hey im brnd new to saltwater

[green_fox]

and i was wondering what type of mantis i should get for a 5 gal glass tank and what would i need for it????

 

[SkiFletch]

I'm pretty sure only smithii and wennerae can fit in a 5g

 

[Agu]

[welcome]

I'd a agree, smithii or wennerae.......

 

[Pea-brain]

Yep, smithii or wennerae. You can pick up N. Wennerae at tampa bay saltwater for 50$ and they seem to have them pretty consistently. Also avoid glass heaters with little lights, as some people have had mantises smash those and electrocute/poison themselves (The copper fillings in there aren't good for mantises) It will also need a cave to live in such as a PVC pipe just big enough for it to do a U turn in. Also food such as frozen shrimp/krill/squid. Good luck!

 

[DanInSD]

I would get a book on basic marine aquarium upkeep (e.g. "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner) to avoid "rookie mistakes". As a first marine tank, 5 gal is very, very small! I'd go for at least a 10 gal unless you really know what you are doing.

Have fun,
Dan

 

[justinl]

Noobs seem to consistently think that a smaller tank is easier to care for. It really isn't. This is because toxins can build up at a much faster rate and cause bad water quality quickly than in a large tank. For a 5g you'd pretty much need to be religious about maintenance, especially with a mantis who can be messy eaters. plus 10 gal and over gives you more options as to what kind of mantis you can keep. At any rate, G. smithii (which would work in a 5g) is the usual recommendation as the best mantis. N. wennerae isn't as popular but still a great mantis.

just make sure you read read read. Books are good as well as reading forums... most have a "I just started, where do i begin?" section. http://saltaquarium.about.com is also a good start up site.