Fussy Eater

[smells like fish]

Thanks to this forum, I developed an interest in mantis shrimps. I finally took home a peacock mantis that had been living at work(pet wholeseller) for the last 2 months.
Unfortunately, at work I fed and I'm guessing the other workers fed the mantis fw ghost shrimps, which are plentiful at work. I guess she's developed a taste for them and refuses to eat other things. Since I've brought her home(I think it's a she), I've tried frozen formula one, frozen fish(tuna and mahimahi for my fw catfish), and frozen krill. She takes the food very quickly from my barbeque stick, retreats in her hole, then a little while later, leaves the uneaten and by the looks of it untouched food outside the front of her hole. If I try to use the same kind of food on a stick again, instead of taking the food off the stick, she gives the stick a whack!
I'm surprised how quickly she learned to take food off the stick, but equally surprised how much she rejects the food, though today she did eat the fish(sliced tuna). She also doesn't bother with the hermits, snails, and rock crab in her tank.
I plan to try frozen mysis and probably other freeze dried and frozen shrimps. Anything else I could try? That fussy thing!

 

[slylie]

try krill, mine goes nuts for it... or...

fresh tiger shrimp.

 

[APynckel]

You can also try brine though a straw or other rigid but narrow diameter pipe.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Give her time. Many O. scyllarus will stop eating for days or even weeks when their diet is changed or they are moved to new surroundings. She will not starve. Eventually she will start taking food, just don't force the issue. A few suggestions:

1. Don't try fish if she has not been eating it. This is not a typical prey item and many O.s. are slow to take hunks of fish. Gastropods or crustaceans are a better food.

2. Don't over feed. Offer a smalll piece no larger than her stomach. For a 5 inch O. s., a half inch cube is about right.

3. Try krill. Most O.s. seem to like it. We use freeze dried jumbo krill with great success.

4. Leave her alone. If she does not immediately take food, forget it. It is unlikelly that she will take it again. When I have an animal that won't feed, I usually don't offer food again for at least two or three days.

5. I repeat, she will not starve! Relax and offer a small meal every two or three days.

Roy

 

[smells like fish]

Thanks guys! I'll continuing waiting and seeing if she'll eat the frozen krill that I have. I haven't tried the freeze dried variety, yet and the next time I'm at the grocery store, I'll pick some shrimp. Anything she won't eat, my catfish will gladly eat. The piece of fish she did eat, was very tiny, small enough to fit on the end of a toothpick.
Dr Roy - thanks, it's good to know that the mantis won't starve.
Stylie - I've watched your mantis vs crayfish video(short version). The way that video ends with the mantis pausing to look at the camera is freaking scary! Too bad the colors in the video don't show how cool your mantis looks, like in the still photos.

 

[slylie]

Thanks guys! I'll continuing waiting and seeing if she'll eat the frozen krill that I have. I haven't tried the freeze dried variety, yet and the next time I'm at the grocery store, I'll pick some shrimp. Anything she won't eat, my catfish will gladly eat. The piece of fish she did eat, was very tiny, small enough to fit on the end of a toothpick.
Dr Roy - thanks, it's good to know that the mantis won't starve.
Stylie - I've watched your mantis vs crayfish video(short version). The way that video ends with the mantis pausing to look at the camera is freaking scary! Too bad the colors in the video don't show how cool your mantis looks, like in the still photos.

hey, thanks alot for the compliments! i love my mantis, and i wish i had a better camera to take photos of her... i actually had a great set of sequence pics of her coming out of her burrow to check out what i was doing... she seems to have no fear, and allways watches me from her tank.

anyways, i hope your mantis starts eating soon (im sure it will)

 

[smells like fish]

Update - my mantis has been taking(from a feeding stick) and eating tiny pieces of fish and shrimp. Won't eat the frozen krill. I think it's because I bought a old batch of frozen krill.

She seems to be fine. Thanks to all who replied.