Bad to feed Mantis frozen food only?

[Psyire]

Is it bad to feed my Mantis frozen food only? Is there any benefit to feeding live food? or is it a must? It's definately more expensive that's forsure... especially considering I'm far away from any ocean. I'm just curious as to the what your thoughts are on this.

 

[rwhhunt]

I used to feed frozen krill and shrimp soaked in garlic and zoe for extra nutrition, with the occasional (1-2 month) live feeder crayfish or fiddler crab, BUT recently I have found my peacock's weakness: GARLIC SCALLOPS! the farm raised ones from the grocery are nice and small, and Boris goes absolutely crazy for them as soon as it hits the water! normally he wont venture out too far when i feed krill or shrimp, and it takes some effort to make him take them BUT the scallops he will zoom around the tank and come all the way to the front glassand rip it off the skewer! However,, my friends Ciliata did not like the garlic scallops, so I guesss it is a matter of personal preference....

 

[Psyire]

I'll have to give scallops a try, sounds like it could be interesting. My Mantis is eating Krill and Silversides right now. I have seen him grab some frozen (thawed) mysis as it floated by his hole. I'm just kinda wondering if feeding them dead food will make them lazy or I've also read they can lose their raptorial appendages from not using them? However he did smack the feeding stick I have several times, and quite hard I might add.

 

[odoprelude]

trust me, mantis always like to pound on something and usually get their exercise by smacking the rockwork as the "redecorate".. but then again throw a couple blue legs and astrea snails in occasionally...