Smithii Mantis Shrimp beginners discussion

[Tamberav]

My peacock mantis left fish alone that were added before her, but anything new she tried to make a fish sandwich out of. I think she was just used to me feeding her so she thought I must have brought her a snack. 

[MrSquiggle]

4 hours ago, Tamberav said:

My peacock mantis left fish alone that were added before her, but anything new she tried to make a fish sandwich out of. I think she was just used to me feeding her so she thought I must have brought her a snack. 

Makes sense.  We figured Shrimpy was just making sure they were not a threat.  Now he seems happy to have some friends.  I read that having fish is good for the mental well being of a mantis.  As they will be (a) stimulated, and (B) learn that if the fish are not a threat and they are around then that therefore means no other threats are in the local area (so the thinking goes anyway).

[BlennyBoi]

1 hour ago, MrSquiggle said:

Makes sense.  We figured Shrimpy was just making sure they were not a threat.  Now he seems happy to have some friends.  I read that having fish is good for the mental well being of a mantis.  As they will be (a) stimulated, and (B) learn that if the fish are not a threat and they are around then that therefore means no other threats are in the local area (so the thinking goes anyway).

i would go for fish roughly the sane size as the mantis, so they wont bother shrimpy and shrimpy wont bother the fish.

[MrSquiggle]

Hi Everyone,

 

Shrimpy is starting to explore!  We were beginning to think he was a recluse :P.  Now every few days he knocks down his lair door and goes for a rummage around.  It is good to find him out and about.

 

Here he is having an explore!

 

 

 

When I was cleaning the tank I scared all of the Chromis down to the corner of Shrimpy's Lair and next think I saw Shrimpy had a hold of one and was trying to pull it down into his rock!  I turned to grab my camera as I had a this point assumed the fish was toast.  By the time I turned back Shrimpy was no where to be seen, then his head popped up out of his lair...  I assumed the worst. 

 

A few hours later I was looking into the tank and to my surprise all 6 Chromis were alive and well!  Lucky little fellow was too big and was saved by the lairs small entrance hole size!

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

On 11/12/2018 at 7:12 AM, MrSquiggle said:

Hi Everyone,

 

Shrimpy is starting to explore!  We were beginning to think he was a recluse :P.  Now every few days he knocks down his lair door and goes for a rummage around.  It is good to find him out and about.

 

Here he is having an explore!

 

https://youtu.be/tNvQI2q5hYg

 

When I was cleaning the tank I scared all of the Chromis down to the corner of Shrimpy's Lair and next think I saw Shrimpy had a hold of one and was trying to pull it down into his rock!  I turned to grab my camera as I had a this point assumed the fish was toast.  By the time I turned back Shrimpy was no where to be seen, then his head popped up out of his lair...  I assumed the worst. 

 

A few hours later I was looking into the tank and to my surprise all 6 Chromis were alive and well!  Lucky little fellow was too big and was saved by the lairs small entrance hole size!

 

Maybe Shrimpy is still a bit hungry? You can buy a small batch of CuC (hermits & snails) to refresh your tank. Shrimpy will eventually take them down one by one in time, but at least he'll be well-fed and there's less chance he'll go after your chromis again. Glad Shrimpy is doing very well though. 🙂 

[MrSquiggle]

1 hour ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Maybe Shrimpy is still a bit hungry? You can buy a small batch of CuC (hermits & snails) to refresh your tank. Shrimpy will eventually take them down one by one in time, but at least he'll be well-fed and there's less chance he'll go after your chromis again. Glad Shrimpy is doing very well though. 🙂 

Thanks Snow OO

 

Hope you are well  🙂

[mndfreeze]

You definitely should get a mix of CUC to keep the tank clean but also to give him stuff to hunt if he still is peckish.  I found with my ternatensis that a mix of different species of snails worked best.  The very large turbos were too big and never got touched (therefore always cleaning) and the very small ceriths mostly got left alone.  Nerites always got eaten first, then sometimes astrea or trochus.   

 

It's also important to keep his hunting instincts active and happy.  You will only need to replenish your cleaning crew once every month or two.   I also got my ternatensis live fiddler crabs every week or two because he absolutely loved murdering crabs.  

[mcs]

1 hour ago, mndfreeze said:

You definitely should get a mix of CUC to keep the tank clean but also to give him stuff to hunt if he still is peckish.  I found with my ternatensis that a mix of different species of snails worked best.  The very large turbos were too big and never got touched (therefore always cleaning) and the very small ceriths mostly got left alone.  Nerites always got eaten first, then sometimes astrea or trochus.   

 

It's also important to keep his hunting instincts active and happy.  You will only need to replenish your cleaning crew once every month or two.   I also got my ternatensis live fiddler crabs every week or two because he absolutely loved murdering crabs.  

My ternatensis is the same, he actually leaves the snails and hermits alone, but as you say, loves to murder crabs.

[mndfreeze]

Mine definitely murdered hermits.  

