How large is your mantis tank?

[Gonodactylus]

I won't enter the pool since we have dozens of tanks ranging from 1 to 300 gal. I will say that I do not keep adult (>4inch) O. scyllarus in anything smaller than 10 gal Most of our O. s. are housed in 90 gal tanks which are sub-divided, six animals to a tank.

Roy

 

[Jared Cooper]

Roy-
How about a smaller mantis like a phillipine mantis? Would a 6 gallon work? Or should I just go with a 10 gallon to be safe. A ten gallon would barley fit, and would be more of a pain for where I'd be placing it. BUt I do want my mantis to live a long life.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Jared,

Just about any Gonodactylus or related species would work. I have a 5 cm Gonodactyllelus caldwelli that I have in a 2 gal tank for two years and it is thriving. I have some 7-8 cm Gonodactylus chiragra that have been kept in half gallon containers without filtration (water changed twice a week) for even longer. A lot of the intertidal gonodactylids are remarkably hardy (actually Gonodactylaceus mutatus does not fit into that category). My favorite for a small tank is Gonodactylus smithii, probably the stomatopod with the most spectacular threat behavior and coloration. I had one for five years in a 6 gal hex tank.

Odontodactylus scyllarus is big, showy, easy to catch in Indonesia, and has become the typical stomatopod of export. There are many other species that are easier to keep, more interesting behaviorally, and that are just as colorful. Unfortunately, there availability is spotty at best.

Ro

 

[Jared Cooper]

I just got to say, I love this forum
Roy
Great to hear that I can use a 6 gallon. How do I get my hands on a Gonodactylus smithii? I live in the bay area, could I order one through you?

 

[moviegeek]

I am currently keeping my O. scyllarus in a 15 gallon glass tank. For the first 18 months or so I used an acrylic 20 gallon tank with a built-in wet/dry behind the tank. This worked well, but I really prefer glass tanks, and after hearing how many people were using glass tanks (including Dr. Caldwell) I decided to make the switch.

I am using a CPR BakPak II with the 15 gallon, which is where the heater goes.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Sorry, for various reasons, I can't get involved in supplying stomatopods. If you contact some of the importers and provide a picture (attached), sometimes they will contact you when one arrives. Good luck.

Roy

 

[Death Shrimp99]

Moviegeek, where did you get the cbr backpak? Do you know of anywhere you can order it online? Is a wet/dry like a sump?

 

[Jared Cooper]

Roy-
Is there anyway you could give me some references for importers in the area? I would pay top dollar for a mantis like that.

 

[moviegeek]

Death Shrimp -- Here's a link to the BakPak 2. This skimmer comes in a couple different configurations: hang-on and in-sump varieties, as well as Reef Ready or bio filter varieties. The Reef Ready varieties don't have a biological filter built in, whereas the bio filters do.

The hang-on BakPaks have a few accessories like bubble eliminators and surface preskimmers.

This is a well made skimmer for smaller tanks (30 gallons or so).

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=CPR-BAKPAK&Category_Code=Bakpak

The AquaC Remora is a similarly priced skimmer that many people say performs better thanthe BakPak.

I like the BakPak for my mantis tank because it is quiet and has room for a heater, as well as bio filtration.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...Product_Code=AQUAC-REMORA&Category_Code=AquaC

If you decide you want to buy the BakPak, let me know. I have an extra, (used) BakPak II biofilter with the Black Box bubble eliminator/pre-filter that I'd sell.

 

[Death Shrimp99]

So its like a protein skimmer that you put your heater in? Where do you put your heater? In the open part hext to the pump? thanks

 

[Jared Cooper]

I just purchased a 6 gallon eclipse system today! I can't wait to put a mantis in it after it cycles a while.

 

[ISFRAEL]

Gonodactyllelus caldwelli

is this a species you have found and named, dr roy.
i noticed the end of the mantis's name looks awfully familiar!
dont know where ive seen it before? lol

 

[Gonodactylus]

It was a species that I first photographed on Lizard Island in 1986 and that one of my students later collected in Indonesia a few years ago. When he found out that I had photos of it, he named it after me.

Roy

 

[moviegeek]

Death Shrimp -- the heater goes in the same area where the biological media fits. The pump and the return are inside the tank, the rest of the skimmer hangs on the outside. The skimmer is an acrylic box about 5" wide and 18" tall. The box is divided into two main chambers: one for bubbles, the other for biological media.

 

[J Crew]

I just purchased a 6 gallon eclipse system today! I can't wait to put a mantis in it after it cycles a while.

where did you purchase you're eclipse at? and how much more was the 12 gal system? after reading a couple of post i really want to start a mantis shrimp tank. but i think i'd do better with the 12 gallon setup.

ps - what kind of lighting would this mantis require? i would either be using a conventional 10 gal glass tank or puchasing the eclipse 12 gal system? what type of lighting would you suggest? thanks

 

[Gonodactylus]

Gonodactylus chiragra, G. smithii, G. platysoma, Neogonodactylus bredini, N. oerstedii,and Gonodactylaceus all live on reef flats in the very low intertidal to just subtidal. While they are exposed to bright broad spectrum daylight, remember that they spend most of their time in cavities looking out at the world. THey can take bright artifical illumination that is used in many reef systems, but they do not require it. They do fine with ordinary ambient lighting.

N. wennerae which is showing up in a lot of live rock from Florida lives a bit deeper (15 - 100 ft) and certainly doesn't need bright, broad spectrum lighting.

O. scyllarus lives from 5 to 25 m and also does not need bright light. In fact, I think they do better without it.

Ro

 

[Jared Cooper]

I got the eclipse for $85 at petco. I don't know how much more money the 12 gallon is. As far as tank size I asked if a 6 gallon tank would work and Dr. Roy (aka Gonodactylus) answered it on this thread. To save you time here's his answer:

Just about any Gonodactylus or related species would work. I have a 5 cm Gonodactyllelus caldwelli that I have in a 2 gal tank for two years and it is thriving. I have some 7-8 cm Gonodactylus chiragra that have been kept in half gallon containers without filtration (water changed twice a week) for even longer. A lot of the intertidal gonodactylids are remarkably hardy (actually Gonodactylaceus mutatus does not fit into that category). My favorite for a small tank is Gonodactylus smithii, probably the stomatopod with the most spectacular threat behavior and coloration. I had one for five years in a 6 gal hex tank.

Odontodactylus scyllarus is big, showy, easy to catch in Indonesia, and has become the typical stomatopod of export. There are many other species that are easier to keep, more interesting behaviorally, and that are just as colorful. Unfortunately, there availability is spotty at best.

J Crew- you might want to check out this link on Mantis, it is a must read and has some awsome pictures and video clips.
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

 

[racer340]

FYI save yourself some money.Go to walmart and pick up the setup they have for 45 bucks......identical to the eclipse 6,think its called galaxy.They also have one called starfish for 20 bucks which is the same deal as the explorer.They dont have the larger ones near me but they do make one.

 

[orkspace]

I order most of my (non-specialty) dry goods from www.petwarehouse.com -- they're cheap, fast, and accurate. Can't ask for much more than that.