Fish with mantis shrimp

[longt]

I have seen so many people on this forum with exspensive fish with their mantis shrimp, meaning that they do not believe that mantis are agressive towards tank mates. I am re-assembling my 55 gallon tank and have my fish in a friends tank and my mantis still in his tank (peacock). I have realitivly few fish to begin with, two marron clowns, 5 fire fish, a mandrin a blenny and a potters angel. What I am trying to say is do you think it could put my mantis in my 55 with my my fish?. I have the opinion that anyone who tries it is crazy, but it trials that show the truth. So please try to pursuade me with photos for proof.

 

[rwhhunt]

I want to know if it would work. I insist that as long as the tank mate is not a threat to the mantis, and does not try to invade the mantis's burrow, it would have no reason to attack. At least for the smashers. My peacock is relatively docile, and doesnt go after fish for dinner... I wouldnt put any fish in there.... especially no triggers, puffers, or eels.. Maybe a lion (fuzzy) the firefish should be fine, the clowns should be ine w/ their anemones, the potters angel should be okay as long as its not too noisy... the mandarin.. obviously not a threat, but Way too nosey in my opinion... I thin khe would go lookin for copepods in the wrong cave...and Whack!... the end of mr mandarin... same potential problem with the blenny too...

 

[Safierdrgn]

I have two blue damsels in with my n. wenn mantis. The mantis has not bothered the fish at all, most of the time they're in the same cave together. That being said...yes I think it can be done, BUT you always run the risk of the fish ticking the mantis off. My mantis eats frozen and flake food, I've never seen him go after anything live..will that change? Probably...hehe

 

[jdieck]

I have a Mantis that I have not been able to remove from the tank where I have my fish. So far it does not bother the fish but being a smasher it is costing me about 10 to 20 snails a month.

 

[longt]

so by the sounds of it, its a go for it. Now that you bring it up the mandrin Could cause some problems. However I bought him for one reason, at my LFS he was eating brine and continues to, so perhaps he has lost interest in copepods. But I shall try it out. But please keep replying to this thread. I want a lot of opinions, its like a $70 dollar loss if it doesnt work out, but if it does it would be rad. Oh and I will be upgrading the amount of LR in my tank to about 80lbs or so, do you think this would minimize liklyness of attack with so much rock?

 

[jdieck]

Is your Manthis a Smasher? I will think that an Spearer will be more risk for the fish.

 

[hurricanes944]

i have a christmas tree wrasse and a seargent major in my tank with my N.wennera. they have been living toghter peacefully for about 8 months now.

 

[longt]

yeah mines a smasher

 

[rwhhunt]

I am adding a long tenatcle anemone for my clarki who lives with a 5 inch peacock. I think it will make the clown feel more comfortable...

 

[dave3d]

I've had a yellow-tail damsel in the tank with my G. Terna for about 4 months now. For the most part they ignore each other but the damsel does sometime try to stand up to the mantis and on 2 occasions this has resulted in the fish getting hit. On both occasions it was just a few missing scales and a small wound which healed in a few days.

So use caution and don't put any fish in a tank with a mantis shrimp that you aren't willing to lose. Avoid any fish that eats shrimp or are slow and hang out in the rocks or ground. Your best bet is to stick with fast moving open water type of fish and the more room you can give them to co-exist the better.

-David

 

[slylie]

I had an O.S. that shared a home with a cardinal (yes, they chilled in the same burrow that the mantis shrimp built.) The mantis never once tried to attack the cardinal, and they even hunted together (which i have on video). It was very strange. The cardinal eventually died for an unknown reason, but the mantis did not eat the cardinal's flesh. (out of respect?)

 

[Willy18T]

I would like to do a undulated trigger with a mantis shrimp in the same tank and see what happens.

 

[rwhhunt]

I could set it up, I have both. However, we feel that better fight would be Nasty Nate the sulphur head moray vs Boris the Peacock Mantis

These guys are the baddest guys I own, The undulate is probably the most ill-tempered, but this moray I just straight up mean as hell! He has killed and eaten a volitan and another eel. I believe it would be a one shot match. Either the moray gets the mantis from behind and its over, or the moray goes for the front of the mantis and get his face broken.... My friends are begging me to do it, but I obvioulsy never will. However, it would be interesting to see how these guys would interact in the wild....

 

[rwhhunt]

Undulate:

 

[longt]

By the sounds of it its possible, The only problem i see is that the people who have had fish with mantis shrimp, are in small numbers, but i'm talking a reef tank with a bunch of fish.

 

[pisces77]

Here's my set-up

20g: (these have been together for about 1 1/2 years other thatn the dwarf lion 6 mo.)

G. ternatensis
Percula Clown
Sixline wrasse
Dwarf lion (moving to larger tank)
Purple linkia star
pincushion star (gets whacked every once in a while)
Bubble tip brittle star
Rose bubble tip anemone
Assorted snails and hermits (which do need replenishing)

Had a few fish Go missing early though (pre dwarf lion)
Firefish
Rainford's goby
clown goby

 

[SmashingBaby]

The only fish I've ever been able to keep for long periods of time with a stomatopod is a dwarf frog fish (stone fish, angler fish, whatever you want to call it). That's probably because it looks EXACTLY like a rock. Pretty funny too, the frog fish will snap up a bit of food that the mantis is hunting. Right in front of her face. She obviously gets confused when the food she was stalking disappeared in an instant. (P. ciliata, about 3 inches)

 

[longt]

pisces77 do you have a picture of your tank, and how did the dwarf stop the consumption of your fish?