Anyone have a mantis in a glass tank? (mainly peacock)

[DamnPepShrimp]

I am considering setting up a small bedroom tank and I want it to be a cool, unique tank. Probably a species tank, just want something different. I had a small mantis before in my plastic eclipse system, it was a yellow/orange spearer. I love the peacock mantis shrimps, mainly because they can smash open hermit and snail shells. I have a spare 30g and 40b I could use, along with lighting, filtration, HOB skimmer and fuge. Also have tons of rock and rubble (+300lbs in my 110g reef) and 3 bags of fine aragonite sand that I didn't add to my reef. I am assuming only the peacocks are ones that get big and strong enough to break through shells? I am just worried about him breaking the glass of my tank, it's not oceanic. I'd can't justify going out and buying an expensive acrylic tank, I'd just have to think of something else to do with my cool, unique species bedroom tank. Also is there anything I can keep with a mantis? Anything at all? Any kind of life? Even corals? Other inverts fish etc? I am mainly worried about the glass breaking. Suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Pea-brain]

People rarely (almost never) experience breakage. I would suggest lining the bottom with an acrylic sheet so it doesn't hurt anything while burrowing. You can keep corals with it if you want, but you have to be careful not to have too much light or they may suffer from shell disease. Also, make sure the corals are well secured and hardy, because mantises like to move things and are messy eaters. Many peacocks allow top dwelling (damsel, chromis) fish to live with them, but ultimately it depends on the mantis.

Dan

 

[KJS3639]

We have a Peacock in a glass tank, we just lined the bottom with plexiglass. I also completely agree with Pea-brain. As long as you don't sit there and tap on the glass and torment the poor thing, glass breaking is highly unlikely. We have corals in there with it too, and they are fine. It's the margarita snails we have to worry about toppling our corals :eek2:

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Peabrain, So I could get away with a peacock mantis in an AGA 30g? I could put some acrylic/plexiglass in the bottom if need be. Then put a 2" or so sand bed. I would probably use NO T5 lighting. I have a dual 21w fixture, so would 42w be ok? I have some extra colt coral and some mushrooms I could put in there. Maybe some algae to make it more natural looking along with enough live rock and rubble. So damsels are ok maybe, anything else? Should I keep the tank stocked with a clean up crew or just wait to feed him and add a snail or crab in? How often, how much and what do you feed them? Thanks for your help, btw I like the quote, I love bleach, wish they had the next season out.

KJS, Thanks for the response. Glad to hear your peacock is doing good in a glass tank! Does your peacock not go after the snails? I am not really worried about the corals, it is just extra frags I have laying around. Just to give the tank some more color/life. I will definitely not be torment the shrimp! I know what they are capable off! Plus it will be in my bedroom, so when I have people over, they won't be able to see it/mess with it either. I may put a sign on the tank though just in case, saying don't tap on the glass, I'll break it then your finger, lol.

 

[lillurker]

I think you might wanna have more than 2" of sand. My Peacock does a lot of "landscaping". I have 5" in mine and she gets a lot of use out of it.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

That's fine then, I have 3 30lb bags of sand. I am only using a 30g. That should be fine for a peacock for life right? I can make it a 5" sand bed, but the tank is only 16" high. Will that be ok? I am sure the mantis will rearrange it all to his/her liking. So a piece of plexiglass will work just as good right? Same thing as arcylic?

 

[Pea-brain]

Yes, a 30 gallon is great. 5" may be a little too much, but it depends on your preference. I think plexi and acrylic=same thing.

 

[dragonette]

my mantis is in a 24g AP- she (i think its a she) isnt full grown yet, so Ill get her a new tank as she grows.


The tank is glass, packed with rock (nice big cave for her), packed with coral of all kinds..

The only problem Ive had is before I got my frag tank I had a bunch of little coral rocks in the tank, some in those little soap dishes.. and she would steal them for her burrow. Even though there are stacks of rubble I have just for her... she would steal the coral. So then you are trying to stick your finger in her burrow to grab out your yuma or whatever.

Id suggest to epoxy down any new frags. Sometimes she steals food from the corals when I am feeding them too. Ill give her a piece of meat, and then put meat on the duncan and she'll come out and take the meat from the duncan! scavenger!!!


Honestly, thats the only problems and they are minimal. she never taps the glass. i think its great to be able to have such a beautiful tank AND a wonderful animal. I would feel bad leaving the tank without coral. It would seem boring to me(for the mantis not for me)... plus we get to enjoy more!

Jess

 

[Sssnakemom31]

Tango is in ...

Tango is in ...

an 18-gallon for now; I know at some point, I am looking at another tank for her, but this works for now. It is all glass, even the bottom - lots of sand, shells, and rock for her to construct with! Also, I agree with Dragonette - without corals/macro, it is a very boring landscape, even with such a lovely occupant!! So I am gradually adding some lower-light corals to her tank, and she has 2 kinds of macro doing well in there so far.

Tango is a very well-behaved peacock - she loves decorating with her shells and rock pieces, and doesn't bother any of the other things growing on her "roof"! I got tons of shells off the beach in FL, just for the tanks and for crafts - they are totally safe and such pretty additions to Tango's (and Matrix's) building efforts!

