Can not have 2 Mantis shrimps together?

[flameangel88]

Received 2nd part today as I was taking rocks out the little guy came out and almost caused me to drop the rock. I was very lucky to netted him out and putted into the 3 gal I started for the one I found in the 1st pkg (slightly bigger than the one I got today). While I was acclimating the critters I hear them smashing the rocks as the 1st one usually does everyday. But when I went over to add rocks I noticed the new one that I added just 10 minutes ago got beaten flat on his backand lost a claw. I didn't know they can't coexist and it was really too bad as I was going to put some nice rocks in there for them to build a home.

 

[Jocko]

Probably not enough room for 2 mantis in a 3 gallon tank. They're gonna run into each other. I put a bunch of gorilla crabs I caught into a 5 gallon and now I just have 1 really big one. That's life.

Now that I think of it... Richard (or anyone else) how big can the gorilla crabs get? My big one is about 1.5" now. What's the biggest you've seen?

 

[mikehulen]

Typically, unless you have them in a big tank, the first one that molts will be killed by the other(s).

 

[flameangel88]

5 days later another mantis stuck its head out and this one is in the rock that came with the 2nd half. It's in the base rock and would be too much trouble to take the whole thing apart to get at it. Hope it wouldn't come out to get the cucumber as it's the the slowest moving critter in there.