I had just cycled a new nano reef, and put in the cleaning crew when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It looked kind of like a brine shrimp in color and size (but a little longer). I spotted him for about 3 seconds one night. Tonight, I saw him up by the glass and recognized that those deadly claws were starting to develope. I had mixed feelings about keeping him, but figured I (and everything else) would be better without him. As fate would have it he got sucked into the filter, and survived the impeller. As I write, he is sitting in a rocks glass. Don't know how long he'll survive in there, and can't tell what species he is. If anyone is in Chicago and wants him, let me know, sooner the better, not sure how I'll explain this to the wife tomorrow.
baby mantis
- Thread starter Lecba
- Start date
lllosingit
New member
Before you get rid of him let me tell you about my terrible Mantis shrimp.
I have 5 of them 3 are in a 38 gallon hexagon with damsels,snails and some crabs-hermits and hairy.
They have been in the tank together for 9 months and haven't hurt a thing. All the snails and hermits I put in the tank are still alive.
Mantis a really smart and learn fast, they don't look at the snails,crabs and fish as a food source but they come running out when they see the feeding stick, they can spot it when i'm still three feet away from the tank.
I feed them brine shrimp or fresh shrimp twice a week and they love it.
I also have a mantis in my reef tank that I only see once in awhile but when I do it's because it's coming out to grab some of the food that the fish missed. I've never had anything come up missing in that tank either.
I aslo have one in a ten gallon by himself sitting on my computer desk and I think he sits and stares at me more that I watch him.
You may choose to get rid of it but don't kill it, someone will tank him from you.
4 of the five are full grown 1 1/2" to 2" long
I have 5 of them 3 are in a 38 gallon hexagon with damsels,snails and some crabs-hermits and hairy.
They have been in the tank together for 9 months and haven't hurt a thing. All the snails and hermits I put in the tank are still alive.
Mantis a really smart and learn fast, they don't look at the snails,crabs and fish as a food source but they come running out when they see the feeding stick, they can spot it when i'm still three feet away from the tank.
I feed them brine shrimp or fresh shrimp twice a week and they love it.
I also have a mantis in my reef tank that I only see once in awhile but when I do it's because it's coming out to grab some of the food that the fish missed. I've never had anything come up missing in that tank either.
I aslo have one in a ten gallon by himself sitting on my computer desk and I think he sits and stares at me more that I watch him.
You may choose to get rid of it but don't kill it, someone will tank him from you.
4 of the five are full grown 1 1/2" to 2" long
lllosingit
New member
I almost forgot
WELCOME TO REEF CENTRAL
WELCOME TO REEF CENTRAL
One_Divided
Member
sounds like an amphipod (harmless) and it may just be a molt that got sucked up..
-Adam
-Adam
lllosingit
New member
I thought that to but If it's longer than a brine shrimp then it would be to big to be an AmphipodOne_Divided said:
baby mantis (another!)
baby mantis (another!)
It's definitly a mantis. I've been watching him in the glass doing the backstoke, and every once in awhile he'll extend his arms(?). I managed to get him out of the filter in one piece, the molt is still in the sand. Sad to say, I just spotted another one. Looks identical, just a bit smaller.
baby mantis (another!)
It's definitly a mantis. I've been watching him in the glass doing the backstoke, and every once in awhile he'll extend his arms(?). I managed to get him out of the filter in one piece, the molt is still in the sand. Sad to say, I just spotted another one. Looks identical, just a bit smaller.
baby mantis (another!)
baby mantis (another!)
It's definitly a mantis. I've been watching him in the glass doing the backstoke, and every once in awhile he'll extend his arms(?). I managed to get him out of the filter in one piece, the molt is still in the sand. Sad to say, I just spotted another one. Looks identical, just a bit smaller.
baby mantis (another!)
It's definitly a mantis. I've been watching him in the glass doing the backstoke, and every once in awhile he'll extend his arms(?). I managed to get him out of the filter in one piece, the molt is still in the sand. Sad to say, I just spotted another one. Looks identical, just a bit smaller.
RogueCorps
New member
Hmm... backstroke? Gammarus Amphipods have look-alike raptorial appendages, commonly curl and roll around on their backs and are pretty large. I have amphipods that get as large as a half inch from IPSF.com.
Here's a pic from the Hitchhiker FAQ @ reefs.org:
They're pretty commonly mistaken for stomatopods. Also Mantises commonly eat their molt.
hth!
-Rogue
Here's a pic from the Hitchhiker FAQ @ reefs.org:
They're pretty commonly mistaken for stomatopods. Also Mantises commonly eat their molt.
hth!
-Rogue
Microcosmos
Member
Lecba, can you get a picture? That'd be neat.
baby mantis
I took the baby mantis that I freed from the filter to my LFS. they identified it as a definite mantis. They wrote down the species name, but I don't have it right in front of me (I'll post that later). I found two others alive in the tank, and did a dip of the LR. I found the smaller of the two in the dip bucket, but can't confirm that the largest of the three, the third one, is dead. I couldn't take a picture because I have no camera. I really need to get one soon.
I took the baby mantis that I freed from the filter to my LFS. they identified it as a definite mantis. They wrote down the species name, but I don't have it right in front of me (I'll post that later). I found two others alive in the tank, and did a dip of the LR. I found the smaller of the two in the dip bucket, but can't confirm that the largest of the three, the third one, is dead. I couldn't take a picture because I have no camera. I really need to get one soon.
acroporas
New member
Re: baby mantis
I doubt that you have a school of baby mantis shrimp but it is possible. Be cool if you did. But anyone who claims to be able to identify down to the species a mantis shrimp that small just by looking at it is just BS'ing. An equally reliable id could be made with out even looking at it.
Lecba said:
I doubt that you have a school of baby mantis shrimp but it is possible. Be cool if you did. But anyone who claims to be able to identify down to the species a mantis shrimp that small just by looking at it is just BS'ing. An equally reliable id could be made with out even looking at it.