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Sounds good. I will be throwing in some frags from my tank, colts, shrooms, kenya tree, xenia, just stuff I really don't care about. I don't want to put anything too nice in there because the mantis could possibly destroy it and also I can't have as bright lights as I do in my 110g reef.
I have fine sand for substrate, is that ok or should I go with crushed coral? Seems they like to dig and I heard a more coarse substrate would be better?
What is everyone feeding their peacock mantis? I was under the impression that you had to feed it live food such as crabs, hermits and snails? It seems a lot of people are offering frozen foods? Will the mantis take to that? Also I am living at the beach this summer, and I was considering finding little crabs etc for the mantis to eat, is this a bad idea?

 

[Pea-brain]

Crushed coral will wear at the cuticle of the mantis and make it look a little bit worse. Not healthy for it. Adding a few cups of crushed coral to a sand subtrate won't hurt and may help a little, but an all CC substrate can wear at the cuticle and can trap alot of detritus and crap

Frozen food are taken by almost all mantises, and if they don't take frozen foods starving them for a bit (3 weeks) will convince them otherwise. They can live well over a month with no food and will sometimes prefer frozen over live after they get used to it.

Feeding live foods at least once a month is a good idea. Crabs make a good show. If the beach is clean it might be okay, but if there is any pollution it isn't worth it.

Dan

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Ok, sounds good. I will use the fine sand then, I don't have any crushed coral, so well see how the mantis likes the sand. What frozen foods do you feed them? I have clam, squid, and silversides from when I had an eel. Ok, well I will try live foods at least once a month, maybe just add a few cleaners into the tank, see if he even bothers with them. How often do mantis shrimps get fed? Thanks for your help.

 

[dragonette]

I feed mine a peice of meat twice a week along with keeping a constant supply of hermits and snails in the tank.

I gave him a scallop once and he threw it back at me...

I feed mine: krill, silversides, shrimp(market), squid, clam, various fish (mahi, tilapia..), occaisionally when I cook lobster Ill give him a piece before I cook it. He will also grab pieces of mysis or whatever Im spot feeding the corals.


He also, of course eats everything living you throw in (although he seems to live happily with two shrimp and two nudibranch that he doesnt look twice at)

Jess

 

[KJS3639]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11768771#post11768771 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnPepShrimp
Peabrain, So I could get away with a peacock mantis in an AGA 30g? I could put some acrylic/plexiglass in the bottom if need be. Then put a 2" or so sand bed. I would probably use NO T5 lighting. I have a dual 21w fixture, so would 42w be ok? I have some extra colt coral and some mushrooms I could put in there. Maybe some algae to make it more natural looking along with enough live rock and rubble. So damsels are ok maybe, anything else? Should I keep the tank stocked with a clean up crew or just wait to feed him and add a snail or crab in? How often, how much and what do you feed them? Thanks for your help, btw I like the quote, I love bleach, wish they had the next season out.

KJS, Thanks for the response. Glad to hear your peacock is doing good in a glass tank! Does your peacock not go after the snails? I am not really worried about the corals, it is just extra frags I have laying around. Just to give the tank some more color/life. I will definitely not be torment the shrimp! I know what they are capable off! Plus it will be in my bedroom, so when I have people over, they won't be able to see it/mess with it either. I may put a sign on the tank though just in case, saying don't tap on the glass, I'll break it then your finger, lol.

Lol, "Beware of Mantis". She doesn't go after the snails at all. Probably because they are so big. One decided to venture in her hole once, and she gave it a "get the heck out of my home" whack. She is only about 3 1/2 to 4 inches so she can't get the big ones...yet We have frags in the tank, and she doesn't touch them, but the margaritas have already knocked over frags about 3 times, and i'm sure there will be more.

 

[KJS3639]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11782660#post11782660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnPepShrimp
Sounds good. I will be throwing in some frags from my tank, colts, shrooms, kenya tree, xenia, just stuff I really don't care about. I don't want to put anything too nice in there because the mantis could possibly destroy it and also I can't have as bright lights as I do in my 110g reef.
I have fine sand for substrate, is that ok or should I go with crushed coral? Seems they like to dig and I heard a more coarse substrate would be better?
What is everyone feeding their peacock mantis? I was under the impression that you had to feed it live food such as crabs, hermits and snails? It seems a lot of people are offering frozen foods? Will the mantis take to that? Also I am living at the beach this summer, and I was considering finding little crabs etc for the mantis to eat, is this a bad idea?

As of now, we have been feeding her frozen krill. We tried a small hermit today, but all she did was defend her home from him. She just molted last night, so I think if it were any other day, she would have gone after it. This weekend we will be buying her some squidd, and clam, and possibly a couple other things if we see anything that looks good. We will also be picking up a couple live things this weekend (even though I have a hard time with that) but I know they need it to keep there appendages strong.

 

[Pea-brain]

An alternative option is to get an empty shell (you LFS probly has some) and stuff some meat in there. Make sure its in real good so the mantis can't pull it out. If its easier on you. It doesn't quite provide the hunting stimulation but it will keep the rapts in shape. You might wanna give any shells from petco or wherever a good scrubbin though....Also, don't expect a mantis to go after hard shell items too much within a week after a molt. They are still hardening their shells and they could hurt themselves whacking stuff.

Dan