Mantis shrimp in 7.5 gallon?

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Ok, so there will be no mantis shrimp. The tank is now being transformed into a crab tank. I found a website that sells very unusual crabs that I’m thinking of adding to the tank. But I’m wondering which ones would be ok in a tank that size? 

 

The first is a flame streaked box crab. How big does he get? Would he be ok in a tank this size?

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Or maybe a calico crab

Or a SWIMMING CRAB, Portunus gibbesii

Or PURSE CRAB, Persephona mediterranea

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Or a elbow crab

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Or RED DROMID CRAB

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Or a pebble crab

[Outofstock]

Bud, one well written post is better than multiple small posts. 

 

If you are insisting on another tank, why not move it over to brackish tank, throw some sand and miracle mud in the center like island and lower the water level. Add some mangroves and a fiddler or two. I think that would look nice and probably have a bit lower maintenance since the crabs could deal with salinity fluctuations. Youd have to figure out a small cover for the heater cord or just use small plastic cup so the crab wont leave. Its probably easier to source fiddlers too. 

 

Just a thought. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

1 hour ago, Outofstock said:

Bud, one well written post is better than multiple small posts. 

 

If you are insisting on another tank, why not move it over to brackish tank, throw some sand and miracle mud in the center like island and lower the water level. Add some mangroves and a fiddler or two. I think that would look nice and probably have a bit lower maintenance since the crabs could deal with salinity fluctuations. Youd have to figure out a small cover for the heater cord or just use small plastic cup so the crab wont leave. Its probably easier to source fiddlers too. 

 

Just a thought. 

So far the tank has had a blue hermit crab and a Pom Pom crab in it, as well as some kind of polyp like a zoa or paly growing in there too. When I get one of those other crabs, I’m moving the Pom Pom and hermit into my show tank. I want a species specific tank. I really like the box crabs or calico crabs, but when I search on the internet, the information is all over the place. This tank was supposed to be my brothers, but now that we aren’t getting a mantis shrimp, he wants nothing to do with it. So I’m taking it into my hands. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

It’s really not that hard. I do a 15% water change every week, and I make sure that the salinity stays stable. The salinity May fluctuate a tiny bit here and there, but not very much. And bc I’m not planning to keep corals in it, it’s not that hard. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

My show tank is also looking quite nice also. I’m seeing growth in almost all my corals. Ever since I lowered the time that my lights come on and their intensity, green cyano has been slowly disappearing. 

[Coinee]

On 5/3/2019 at 11:02 PM, OverCookedRock said:

Lol. Ethan this will be the fall of you. Your profile and thread will become a ghost town. 

 

#rip

Remember the time you called out a member here before and everyone called you a dick?  You still haven't learned from that? 

 

What is the problem with reef forum people always being so goddamn cliquey over everything? We're on nano-reef, if anyone else were to post their picos on any other reef forum, they'd be given a harsh scolding about how picos are inhumane and impossible to keep by anyone except the most advanced aquarist. This opinion is bullshit, obviously, given by the number of people who have had success running small reef tanks as a beginner (myself included). 

 

On 5/4/2019 at 2:35 PM, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

I haven’t created a many new topics on this forum just for this reason. The last one that I made was this mantis shrimp one. I usually just post everything in my journal now. I used to create a bunch of unnecessary topics, but now I create one like every 2 weeks, sometimes not even that. And I haven’t been throwing stuff away anymore. I have done everything people have said. This is the only thing that I’m really not listening to, bc I feel like we can do this tank. I have me and my brother working on it. 2 is better than one. 

Mate, you should just chill a bit overall. The way you keep posting is considered bad etiquette online, editing your posts or wait to post complete questions with full details or information. Do you research (google or search on nano-reef) and then make a list of questions (describing all you know and what you think you should do) otherwise you just look like someone who isn't trying and wants to be force-fed answers. In this case, 2 is not better than one when your brother has no idea about any of this, it is still effectively just 1.

