Hip-Hop Happy Anniversary to Me!!! Gonodactylaceus Ternatensis!!!

CedzAquAddictio

CedzAquAddictio

New member
Alright Ladies and Gentlemen... Looks as if my GF really listens to me ramble about SW life. I've been wanting a mantis shrimp for about a year now. I loved the peacock for it's size, but, didn't like the fact that it doesn't do well around light. Then I started hunting a G. Smithii. Well, come to find out that there was a Gonodactylaceus ternatensis online for sale, and this fits my wishes better than I knew. I never even told her about this species, but, she did some research, and found the largest of the gonodactylid and it can stand light!!!

One more bonus: To spend enough to get the free shipping, she also purchased a swallowtail angel that I recently lost!!!
:bounce3::bounce3::bounce3::bounce3::bounce3::bounce3:

Well, it will be permanently housed in a 55 gallon aquarium that is currently being used as a QT for my fish before it goes in my 120 DT. In the meantime, I have a 10g that I can use to temporarily house him. He is only currently 2.5 inches long, so hopefully not very strong to break the thin glass of the cheap 10g. My real question is: My 10g has been used in the past as a hospital tank with copper. Is there a way that I can clean the tank of any copper residuals before housing my mantis therein?

It won't be here until Thursday, but here is a pic from the website it was ordered from...
orangespot.jpg


Thanks all!!!!
 
Congratulations! You're gonna love the G. Ternatensis. IMO, more beautiful than a peacock, but I'm biased.

As far as copper goes, I'm not so sure. I've heard anecdotal stories from people who couldn't keep inverts alive in their tanks that had copper in the past.

I would say, if you need something temporary, get a cheap 10 or 20 gallon tank from petco or somewhere. My G.T. is currently living in my spare 7.5 gallon cube while I get his final home set up, cycled and ready. He seems just fine in there.

As far as breaking glass, I think that one will be too small for that remote possibility to be an issue. Mine doesn't even get close to the glass, he's happier hanging around near his den. I think the glass breaking issue is mostly for larger mantis like the peacocks.

You have an awesome girlfriend, indeed! My fiance loves the mantis shrimp. She named both of them. Well, she has named all of the fish/shrimp. Oddly, she hasn't named the pom pom crab or the emerald crab.
 
Thanks so much... I actually have a spare 20g long and 40g breeder that I could temporarily use, but, I don't have a lid for those two. Any issues with these things being jumpers, or swimming so aggressively that they come out of the tank? I've read some posts that these things go carpet surfing from time to time. I guess I could fab something up for the 20g long. Simple piece of plastic plexiglass.

I'll be setting up the tank tonight with crushed coral, water, and live rock from my DT. I have about 50 pounds too much in there as is...

Anxiously awaiting the arrival...
 
Will do. Also. I have some eggcrate to line the bottom of the tank with.

Do you have the bottom of your tank lined with eggcrate? Not sure if this is overkill, or not...
 
Mine was not really a digger. He lived in the live rock entirely. I would not worry about egg crate for a Ternatensis. Also, I can get mine to swim up to the top of the water using shrimp on a stick but it never seems like a powerful enough swimmer to actually jump out. I think lidless should be fine.
 
Are you sure this is a G. ternatensis? I can't pick out the details from the posted photo, but I would want to see more detail before I made that call. There does appear to be some damage to the posterior dorsal abdomen.

Copper and stomatopods do no mix. Removing copper from an aquarium can be difficult and is usually more trouble than its worth. There are chelating agents, but I've never tried them. The usual method is an acid wash.

I know that G. ternatensis are popular because they are relatively inexpensive and showy, but I really wish people would think twice before buying them. They are collected from fragile live branching corals. This causes considerable damage to shallow reefs. Similar species such as G. smithii and G. glabrous are hardier, not prone to shell disease, tolerate strong lighting just as well if not better, and are collected in the open or from coral rubble not causing nearly as much damage to live coral.

I'm thinking about adding a new "eco-friendly" category to "Roy's List" and G. ternatensis will be at the top of the do not buy list.

