Anyone own a mantis?

I think Chelsey has/had one. They are really cool, wouldn't mind keeping one myself! Maybe after I upgrade my tank one of these days...
 
Yeah they seem pretty cool from what I've read and seen in pics. Curious to own one, but I'm not sure if I want to do fish either. Still trying to decide, but I have a while till it's actually time.
 
I really like the peacock mantis shrimp. Beautiful, fascinating creatures.

I've been "fishless" for a while now, but I think I have finally convinced myself to get one. I guess I'm bored with my low-maintenance too-clean tank! :lol: I've been researching blennies and gobies a lot lately, but think I am going to give a Midas blenny a try.
 
I have a couple of mantis shrimp and have owned several in the past including a O. scyllarus (peacock mantis) they are a lot of fun and very interactive, But need a species only that is large enough!

Your welcome to ask any questions!
 
I have a G. ternatensis, Sam. He's a cool bugger, but I'm kind of scared of him after he nailed me and busted my finger open. He's just as colorful as a peacock but is smaller:

canIhelpyou.jpg
 
chelsey how big is yours?

keep any fish with it?

does it come out alot?

the two i have now im prtty sure are G. Falcatus but they almsot never come out of there holes, and are about in inch and a half maybe two on the bigger one. I have been wanting a g smithii for some time now i hear they are pretty active
 
Chelsey, were you not paying attention or did it jump out of nowhere? I bet that hurt pretty good especially since already in saltwater. Did it get infected? That's a nice looking mantis you got there. I'm thinking if I went with the mantis I'd also go with a blue damsel, I just love the color of them, but I don't want any in my nice and peaceful 65. How often do you feed mantids?
 
Sam is probably about 5" long. I kept a fish with him for a little while, but then he realized that they were food. I tried putting another fish in there temporarily but he ate it too, despite it being too large for him. When I had nowhere else to put the little snowflake clowns I had them suspended in his tank in a pond basket that he couldn't get into. He used to hang on the side and try to get at the clowns, whacking the side of the pond basket. I moved them shortly thereafter :D

Sam is out A LOT. He knows when it's feeding time and will come out looking for food. If he sees me leaning over his tank to look at the cube which is right next to it he'll come out. If I reach my hand over the top of his tank he'll swim to the top, sometimes coming out of the water to try and get me. He's out just roaming around a lot too, sometimes he sits and watches the fish in the cube tank.

I thought Sam was in a different location than he really was when he got me. I was trying to clear the macro algae out of his drain on his tank and WHACK. Yes, it did hurt, and there was a lot of blood involved. It didnt' get infected though, fortunately :)

Sam gets fed every 2 days or so, and every once in a while I toss a snail or hermit in for him. When he gets fed regularly it's mysis and silversides and occassionally brine.
 
Is he pretty gerthy? I personally think 5" is pretty big imo. Even a fish, but I haven't ever really had a big fish either :) can't wait for my fish and maybe future mantis to grow up :D
 
I have absolutely no experience with a mantis. But I have read about those big boys cracking the glass with the smasher claw. Do you think this is possible?
 
I hear it's rare and also the conditions for the mantis isn't right. Like putting a peacock in a small tank. The glass is thinner and they get big, so when they dig out holes in the lr and are traveling down, they might hit the bottom still thinking it's rock. I would like a peacock, but I know my 12 would be too small for him eventually and I wouldn't want a leak all over my desktop by my mac. That would suck.
 
A twelve isn't to bad really if its nano glass, I had mine in a twelve nano. But if I had it to do over again I would have gone for more around a 28 size for him.

I researched a long time and nobody could ever produce proof of one cracking a tank... Mine would tap the glass all the time and it never had any effect. Not to say they cant but conditions would have to be just right
 
very educational. I liked watching it. Didn't get to see the very end though. I think it's my computer and the internet however. Stupid charter
 
@ wowatdat, Awesome video I have definitely watched it before there is also a couple of others from roy caldwell at berekley that are very informative I'll see if I can find the links.

Still I do not think it is going to be very easy for them to break most tanks... not saying it's impossible by any means, But conditions have to be just right and yes bottom of the tank when they dig to the glass and place a shell against it to get leverage to break it open, It could be possible. But very unlikely it seems. I can not find one case of anyone that it has happened to on any of the mantis forums, and there are LOTS of them across the web not just RC that I have looked through :) also I had mine directly attack the glass on many occasions with no issues. If any of them could do it Mine would have been able to! It was about 6 and a half inches long and could easily tear apart any type of snail I put in there, Large turbos, large nassurius anything lol

So short of finding someone that it has happened to I dont believe it :p :lol:
 
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