 

I see you have over 1000 posts since the beginning of the year, so maybe take a break to read a lot. Before I made my first tank (a pico jar), I spent over 3 months just researching possibilities. To be honest, almost 90% of my questions are answered by a quick search on this forum.

Before I add any livestock or any coral, I research it and think about it for a couple weeks. I want to ensure the animal will be able to thrive in my environment with the temperature and salinity swings. Also I want to be 100% sure I want it in my tank. 

 

That being said, you could set-up an easy tank for your brother with something like a pom-pom crab and some soft corals. It would look really nice and he could have a cool looking invertebrate. Just teach him about salinity, water-changes, temperature etc. If you stock lightly, you will probably be able to get away with water changes weekly like some other members do but a filter would be even better. 

 

If I were in your shoes and my brother wanted a tank and he didn't know anything, I would set him up with a few soft corals. If they survive and the tank is maintained and you have characterized temperature and salinity swings, then you can add inverts. I wouldn't depend on yourself to be totally available to fix mistakes. Let him learn easily with something forgiving like soft corals since they are forgiving. Inverts can be forgiving but they are less-so than soft corals and it's not good to lose an animal due to lack of education or responsibility. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

On 5/18/2019 at 12:52 PM, Coinee said:

Remember the time you called out a member here before and everyone called you a dick?  You still haven't learned from that? 

 

What is the problem with reef forum people always being so goddamn cliquey over everything? We're on nano-reef, if anyone else were to post their picos on any other reef forum, they'd be given a harsh scolding about how picos are inhumane and impossible to keep by anyone except the most advanced aquarist. This opinion is bullshit, obviously, given by the number of people who have had success running small reef tanks as a beginner (myself included). 

 

Mate, you should just chill a bit overall. The way you keep posting is considered bad etiquette online, editing your posts or wait to post complete questions with full details or information. Do you research (google or search on nano-reef) and then make a list of questions (describing all you know and what you think you should do) otherwise you just look like someone who isn't trying and wants to be force-fed answers. In this case, 2 is not better than one when your brother has no idea about any of this, it is still effectively just 1.

 

I see you have over 1000 posts since the beginning of the year, so maybe take a break to read a lot. Before I made my first tank (a pico jar), I spent over 3 months just researching possibilities. To be honest, almost 90% of my questions are answered by a quick search on this forum.

Before I add any livestock or any coral, I research it and think about it for a couple weeks. I want to ensure the animal will be able to thrive in my environment with the temperature and salinity swings. Also I want to be 100% sure I want it in my tank. 

 

That being said, you could set-up an easy tank for your brother with something like a pom-pom crab and some soft corals. It would look really nice and he could have a cool looking invertebrate. Just teach him about salinity, water-changes, temperature etc. If you stock lightly, you will probably be able to get away with water changes weekly like some other members do but a filter would be even better. 

 

If I were in your shoes and my brother wanted a tank and he didn't know anything, I would set him up with a few soft corals. If they survive and the tank is maintained and you have characterized temperature and salinity swings, then you can add inverts. I wouldn't depend on yourself to be totally available to fix mistakes. Let him learn easily with something forgiving like soft corals since they are forgiving. Inverts can be forgiving but they are less-so than soft corals and it's not good to lose an animal due to lack of education or responsibility. 

Trust me, I have read quite a lot. I get on nano reef from my school iPad, and I get on nano reef in school. I have nothing better to do after I finish my work. I read a lot about other people’s tanks and threads. 

[Matteo]

On 5/18/2019 at 9:52 AM, Coinee said:

Remember the time you called out a member here before and everyone called you a dick?  You still haven't learned from that? 

 

What is the problem with reef forum people always being so goddamn cliquey over everything? We're on nano-reef, if anyone else were to post their picos on any other reef forum, they'd be given a harsh scolding about how picos are inhumane and impossible to keep by anyone except the most advanced aquarist. This opinion is bullshit, obviously, given by the number of people who have had success running small reef tanks as a beginner (myself included). 

