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The Official Mantis Shrimp Owners Thread


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xDetroitMetalx

Hello again! I didn't see mine on the list but I do have one. Actually I believe it's the same species above!

 

His left claw fell off in the last molt. I believe due to messed up salinity. He's eating though and I hope to see it growing back in his next molt. It won't be fully usable again until a year from now though :(

 

DSC_0054.jpg

 

DSC_0070.jpg

 

DSC_0079.jpg

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Islandoftiki
Hello again! I didn't see mine on the list but I do have one. Actually I believe it's the same species above!

 

That does look very similar to mine. However, I don't see that speckling on the carapace that yours has. Or, it's not very visible. Mine is pretty dark in color. He's been lurking in the shadows of the tank all day, so I don't have any new or more detailed photos of him.

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xDetroitMetalx

He's a pretty old one, about 5-6"... Kind of hard to measure something that wants to kill you. I started feeding him a frozen sheet of krill when I first got him. It was so burned by the freezer I bought a new container of individually frozen krill. He was all over that stuff and was super aggressive when I fed it to him, which I think means he really likes it. After one molt of him eating that his color was much brighter and he looked very different. He was sold to me as a Peacock, I knew he wasn't but bought him anyway for $60 I think. I gave up trying to ID it.

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Islandoftiki
He's a pretty old one, about 5-6"... Kind of hard to measure something that wants to kill you. I started feeding him a frozen sheet of krill when I first got him. It was so burned by the freezer I bought a new container of individually frozen krill. He was all over that stuff and was super aggressive when I fed it to him, which I think means he really likes it. After one molt of him eating that his color was much brighter and he looked very different. He was sold to me as a Peacock, I knew he wasn't but bought him anyway for $60 I think. I gave up trying to ID it.

 

Sure is a good looking one!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 9 months later...

Hi, I am new to saltwater creatures etc. I would like ti start a 20g tank and eventually get a mantis shrimp. I just need some friendly opinion and good advice.

 

smithii or wennerae would work well in there if you plan to light the tank for corals.

 

Here guys, enjoy! This is from Kharn over at the Reef Central mantis forum:

 

Rise of the Planet of the Stomatopods

 

oh my god, I want it to be a real movie. lol

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My plan is to decorate the tank w/ brightly colored coral and rock to give my mantis some fake natural camoflauge lol. I want to have it resemble a kelp forest.

 

I also have a question that I've been looking for a reliable answer. In my tank I want to include a few schooling fish to add sone more color to and liveliness to the tank. Will a smasher try to eat them or act out territorially towards them?

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My plan is to decorate the tank w/ brightly colored coral and rock to give my mantis some fake natural camoflauge lol. I want to have it resemble a kelp forest.

 

I also have a question that I've been looking for a reliable answer. In my tank I want to include a few schooling fish to add sone more color to and liveliness to the tank. Will a smasher try to eat them or act out territorially towards them?

 

Yes and no. It depends on each mantis.. sometimes they can live together for awhile and one will eventually become lunch. They may also never eat one. Keep it well fed and it is a lot less likely to eat one. My mantis will chase the fish around the tank now and again when they piss her off. Basically when they steal her food or get in her face. They are fast too.. she can keep right on my damsels heels tail fin.

 

Best bet is fast, non-bottom dwelling fish who aren't easily stressed. I keep mine with a clown, damsel, and a sixline. Cheap is nice too in case one gets ate. Mantises are smart and any fish that gets stressed and sick or injured will most likely be caught and ate while a healthy fast fish isn't worth the trouble if there is readily available food.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 6 years later...

Hey guys, I’ve had my peacock for a few months now, and he’s only molted once. He was bitten by my niger trigger, on one of the flaps near his head, when there was one in the tank with him, shortly after he molted. I don’t know if that has something to do with it? Also sometimes the “hair” on his tail fins fray and he loses some... is that normal? Hoping to get all the help and info I need. Thank you.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...
1 hour ago, Aiden C said:

Can some one help me put together a list of bare minimum 40 breeder mantis shrimp supplies preferably on the cheaper side.

Do you want a peacock mantis? Because for other specie, you could go with a much smaller tank.

My purple spot mantis is in a 7 gallon.

 

Here is a specie list with tank size recommendation in liters.

https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

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3 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

Do you want a peacock mantis? Because for other specie, you could go with a much smaller tank.

My purple spot mantis is in a 7 gallon.

 

Here is a specie list with tank size recommendation in liters.

https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

Tbh I’ll take what ever I can get but aiming to get a purple spot or a peacock, I want a bigger tank because I was going to have an expansive pvc cave network and maybe some tank mates/ snacks 

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 Don't forget that a big tank with a large cave network may mean that you would never see your inhabitant (maybe at feeding time). Such 🤷‍♂️, the mantis will be happy but you 😬

A purple spot is max 9cm (3.5") when a peacock is max 18cm (7"). In 40 gallon ...

Quote

In spite of the fact that the quality of the water is easier to manage in large aquariums, small mantis shrimp do quite well in 10 gallon aquariums. Those who are longer than 8 inches or so, should be housed in a tank that is 20 gallons or larger. (link)

 

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19 minutes ago, Aiden C said:

Tbh I’ll take what ever I can get but aiming to get a purple spot or a peacock, I want a bigger tank because I was going to have an expansive pvc cave network and maybe some tank mates/ snacks 

Tank that size as @M. Tournesolhas said, peacock would be better. 

 

Bare minimum, heater, water movement, lights and rocks and sand. 

 

I'm not convinced on the PVC tunnels, mine ignores all my attempts at introducing any to her tank, you may find different though.

 

 

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