do with the best eyesight on earth, not sure. Thanks for the reply. In actually looking for a little more detailed advice on these guys which is why I'm asking for people's experiences more than basic care. I wann know more about personality and preferences of this animal and hear some I site from other that have kept one of these animals long term. I'm fully aware of the basic nesesities of his upkeep and danger that maybe an issue if handled and treated improperly. Thanks again, Jeff Link to comment
Grumblecakes Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 thread at the top of the subforum http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=163417 they look so cool, to bad they are so antisocial. my lfs has 2 that keep trying to break out of their holding areas Link to comment
Bongo Shrimp Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Sorry if this seems off topic but I think it's pertinent- How the hell are you supposed to work in the tank at all?! I've always wondered. Link to comment
Fearlessmoto Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Sorry if this seems off topic but I think it's pertinent- How the hell are you supposed to work in the tank at all?! I've always wondered. you can use something to segregate the mantis from the area you are working in, a divider of some sort. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 I've actually already pet him a couple times. He tried to hit me but I'm to fast for him. I picked him up w my hand to transfer him to the sump. I'm not scared of a little bug. As smart as he is I know I'm smarter and I think his tank will only have a few zoos and macros in it so I'll place them all in before he goes in and let him do the rearanging. Link to comment
mbonus Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 lol - be sure to admit it to us if he blasts you. Link to comment
paneubert Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 He tried to hit me but I'm to fast for him. Hahahahaha! Have you read any of the articles or watched the videos about the tech behind their strike? They cavitate the water and create light from nothing more than speed thru water....hotter than the sun if I recall correctly... You are not faster than him. http://www.ted.com/talks/sheila_patek_cloc...st_animals.html Link to comment
paneubert Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 So awesome...... " The snap can also produce sonoluminescence from the collapsing cavitation bubble. As it collapses, the cavitation bubble reaches temperatures of over 5,000 K (4,700 °C). In comparison, the surface temperature of the sun is estimated to be around 5,800 K (5,500 °C). The light is of lower intensity than the light produced by typical sonoluminescence and is not visible to the naked eye. It is most likely a by-product of the shock wave with no biological significance. However, it was the first known instance of an animal producing light by this effect. It has subsequently been discovered that another group of crustaceans, the mantis shrimp, contains species whose club-like forelimbs can strike so quickly and with such force as to induce sonoluminescent cavitation bubbles upon impact. " S. N. Patek and R. L. Caldwell (2005). "Extreme impact and cavitation forces of a biological hammer: strike forces of the peacock mantis shrimp". The Journal of Experimental Biology 208 (Pt 19): 3655–3664. http://jeb.biologists.org/content/208/19/3655 Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Lol I'll let you guys know If I get hit I'll even show the results. I didn't mean I'm faster than his strike just his tiny pea brain and his swimming ability. I am playing it safe w him but I want to get to the point of hand feeding. He's not scared of me at all which is kinda scary. Thanks for the links I'll be sure to check them out later when I get home. Thank again, Jeff Link to comment
wombat Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I've been taking care of one for the last 4-ish years. He's in a 30g tank with LPS and softies. No skimmer, just GAC and water changes. I would start with very nicely coralline covered rocks and cover them with coral as any nuisance algae that gets a foothold can be tough to eradicate with no grazers. You can keep them with Diadema urchins but IME they will blast other urchins like tuxedos. Fortunately they ignore amphipods, copepods, and mysis shrimp so these will reach nice populations that will help keep waste and algae to a minimum. Very social and interactive animal, they can be trained to eat off of a stick. Working in the tank is generally just done with tools and scrapers, and I keep a close eye on where he is when I'm gluing down corals. I feed mine live periwinkle snails and shrimp from an Asian market and bait store. If I happen to be out of either I feed him chunks of frozen prawn, clam, or squid. It is cool to watch them smash up snails. Link to comment
Bongo Shrimp Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Do they need super perfect water? No copper obv. Link to comment
Bishop Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I keep my mantis in a 12 gallon cube with plenty of rock and sand to hide in. I also have 4 hermit crabs that have developed very interesting survival technique. Mine is a solid green mantis that I got as a hitchhiker. It's about 2.5 inches long now. Not very big. These things are extremely fast swimmers. They are specifically designed to dart through water at extreme speeds and strike their prey. These things are not made to catch snails, they are made to bring down fish before they can even react. If you think you can move and react faster than a fish then you might have a chance if that mantis ever associates hand with food. Link to comment
Lawnman Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I smell a split finger. Link to comment
kevinlogan42 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I think this is one of those cases that ignorance is not bliss. Best of luck with the finger feedings. Keep us updated. Link to comment
wombat Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 These things are extremely fast swimmers. They are specifically designed to dart through water at extreme speeds and strike their prey. These things are not made to catch snails, they are made to bring down fish before they can even react. I would agree that they are extremely fast swimmers over short distances. If they want to they can move faster than you can react. I would not ever feed one by hand. However, this species IS a predator of crustaceans and gastropods. They do not normally prey on fish in the wild. Those smashing clubs are for cracking shells, not catching fish. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/cr...ame=o_scyllarus Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 I think I'll be fine. Even if he hits me its no worse than smacking your finger w a hammer. Which I've done numerous times as a carpenter of 10+ years. It just happens and I'm starting to think he's getting to know me a bit. We will see if I really get brave/dumb enough to try and hand feed him. For now hes being fed from a pair of forseseps which he gladly takes his food from. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Maybe? But I'm sure most dogs/cats we own could do a lot more damage and we don't think twice about putting our faces up to theirs and feeding them by hand. Link to comment
impactfour Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Maybe? But I'm sure most dogs/cats we own could do a lot more damage and we don't think twice about putting our faces up to theirs and feeding them by hand. Actually I know to never touch a dogs food. And trust everyone on here when we say not to get your hand near the mantis. Link to comment
mmcguffi Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 is this your actual mantis? it's beautiful if it is--one of the best looking Ive seen! Link to comment
patback Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Maybe? But I'm sure most dogs/cats we own could do a lot more damage and we don't think twice about putting our faces up to theirs and feeding them by hand. Your dog or cat also can't break rock, or move quick enough to technically create light Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 This is my mantis, thanks for the compliment. Don't worry about me guys. I'll keep my fingers clear for now. I know people who've been hit and they say it's like a bad rubber band snap. I don't think they can break bone. Some thing are exaggerated time to time. I think this is one of those cases. Link to comment
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