 

Mate, you should just chill a bit overall. The way you keep posting is considered bad etiquette online, editing your posts or wait to post complete questions with full details or information. Do you research (google or search on nano-reef) and then make a list of questions (describing all you know and what you think you should do) otherwise you just look like someone who isn't trying and wants to be force-fed answers. In this case, 2 is not better than one when your brother has no idea about any of this, it is still effectively just 1.

 

I see you have over 1000 posts since the beginning of the year, so maybe take a break to read a lot. Before I made my first tank (a pico jar), I spent over 3 months just researching possibilities. To be honest, almost 90% of my questions are answered by a quick search on this forum.

Before I add any livestock or any coral, I research it and think about it for a couple weeks. I want to ensure the animal will be able to thrive in my environment with the temperature and salinity swings. Also I want to be 100% sure I want it in my tank. 

 

That being said, you could set-up an easy tank for your brother with something like a pom-pom crab and some soft corals. It would look really nice and he could have a cool looking invertebrate. Just teach him about salinity, water-changes, temperature etc. If you stock lightly, you will probably be able to get away with water changes weekly like some other members do but a filter would be even better. 

 

If I were in your shoes and my brother wanted a tank and he didn't know anything, I would set him up with a few soft corals. If they survive and the tank is maintained and you have characterized temperature and salinity swings, then you can add inverts. I wouldn't depend on yourself to be totally available to fix mistakes. Let him learn easily with something forgiving like soft corals since they are forgiving. Inverts can be forgiving but they are less-so than soft corals and it's not good to lose an animal due to lack of education or responsibility. 

Did you ever see the South Park episode where they killed Mr. REALITY, he was a villain and no one couldn't handle him (reality)? Anyway I have given Ethan tons of advice on his other thread and have been following closely. Over time less and less have replied due to bad etiquette as you described it. It's getting better but still you even mentioned the 1000 post where the first 750 had a lot of people saying the same thing. "chill" just like you said. 

 

Take your own advice and like I said, not everyone can handle reality. I'm not gonna pamper here. 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

2 minutes ago, OverCookedRock said:

Did you ever see the South Park episode where they killed Mr. REALITY, he was a villain and no one couldn't handle him (reality)? Anyway I have given Ethan tons of advice on his other thread and have been following closely. Over time less and less have replied due to bad etiquette as you described it. It's getting better but still you even mentioned the 1000 post where the first 750 had a lot of people saying the same thing. "chill" just like you said. 

 

Take your own advice and like I said, not everyone can handle reality. I'm not gonna pamper here. 

Yes, I know. I wish this thread could be taken down, bc I’m not making a mantis tank anymore.

[Matteo]

1 minute ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

Yes, I know. I wish this thread could be taken down, bc I’m not making a mantis tank anymore.

You can change the title and post a edit in the first page? Or you can always ask the mods (gods) to close and or move to another thread. They have the ultimate power (say in deep voice) 

[EthanPhillyCheesesteak]

Hey mods, could you close this thread?

[mndfreeze]

At some point in the future when you really have your game on point, and the hardware to keep it alive, I do highly suggest a mantis.  I've kept one (G. Ternatensis) and it was one of the most satisfying salt critters I've ever owned.  He chased laser pointers, came out and watched tv and video games and was super interactive.

 

That said, as others have said in the thread, they are not 'easy'.  Some species are hardier than others but they still need good filtration and water params, along with good husbrandry.  They love to bury uneaten food in their burrows or around them, making your water quality go to shit real quick.  They also are all not susceptible to shell rot.  That tends to be the bigger species like peacocks.  Good filtration and stable water is pretty important.  intertidal species tend to be a bit hardier and are usually the ones people think of when they make claims about how hard to kill they are, because they usually get them as unwanted hitchhikers.  

 

For a small tank you can get a carribean shallows like Wennerae, or the G. Smithii is also supposed to be a good interactive but small species.

 

Some species are good in high light and can be in a live coral tank, others, like peacocks don't do as well unless they have dim light or only a few 'spotlight' areas for coral and dim elsewhere. Peacocks owever require a decent sized tank because of their size.