feeding mantis help

[newreefers]

I just got my 4" peacock mantis and every time I put the food near the entrance to his cave, he pulls it off the stick and throws it out of his cave. How many times is it going to take before he figures out this is food and just eats it???

 

[ijneb]

Maybe he wants something alive?
Snails are cheap....

 

[LilShrimpChik]

or perhaps he just doesnt like the way it tastes .. have you tried anything that moves in the tank? yeah know so it'd be like a challenge to the Mantis ...

Kime`

 

[newreefers]

I have tried frozen (thawed) shrimp and I put a small crab in there, but so far he has ignored it. He hasn't eaten in 4 days now. Help!!

 

[technoshaman]

Food

Food

I feed mine freeze dried krill as a staple off of a pair of tongs. She does seem to go off feed before molting. Honestly 4 days I wouldn't worry. When they are hungry they will let you know. Also I have fed snails occasionally or fresh water/brackish ghost shrimp which she eats 2-3 at a time (acclimate them to salt water of mantis tank first over a few hours). You might try squid too, I feed tentacles occasionally and she will grab eat them if I wave them near her lair.

They don't seem to live junk in or near their lairs. Mine will throw shells, food etc that falls in there outside like she's taking out the trash. Watch them groom too it's pretty neat.

 

[Isaari]

I also use dried krill and my mantis has loved it since day one. He watches me pick a small piece out and perches on top of a rock until I throw it in the water.

Most of the time he waits until it becomes saturated, swims out to snag it and then returns to his burrow to eat. Other times he gets anxious and pulls it off the surface like a fish. He's very clumsy though when he doesn't have a grip on something. One time he swam to the top, hung on to a snail at the water line, and then went after the food as it floated by on the surface.

Hilarious...

 

[SEASEID]

my peacocks main diet are silversides! every once in a while ill throw in some big mexican turbos or a nasty damsel or two. damsels are not so tough when they meet a club up side their melon!!!!!!!!
thanks,
mike

 

[Alex]

If you just got this mantis it might not want to eat for a while. Sometimes they go on a hunger strike. I have a 4inch peacock mantis and when she is not hungre she takes the food and then throws it out on the other side of her burrow.

I had one of my little manitis go for 3 weeks before he ate. I had a snail, hermit crab and another crab with him for that time. He just did not want food.


Best thing to do is keep trying. It will get hungry and want to eat soon.

Alex

 

[newreefers]

right now in the tank with him (dinner) I have an emerald crab, damsel, shrimp, and a snail. this guy is turning into one picky eater!!