Roy
 
Sure thing. I'll post more pictures once it arrives tomorrow.

I've elected to go with my 20g long aquarium for temporary lodging until his permanent home is freed up.

I remembered reading about the collection process of this species, and you are right. I'd been looking for a G. Smithii for some time now, and this ended up being a surprise gift from me for my anniversary gift. I didn't even know she was ordering it. Had she done all of the research I have, she probably wouldn't have contributed to the cycle of collection either.

Either way, it'll be here Thursday, and I'll post up some pictures. I'm looking for the damage you spotted. I looked at the posterior abdomen. The trademark symbol from the online vendor, confused me for a second. I may be missing it.

Thanks for your input...
 
Gonodactylus said:
I'm thinking about adding a new "eco-friendly" category to "Roy's List" and G. ternatensis will be at the top of the do not buy list.
Roy
Click to expand...

I think this would be an awesome idea, although im sure you have plenty else on your plate, but I am always trying to pass on the knowledge I have gained from your posts and that would certainly be another helpful resource.
 
Thanks Dr. Roy!!!

She is not still in that tank. I only put her there for picture taking. She is now in a temporary 10g with sand and crushed coral, as well as plenty of LR for her hiding pleasures. She was pretty active last night, and even took food well...

Thanks all!!!
 
Cedz,

I've discovered that my G. Ternatensis is not terribly interested in the PVC pipe that I put in there for him. When I first got him, I was told he was a peacock mantis, so I built a u-shaped tube for him, but once I got him home to get a good look at him, he turned out to be a G. Tern. He's gone into the tube a few times, and looked like he'd settle in there, but then he built himself a home out of rubble, so make sure yours has lots of small pieces of rubble to work with. My boy is 4" and seems to prefer 1/4" to 1/2" chunks. They seem to like to build with shells as well... Usually the broken shells of the snails that they've killed.
 
Gotcha. Thanks... Mine was busy last night making little bridgeways under the LR and doing his own aquscaping. A couple of times, I saw him peering from a hole in the LR. It'll probably take him a couple to completely settle in. I have some larger rubble and empty shells that I'll throw in tonight.

Thanks for the heads-up on the PVC. I'll not bother with adding any PVC tunnels.
 
Congrats on the new GT!!! She is beautiful! My GT Googly says...Hey there sexy! Lol... My Googly has been so much fun. He is the coolest addition to my SW addiction. I got Googly from a fellow reefer here on RC and it was a total spur of the moment decision only becouse I already had a stable home and an acrylic refugium connected to my main tank for him to live in. Its been 6 months now and he has molted twice and is more and more friendly the more we look at him. He fuly comes out to see me but other people not so much yet. He will peer out at us throught holes in his cave or camoflauge in the chaeto and watch us ...watch the tank. He is the coolest creature! You will love her! My boy has blue cheeks... LOL... I call those yellow things around the face cheeks... I know Im way wrong but .... I forgot the right name for those. Enjoy and congrats!!
 
areucrazy said:
Congrats on the new GT!!! She is beautiful! My GT Googly says...Hey there sexy! Lol... My Googly has been so much fun. He is the coolest addition to my SW addiction. I got Googly from a fellow reefer here on RC and it was a total spur of the moment decision only becouse I already had a stable home and an acrylic refugium connected to my main tank for him to live in. Its been 6 months now and he has molted twice and is more and more friendly the more we look at him. He fuly comes out to see me but other people not so much yet. He will peer out at us throught holes in his cave or camoflauge in the chaeto and watch us ...watch the tank. He is the coolest creature! You will love her! My boy has blue cheeks... LOL... I call those yellow things around the face cheeks... I know Im way wrong but .... I forgot the right name for those. Enjoy and congrats!!
Click to expand...

You are right. I absolutely love this shrimp, but she's such a recluse. She pokes her head out to look at me, but, hardly ever (and I mean, ever) comes completely out of her rock. If I put live food in there, she may poke her head out to look at it, but, she will literally wait days for it to happen upon her rock before she attacks. May set up a tank for her at work, and try to acquire a G. Smithii or Peacock for the office tank at home...
 
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