Mantis Shrimp Tank Planning

[Snow_Phoenix]

I admit I haven't been on here for a while. I'm no stranger to marine tanks or mantis shrimp in general, having kept a G. smithii few years ago.

 

I picked up a gorgeous G. platysoma last week. I sexed it - it's a male, and he's gorgeous. Very strong too - I could hear his thwacks from across the hall as he took down a small hermit that I fed him. Currently he's in a QT tank.

 

Here's the deal. I currently have 2 nano SW tanks. I'm in the midst of shifting houses, so even though these tanks have been operating for months - if not years, I had to 'reset' the tanks when I moved them to my new house. Which means I cleaned them out, used fresh LS and some dry rock. Both tanks are still in the middle of a cycle, and have no critters. I have a 1-year-old clownfish, a 6-month-old sixline wrasse and a 3-month-old segmented sailfin blenny with me, also in QT, alongside a few hermits.

 

These are the specifics of the two tanks:

Tank #1: 14G long with skimmer & HOB filter (new light to arrive sometime next week) - still trying to find a suitable-sized wavemaker for this tank
Tank #2: 10G *sumped* cube with no skimmer & LED light - small wavemaker *might be added

 

Now, I was originally planning on putting all 2 of my fish (the wrasse and blenny) & hermits in the 14G long, and giving the 10G to my clownfish & mantis. Here's my problem. My mantis is very active, and very, VERY big. He's almost 4" (almost max. size). <--- This is why I'm reconsidering adding any fish with him. I used to keep my G. smithii with an azure damsel, but the damsel was quick, and the mantis was only around 2.5". I haven't kept the platysoma long enough to gage his temperament, and I do NOT want to put any of my animals at risk, especially my clownfish - which I have kept for almost a year.

So what do you guys suggest?

 

Shall I do this:

 

Tank #1: 14G - home for all 3 fish 

Tank #2: 10G - home for mantis shrimp

 

OR

 

Tank #1: 14G - home for 2 fish (sixline & blenny)

Tank #2: 10G - home for clownfish & mantis...........?

 

I still have another two or three weeks before I will transfer my fish to the relevant tanks (will test the stability of either tank by tossing in a hermit first and observe it for a week). Which fish should go where? That's my dilemma. 

 

Oh, and both tanks will be FOWLRs for now, because I'm travelling frequently for the time being and can't tend to coral. Once everything settles down, only then I'll consider going back down the coral route.

Any good pointers is appreciated.

P.S. I have test kits, but some of them are quite old and on the brink of expiry, so I'm picking up new Salifert kits next week. Honestly, I'm having a big headache shifting. I've already lost 80% of my tropical freshwater fish stock last week when I tried to move them. And these were fish that I've kept for 2-years, and raised from babies/juvis to thriving adults. It was painful.   I'm just glad all my marine animals made it through ok and are now doing well in QT in the new house. 

[Clown79]

I wouldn't put a larger mantis with fish, especially ones you like.

 

I'd do a dedicated mantis tank only