Mantis Murder Manor

[Ratvan]

Ok so today on the way home from work the plan is to once again attempt to have a damsel in the system, will see how this goes. 

Hopefully this one wont stick its nose directly into the mantis shrimps burrow

[Ratvan]

Well this one didnt even make it out the bag before it caught a punch.

 

 

[A.m.P]

Jeez... Maybe some people just get lucky with a mantis that doesn't mind sharing the space? 

[Ratvan]

12 minutes ago, A.m.P said:

Jeez... Maybe some people just get lucky with a mantis that doesn't mind sharing the space? 

Maybe, although to be fair i am trying to make an addition to an apex predator tank. I even tried to distract her with food and add the fish behind her so she couldnt see. 🤷‍♂️ fishless i guess

[M. Tournesol]

8 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Maybe, although to be fair i am trying to make an addition to an apex predator tank. I even tried to distract her with food and add the fish behind her so she couldnt see. 🤷‍♂️ fishless i guess

You could have tried at night. Fishless is a good choice 👍.

[Ratvan]

4 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

You could have tried at night. Fishless is a good choice 👍.

Hmmmm not a bad idea, although typically she is more active at night...... maybe next full moon when she moults again give it the one last try 🤷‍♂️

[A.m.P]

Wonder if something which exclusively sticks to open-water and away from the rockwork might be better suited. Maybe try some endlers or something? Dirt cheap, downside is that some people find they have shorter lifespans in SW. That said there's allot of genetic variation in endler's so it could just be different populations as other folk have them breed like rabbits.

[M. Tournesol]

17 minutes ago, A.m.P said:

Maybe try some endlers

It was my idea for my 9to5 Cubicle but a 6 gallon cube is to small for endlers 😢. @Ratvan tank dimension seems perfect for a small groupe 👍

[debbeach13]

Well that just plain sucks. I vote for this tank to be fishless. 

But I am curious did you let the shrimp eat the fish?

[Ratvan]

1 hour ago, A.m.P said:

Wonder if something which exclusively sticks to open-water and away from the rockwork might be better suited. Maybe try some endlers or something? Dirt cheap, downside is that some people find they have shorter lifespans in SW. That said there's allot of genetic variation in endler's so it could just be different populations as other folk have them breed like rabbits.

Well its worth a try, i have a garden centre down the road so i could walk back with a bag fairly easily, or could try a molly or two i guess 🤷‍♂️

1 hour ago, M. Tournesol said:

It was my idea for my 9to5 Cubicle but a 6 gallon cube is to small for endlers 😢. @Ratvan tank dimension seems perfect for a small groupe 👍

I did briefly consider purchasing a heater in the store to turn the cube tropical but that defeats the no purchases point of that tank

15 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Well that just plain sucks. I vote for this tank to be fishless. 

But I am curious did you let the shrimp eat the fish?

Nope, she showed no interest in the carcass but i did distract her or attempt to at least with some live mysis before i added the fish. 

 

Not going to lie though, its in the freezer and i will be trying to offer her a very thin sliver

[Ratvan]

Didn't see anything worth picking up over the weekend, so instead just took a few shots of the tank. 

 

Chondria infested rockwork 👍

 

Kenya tree Polyps, looks amazing under blues. Can now most likely call it a frag at 1.5" now

 

Xenia rock is growing, cant decide if i want a Xenia or a GSP backwall

 

Said GSP, looks lovely but slower growing than the Xenia

 

A point to note, my snails have two different coloured Coralline algaes on them and routinely get a tap from the Mantis when too close to the den, this is where the largest and most densely populated areas of algae are in the tank.

[Ratvan]

The Cladophora has also seeded the tank in areas and is taking on interedting growth patterns depending on area

 

 

[Ratvan]

So since the lights are dimmed down i decided to remove the additional flow and see how the tank does, need to refix the temp probes suction pad after snails have finished the backwall. 

 

Also noticed a new excavation in works in the main rock

 

Going to see if i can find a handful of crushed coral from somewhere to scatter in the tank as building material. Might actually use the dead coral skeleton in the tank currently and maybe one of the larger shells.

 

Have seen her but not heard her since i trued to introduce the new damsel so i'm thinking she might have damaged one of her dactys and think the hermits must have eaten it saw some green carapace pieces scattered around

[M. Tournesol]

Question, what is the average lifespan of a hermit crab in your mantis murder manor? I am sitting on the idea of adding some to my cubicle 🤔

[Murphs_Reef]

On 12/14/2021 at 9:53 PM, Ratvan said:

So since the lights are dimmed down i decided to remove the additional flow and see how the tank does, need to refix the temp probes suction pad after snails have finished the backwall. 

 

Also noticed a new excavation in works in the main rock

 

Going to see if i can find a handful of crushed coral from somewhere to scatter in the tank as building material. Might actually use the dead coral skeleton in the tank currently and maybe one of the larger shells.

 

Have seen her but not heard her since i trued to introduce the new damsel so i'm thinking she might have damaged one of her dactys and think the hermits must have eaten it saw some green carapace pieces scattered around

I can give you a bunch of rubble rock. 0.5 to 1cm bits if you like? All matured in the sump.

[Ratvan]

13 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

Question, what is the average lifespan of a hermit crab in your mantis murder manor? I am sitting on the idea of adding some to my cubicle 🤔

Depends, i only have the large of the three left in the tank now. Small ones get consumed in around a couple of weeks if she hasnt had a feeder shrimp

13 hours ago, Murphych said:

I can give you a bunch of rubble rock. 0.5 to 1cm bits if you like? All matured in the sump.

That would be a huge help, i was planning on using a specimen cup atthe LFS when no one was looking 😂🍺

[Ratvan]

Random question, do Kenya Tree Corals spawn? I looked at the tank last night to see a milky substance being released from the Kenya Tree, no hermits crabs or snails were in the area so i know it wasnt them (they hide up on the main rock or walls now) 

 

I know these also shed so i guess it could have been that?

[Ratvan]

Well now out of hermits too

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

A mantis got to mantis, yo!

[Ratvan]

9 minutes ago, NoOneLikesADryTang said:

A mantis got to mantis, yo!

Indeed she does but put about 5 feeder shrimps in tonight so she clearly wants to work hard for her food today 🙄

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

24 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Indeed she does but put about 5 feeder shrimps in tonight so she clearly wants to work hard for her food today 🙄

Can you blame her? Would you rather have crab legs or shrimp? She just has champagne tastes. 

[Ratvan]

Fair point, anyway few photos from tonight playing with new phone so new camera 🙄

 

This is using "food mode" 🤣

 

I might try a conch for the sandbed, I know it's risky but hoping the size will put off the mantis. I pull the turf algae out once a month

 

The below is most likely why the hermit got murderer and consumed, plus of course om nom nom tasty

 

Xenia, love it but urgh it grows like a weed

 

Wish this grew as fast

 

On two rubble sections now, Will allow to grow onto another piece before cutting and gluing to back wall, or something else

[banasophia]

Love that Xenia pic!!! 

[Ratvan]

Very tempted to try a different approach to this tank

£20 and tank raised......

[debbeach13]

It's so hard to decide exactly what you want in a new set up. Probably why so many have more than one tank.