The Mantis Tank Thread

[mattyice]

extremely smart, they fit things together perfectly and actually have a feel for whats alive and whats dead, i cant wait for monte to get fully grown, she is quite the best already

[travisurfer]

Yeah, mantids are so cool except when they move your corals.

[mattyice]

lol monte destroyed a blasto frag i had because she needed tiny pieces to complete her burrow

[travisurfer]

On Cozmo's recent rampage he tore straight threw the rock where the anemone was. Needless to say, the anemone is gone.

[mattyice]

well montes rampage is over, it decimated 20 astrea snails and 2 decorator crabs in 5 days, i have some tulip anemones if you want them lol

[travisurfer]

lol, this was a nice flower anemone. never moved and was slowly recovering from the lfs the hole was just so random

[mattyice]

molting behavior, just making the burrow bigger, what did it look like i think thats what it is, this one is about 1/2" and has olive green tentacles and a bright green center

[travisurfer]

thats just it, it wasn't even a logical advance of his burrow. he should also be fullgrown. mine was orange and green although still slightly bleached.

[Argent]

So if I were to re-do my 5.5G tank - would I be able to keep a commercially available stomatopod?

 

my 5.5G has become over run with GHA - so I am scrapping the LR/Sand etc. I do have an AC500 I can run on the back of this tank as a fuge as well.

[yankeereefer]

My smithii's in a 5.5g w/80w orbit and AC70 fuge mod - The Colonel's (wenn) in a modded 5.5g with 2x28w and AC30 fuge mod.

 

Smithii by the way molted last night - Now I guess I'm in for the average 2 week wait time to see it again. I hope it didn't stress though. I did a water change last night (before I knew about the molt) - I looked for it after the WC and saw it in it's burrow (he didn't close up all the way) laying on top / next to it's molt.

 

He's really bright green now and it appears he may have molted away the spot I thought was shell disease, but it's kinda hard to tell.

[Argent]

Cool - then I'll be on the lookout for a smithii or wennerea

 

my 5.5 has the 96w PowerQuad over it.

[travisurfer]

So if I were to re-do my 5.5G tank - would I be able to keep a commercially available stomatopod?

 

my 5.5G has become over run with GHA - so I am scrapping the LR/Sand etc. I do have an AC500 I can run on the back of this tank as a fuge as well.

wennerae, smithi, oerstedi, falconus(sp?) just to name a few. check out dr.roy's site for tank sizes but oerstedi and wennerae are two that i know you can get quite easily from tampabaysaltwater and eBay respectively. what ever happened to the 10g?

 

My smithii's in a 5.5g w/80w orbit and AC70 fuge mod - The Colonel's (wenn) in a modded 5.5g with 2x28w and AC30 fuge mod.

 

Smithii by the way molted last night - Now I guess I'm in for the average 2 week wait time to see it again. I hope it didn't stress though. I did a water change last night (before I knew about the molt) - I looked for it after the WC and saw it in it's burrow (he didn't close up all the way) laying on top / next to it's molt.

 

He's really bright green now and it appears he may have molted away the spot I thought was shell disease, but it's kinda hard to tell.

 

Cool - then I'll be on the lookout for a smithii or wennerea

 

my 5.5 has the 96w PowerQuad over it.

let us know

[Argent]

well the AC110 is too big to fit on the 10G and the DIY MH I bought off someone doesn't work anymore so I've kinda given up on that project for now.

[yankeereefer]

well the AC110 is too big to fit on the 10G

Why doesn't it fit? Is it a standard size AGA type tank? I had one on mine before I ungraded to the 20H and a Remora HOB.

[Argent]

because it's a 13x13x13 cube and the AC110 is like 13.5 inches wide.

[travisurfer]

x2

[Argent]

yeah - so the AC110 will go on the back of the 5.5G and hopefully I can get an active smaller mantis for the tank.

 

EDIT: My LFS said when their stock order has them available they just list mantis shrimp - not what kind it is - but he's going to go ahead and order one anyway and we'll see

Edited May 9, 2007 by Argent

[Argent]

Oooh I was thinking - what if I got some like 1" PVC pipe to bury in the sand for a burrow for this new ficticious mantis I'm getting - but instead of just leaving it just buried in the sand - what if I cut part of one side of the PVC off and then used silicone to attach it to the glass wall and then pack sand around it and then LR above etc - that way I could watch the mantis in the PVC cave through the glass?

[yankeereefer]

You probably don't need to silicone it if you have LS/LR around it.

 

Remember that mantis' have a mind of their own - They will relocate your well thought out and planned corals to their liking.

 

Your "ficticious" friend may not like your voyeurism and decide to stack shells and rubble in your "Porky's" spyhole!

 

YR

[travisurfer]

i do know that some people make a u-shape burrow along the back wall and sides and then put sand/rock over it. the cut pvc may encourage a hit on the glass but i dunno.

[Argent]

new shot of Natasha and her new coloring as she eyeballs a snail whos wandering a bit close...

 

[travisurfer]

wow, she's pretty bright

[Argent]

So - um

 

what kinda mantis can I keep in a 10G

[travisurfer]

almost any smasher

 

EDIT for clarity: but not all anything particular in mind

Edited May 12, 2007 by travisurfer

[Argent]

including a peacock? not that I'm looking specifically for one - but my LFS can only order 'mantis shrimp' so it's a gamble at what he might get in (wennera, peacock etc)

 

Iinstead of cleaning the 5.5G I just tossed it and bought a brand new 10G AGA for $9

 

20# of Black Tahitian Moon Sand and 6# of Pohenie LR - I've put some of the sand in the AC110 but haven't rigged a light or put anything else back there yet - the whole fuge thingy is new to me.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Argent