reefinnewb Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 He said he will be, im gonna have first picks at a few. Ill let you guys know after i pick. I can also let him know that your looking and send you his way. Link to comment
Argent Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 nevermind -- I think I just scored two! The owner of my favorite LFS just sent me a message that said he got two in today in an order of live rock and he's put them aside for me if I want them. Said one is brown with stripes and the other is electric green! someone else might be interested though! Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 sweet, good luck. Ill still post when i get it and let everyone know. This time im gonna call and pick it up at the UPS terminal so its not sitting on a truck all day long. Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 nevermind -- I think I just scored two! The owner of my favorite LFS just sent me a message that said he got two in today in an order of live rock and he's put them aside for me if I want them. Said one is brown with stripes and the other is electric green! someone else might be interested though! Congrats Argent! When are you picking it / them up??? Link to comment
Argent Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 picked them up last night -- the owner met me at the shop and opened it back up so I could pick them up! Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 what are you gonna put 'em in? You just ordered the 6g yesterday - You using the 3g and 5.5g? Here's a quick photo from today - I have to do water changes on the 5.5 and 10g today. I also have to go and get the Colonel somethin to eat - He's not touching the hermits and I found him trying to get the big bull turbo snail I put in there last night to clean the new LR. Good news though is that he seems to be getting a bit bolder and is beginning to come out. It might just be that he's hungry and hunting. Link to comment
Argent Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Currently the brown one is in his permanent home in the 3 gallon -- the lil bright green one is hiding in the quart tank until the 6 gallon shows up. Luckily neither one gets much bigger than 1.5" so even with the 6 gallon it's probably overkill but then I could always keep some fish in there or something as well. The Colonel's looking good -- I spotted the brown one peeking out at my from some LR today - and I still need to figure out names for them. Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Currently the brown one is in his permanent home in the 3 gallon -- the lil bright green one is hiding in the quart tank until the 6 gallon shows up. You know we'll all be expecting pix soon Link to comment
Argent Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Already posted a couple http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=94626 Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 13, 2006 Author Share Posted August 13, 2006 I figure I better post something lest my thread fall off the front pages and into obscurity - Nothing major yesterday I modded my lighting a bit further - Added legs to get the fixture raised and reduce temps - Still a little cleanup to do, but you get the idea: Added a DIY moonlight: Bought the Colonel some fresh shrimp and he took it right away! Travis- Is Selcon necessary or just something to entice the mantis to eat? What are you paying for it? My LFS has some, it's a small (4-6oz?) for like $18. Is this about right? Thanks for looking YR Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 14, 2006 Author Share Posted August 14, 2006 I may try and reaquascape in the next couple of days - The Colonel is becoming more visible but has created both his primary and secondary burrows in locations which are not photo or viewer friendly I put a couple of 'shroom and zoa frags in the tank for color which were pilferred from my 10g - Hopefully there's enough light in there to maintain them. I got a lot of hitchhikers in the LS/LR I picked up for this tank - I have seen bristle worms, tube worms, spaghetti worms and a little starfish so far! Pretty neat stuff I also picked up some meal worms for the terrestrial mantis this weekend - He's pretty nifty too - Watching him hunt and eat is really cool. I may elect to only observe him for a short while longer though- The mantis forum responses I received indicate that he is of the short lived variety (3-4 months longer) - I figure I'd let him out shortly so that he can do his natural thing (eat, have sex and die) - Oh, we should be so lucky! Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 15, 2006 Author Share Posted August 15, 2006 Well, The Colonel is maintaining his desire to remain un-photographed So I thought I'd post pix of the other mantis (terrestrial) - He's alot easier to take pix of since there's no LR to contend with: Dinner pose: Caught with mouthful: It has to suck being the mealworm and eaten alive - It wriggled all the way up until the mantis broke him in half. Sorry for being off topic, I figure I had to post somethin' - Travissurfer is on holidays, so my thread has time to catchup my posts and (hopefully) your views! Hey reefinnewb - Any word on your aquisition? YR Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 16, 2006 Author Share Posted August 16, 2006 Quick update (while on lunch) Got some timers last night for the fan and lights - I'm trying to vary the fan's operating time sa I am losing a lot of water to evap. I also got some real good pix of The Colonel while feeding last night - Will post when I get home tonight PS: Everyone must be really busy with their own mantis tanks (any news yet, reefinnewb?, I really dig your 2 new buddies, Argent) - I've been the only one posting to my thread - I figured I'd at least get a little criticism for leaving the brown tape on my hood mod! I also think that I'm gonna replace one of the 50/50's for a 6500k daylight bulb - I don't think my shrooms and chaeto are getting enough light Anyways - There'll be new pix tonight! YR Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Hey looking good yankee, didnt forget bout you, just busy getting my other tank back up from the crash. I got confirmation yesterday that he had two, got pictures and chose one. Ill submit a picture of him before they shipped him. Its another osterodii. Green w/ blue underbelly. Should be here on friday. Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 16, 2006 Author Share Posted August 16, 2006 The pic on top doesn't look like the mantis feels all too hot - The second pic's mantis looks pretty alert and frisky! Good luck and speedy delivery - I bet you can't wait! YR Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I think in the top picture the mantis is in a bottle or somesort of shipping container, thats why he looks like that. Im psyched i cant wait. Im setting up pickup at ups so it doesnt sit on a truck all day. We are one of the last houses on his route. The tank is all ready for him, i added some more rock to it so he has lots of places to hide. I have plenty of snails to keep him happy too. I also have mysis for a bit of a change. The only thing i need to do is make some sort of lid for the tank, i have a makeshift now and i dont like it. Im also looking for a 9w actinic bulb around here so i can put that into my fixture, i only have 2x6500k and its too yellow, even for my mantis tank. Since the tank is empty i have noticed so many pods its not even funny and some bristle worms, i would have to say that it is aging more and more. Now the only thing i need is the mantis and ill be set. Cant wait Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 16, 2006 Author Share Posted August 16, 2006 Here's pix from feeding time last night tempting (closeup portrait) reaching attack!!! (sorry so fuzzy) He's not eating the hermits I put in there as punishment for tearing up my xenia - If fact, I have strategically placed hermits inside the Colonel's burrow. He in turn will pick them up and place them back outside! I've also put in an astrea snail to see if there's interest, but so far the snail has stayed up towards the top rim of the tank In the pix, the Colonel's chasing after a bit of tiger shrimp that I have stuck onto a shishkabob skewer. Off to Meijer for water and cold beer More Later, Yankee Is Selcon necessary or just something to entice the mantis to eat? What are you paying for it? My LFS has some, it's a small (4-6oz?) for like $18. Is this about right? Oh yeah - noone ever answered this question - If anybody has thoughts on this I'd appreciate you chiming in - thanks Link to comment
Argent Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Niiiice wish I could get some pics of my guys out of their rocks - hopefully soon (I need to get some long tweezers or some skewers myself along with something larger than brine shrimp) Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 I meant to post earlier about my disapointment at not yet having heard the Colonel clicking away in his tank - Just before I left for the store, I heard him banging away at the LR. He is also venturing out a little more - Normally he'll go off and hide in his burrow the minute we come into the room and peer into the tank - Now he's sitting there halfway in / out with his eyes following us! I think he's getting comfortable! I bought a little plastic jug $3.89 that holds 64oz - Will be modding this into drip ATO for the Colonel in the next few days. I guess that's it for now! YR Link to comment
addam4208283 Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 the ter. mantis looks really cool. i was thinking about getting one but cant bring myself to buy one for 50$ just to die in a yr or so ADAM Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 They live longer than a year, you take the same chance on fish. Personally, mantis are much more hardy than fish are. I would say you would be fine with a mantis. Spend the money. Link to comment
Argent Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 you don't HAVE to pay $50 for one -- I got both of mine free from my LFS (the owner knew I was looking for them and got some as hitchikers on a batch of LR) So ask around at your LFS and see if they can get you one -- do your research as to what kind you want to get (head over to reefcentral.com's mantis shrimp forum) Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 you don't HAVE to pay $50 for one -- I got both of mine free from my LFS (the owner knew I was looking for them and got some as hitchikers on a batch of LR) So ask around at your LFS and see if they can get you one -- do your research as to what kind you want to get (head over to reefcentral.com's mantis shrimp forum) I think that addam was referring to the terrestrial mantis that I am also keeping - Mantids (non-aquatic) have somewhat short lifespans - People on the mantidforum believe that I have a subadult Chinese mantis (common) and may only see it live for a couple of months - If he makes it through the next several molts. Apparently the Chinese have a hard time molting. It seems that there are other more hardy varities (African, Egyptian), but again, I wouldn't guess that you'd get more than a year out of 'em. Addam - If you'd rather, check into buying an ooth (egg case) - You're likely to hatch a 100+. Sure, some will escape and others may be lost to cannibalism, you you might be able to come up with a breeding pair out of it. I'm really no expert by any means, but I'm constantly learning, Sorta like here! Check out the Mantid Forum Link to comment
Argent Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 oops didn't see he said ter. mantis -- my bad Link to comment
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