getting a mantis

[slave-of-rock]

i plan on getting a mantis within a week, im going to put him in a 5 gallon tank, has a filter and all, what temp do they need? thats about all i wanna know, and what kind of heater can i use that he wont break, as hes a hitch-hiker smasher

 

[AttackDonut]

Usual temp. 78-80. I put my heater in the back of the power filter just in case. But I've had several mantis shrimps and none have ever bothered tank-equipment related...

 

[slave-of-rock]

ok good, i was just wondering b/c ive heard stiores of it happining, and i changed my mind as of his set-up, im putting him in my nano-cube, no coral in there as of today... my CC star ate my monti frag and he bleached out on me, im glad i didnt pay an arm and a leg for it, just $5(for the monti that is) would a mantis ever be ale to break the glass or is that just a rumor?

 

[AttackDonut]

They can break glass...and then some. I've used acrylic tanks, just as a safety backup....

 

[slave-of-rock]

well isnt a nano-cube acrylic?>

 

[AttackDonut]

I'm supposing that one is, but I've seen some marketed with the same name, that are glass...

 

[slave-of-rock]

this is the jbj nano-cube, im check out the site now, i think it is tho thnx for all your help everyone

 

[Tballa]

no, I have a JBJ cube, and its glass. My mantis is in a 6g eclipse. It works.

 

[slave-of-rock]

how much does that tank cost?

 

[Tballa]

not that much. go on ebay.

 

[slave-of-rock]

k i will, but im gettin a 55g tank soon, cn they break that glass to? im guessin thats a yes, and what makes them want to break glass in the first place?

 

[Tballa]

They shouldn't be able to break a 55g. not an expert, but i think they do it if they get aggrivated like if they see their reflection in the glass.

 

[slave-of-rock]

wow what a dumb animal!!! i think i might jus got with a small tank tho, thnx for all your help!

 

[Tballa]

yah, but they actually are pretty intelligent. Go with smaller. Get an eclipse 6 or 12, depending on size of mantis you want.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

wow what a dumb animal!!!

this is totally untrue. they are very smart animals. they may break your glass if they are trying to smash a snail thats on it. they could be trying to dig a hole and make it to the bottom. in the wild if something stops them from digging they just smash it. hence the bottom of your tank gets smashed. do a search on this forum. this is a very common question and im sure its been answered hundreds of times. you need to watch out for large specimens, and i believe i read somewhere that speareers were the ones who pierced bottom glass.

BTW, i plan on housing an N. wennerae in a 10 gallon all-glass.

LT

 

[jchough79]

Hey H2O, any good LFS in MB???

 

[H2OLUVSME]

theres ones i shop at, but no good ones :lol:
they occasionally get good stuff.
i here there are a couple of good ones in charleston.

ive got a few friends that are talking about opening a real fish store here. all we ahve are pet stores with fish departments. there is one fish store in north myrtle, but hes selling stuff out of a rental garage, and is only open 11 hour a week. he actually Q's all of his fish for 2 weeks before he'll even sell them. hes always got good fish and a great variety of quality crustaceans and macro algae. his corals are a little lacking though. they are all locally owned, so but the guys that own the pet store put their money in dog and cat stuff. i dont understand. if you come up to MB, i could tell you where they are, if you want to know....

LT

 

[jchough79]

H2O PM sent, don't want to steal thread.