 

Order of food preference for Googly the Ternatensis was live true crab (fiddlers, emeralds, etc), hermits, tasty snails, then finally less tasty snails.

 

 

[mcs]

12 minutes ago, mndfreeze said:

Mine definitely murdered hermits.  

 

Order of food preference for Googly the Ternatensis was live true crab (fiddlers, emeralds, etc), hermits, tasty snails, then finally less tasty snails.

 

 

Mine is less of a murderer. He just loves the normal crabs. And shrimp.

[mndfreeze]

Feed him a little less and I bet that will change. 😄

[Tamberav]

You would enjoy this thread I think, he moved to Hawaii and had to sell his mantis but he would give her different toys to 'play' with and explore like different colored dice I think once. Hse would also sit on thier hands. Obviously this relationship was built over time and you have to be a brave soul. 

 

Quick vid 

 

 

 

and the thread: 

 

 

[BlennyBoi]

found where my hitchhiking mantis hides. gonna see if i could get him out. tried traps, but hes a smart mantis! should i shake the rocks and get him with a net? ill take out all the corals, except for a blasto frag that ive glued down to the rocks because it kept falling off. the fish and CUC will come out too. or should i keep trying with traps? hes about 5-7cm. most of my fish are 4-5 cm. im just worried hell take one. previously a 3cm clown went missing, and mr mantis here is a prime suspect.

 

oh, BTW i wont kill him. ill just put him in the sump, cos mantis are so cool! i wanna keep him!

[Tamberav]

Can you just take the rock he is hiding in out? Maybe put that rock in the sump until he crawls out of it.

[BlennyBoi]

4 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Can you just take the rock he is hiding in out? Maybe put that rock in the sump until he crawls out of it.

cant. rocks too big to fit in the sump.

[MrSquiggle]

1 hour ago, BlennyBoi said:

cant. rocks too big to fit in the sump.

Following with interest!

 

For Shrimpy, I could wait patiently for him to leave his lair rock and then quickly swoop in and steel it..  However I would feel terrible and worry that this was cause him stress.

 

Am I right in assuming you want to move him further away from your fish or into another tank?

 

For my wife and I we just cherish the few hours every few days that he ventures out of his rock!  It is something we lock forward too!!  Also as much as we care about the chromis, we have put Shrimpy's well being in front of theirs...  not moral at all, just we just love Shrimpy a bit more than the Chromis.  Of course we will protect them in anyway we can  :)

 

 

[MrSquiggle]

 

[Tamberav]

Maybe a curlicue anenome? Sp?

[BlennyBoi]

On 11/16/2018 at 2:40 PM, MrSquiggle said:

Following with interest!

 

For Shrimpy, I could wait patiently for him to leave his lair rock and then quickly swoop in and steel it..  However I would feel terrible and worry that this was cause him stress.

 

Am I right in assuming you want to move him further away from your fish or into another tank?

 

For my wife and I we just cherish the few hours every few days that he ventures out of his rock!  It is something we lock forward too!!  Also as much as we care about the chromis, we have put Shrimpy's well being in front of theirs...  not moral at all, just we just love Shrimpy a bit more than the Chromis.  Of course we will protect them in anyway we can  🙂

 

 

yes, i do wan to move him o the sump. he never leaves his rock, so im thinking soda water. i have heard mantis are more resistant to this than other crustaceans, will give it a shot though. also, is your avatar shrimpy? just noticed

[MrSquiggle]

soda water?  what is that about?  🙂

[BlennyBoi]

18 hours ago, MrSquiggle said:

soda water?  what is that about?  🙂

it irritates the joints in the shell, and they come out to escape. it doesnt do any harm though

[BlennyBoi]

i finally got him out. it was easier than i thought, didnt have to use soda water. just shook the rock, and out he came. netted him and put him in the sump with some barnacle shells for him to hide in. turns out hes a smasher and feeding him is really fun. i think hes a wennerae, but my rock is indo pacific, and wenneraes are carribean. maybe theres a similar indo pacific species? i dont have any pics, but looks just like a wennerae. BTW, hes now called kevin.

[MrSquiggle]

Nice work!

 

Good to know about the soda water!  I was looking at some pics of wennerae on google - what a nice green color!

 

Looking forward to seeing some photos or a video perhaps  :)

 

Kevin is a cool name too!  Shrimpy was named by a community so he got what he was given lol

[MrSquiggle]

On 11/17/2018 at 1:04 PM, Tamberav said:

Maybe a curlicue anenome? Sp?

So we decided to remove it.  Because we are soft and could not kill it and remove it from the rock we have lost the rock with it.   It was a dirty rock so it is probably best.  From what I read, in time, they take over areas of your tank and can kill fish.  RIP anemone creature!

[MrSquiggle]

21 hours ago, BlennyBoi said:

yes, i do wan to move him o the sump. he never leaves his rock, so im thinking soda water. i have heard mantis are more resistant to this than other crustaceans, will give it a shot though. also, is your avatar shrimpy? just noticed

My avatar is indeed Shrimpy McShrimpface  :)