hey thinking about a mantis tank!

Aqua_expert19

New member
hey ive been into salt reef for about 5+ years now and i broke down my tank and traded rock for a biocube 14. what shrimp would fit into that. i realy want a peacock or some other smasher.
 
Tank will be too small for a peacock which would need at least a 24g tank. Your options for that size would be an N. Wennerae, O. Havenensis, and a G. Smithii. The N. wennerae is the most readily available and is normally very active and hardy which makes it a good pick. G Smithii are very interactive and hardy but are harder to find. O. Havs arent too hard to find but they require very stable tank params( Dr. Roy had one die from the sand getting stirred up). Thats all I can think of right now but all are smashers and all would work with that tank size.
 
hmm can you point me in the right direction for those mantis, and can you tell me the common names for those. im kinda noobish.
 
I got my Smithii from Blue Zoo Aquatics and they also sell some other types of mantis's as well. They are sometimes called Purple Spotted mantis shrimp. N. Wenneraes are sold all the time at TampaBaySaltwater.com. As for the O. Havenensis I have seen them for sale at sealifeinc.net. Sharkysreef.com usually has mantis's for sale but they are unindentified usually but someone on here might be able to ID them for you. If you look at the top of this forum check out the post about Roys list it has some very good info. Personally I would say your best bet is to get an N Wennerae from tampabaysaltwater.com or if you dont want to spend the money wait around until someone is giving one away. Hope this helps.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10555653#post10555653 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aqua_expert19
hmm can you point me in the right direction for those mantis, and can you tell me the common names for those. im kinda noobish.

Sorry, we use the scientific names. One of the fruits of mantis shrimp is that there are no common trade names, excluding maybe "peacock" or "harlequin mantis" though I haven't seen alot of peacocks sold as that. It keeps us from getting confused with what were talking about. Go to Roy's list where each species is named scientifically and look up the species. Roy's list is the sticky up atthe top of the page,

Dan
 
No, it probably wouldn't. It is also more likely to break the glass in a tank so small. If you want a colorful smasher look into O. havenensis, but it can be a stickler for water quality. Another good one might be P. ciliata but they do best in a 20 gallon and are a spearer (very active fore a spearer though and can come in bright yellow!)

Dan
 
That is just about any mantis they decide to pack. From P. ciliata to N. wennerae, to G. chiragra (not alot of fun) to etc. etc. The only thing I can say is that it probably won't be a peacock, and will more than likely be green. Kind of a grab bag.

Dan
 
Your best bet is seriously an N Wennerae. They are usually active and are easy to obtain and you know exactly what you are getting into. Youll end up paying $50-55 at Liveaquaria not knowing what you are getting. If I were you I would get a tank cycled and ready and wait to see if anyone is giving away a mantis for free if not then pay $50 and get an N Wennerae from tampabaysaltwater.com.
 
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