got them fedex overnight priority (arrives by 10:30am) all 3 arrived very lively. do not ship mantis shrimps with anything longer than overnight. trust me, i've tried it a few times. they have survived 2 nights in the tank so far. two are about 1" and one is about 2". the two smaller ones are both green and white in a checkered mottled pattern. the larger one is a dark color, possibly green or purple. they are living in mainstays 2 quart plastic containers. recycle #1 (same as soda bottles) got them for $2 at walmart.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-2-Qt-Canister/16408651
they don't say bpa free and they do have a plastic smell. after rinsing them i rubbed the plastic and it made that clean plastic smearing sound. i tested making holes in a 20 oz coke bottle with a metal shishkabob skewer. it was harder making holes in the mainstays. i also used a cork opener to enlarge some holes on the top for feeding. i ended up using a manual hand drill (not electric powered) to make the rest. (the kind you have to crank with ur hand like a cake batter mixer)
after the first night, i dropped a small piece of mysis and one of the small mantis took it. the dark one would not take his food. the other one hasn't come out of his jumbo turbo snail shell.
after the 2nd night, the small one again took his food. but this time he walked around his jar for a few minutes.
the dark one still hasn't taken the piece i gave him the day before. the other small one still hasn't left his snail shell. he won't even show a piece of himself.
my bicolor blenny loves the mainstays. he perches on them. the blenny watches the mantis and the mantis watches him.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-2-Qt-Canister/16408651
they don't say bpa free and they do have a plastic smell. after rinsing them i rubbed the plastic and it made that clean plastic smearing sound. i tested making holes in a 20 oz coke bottle with a metal shishkabob skewer. it was harder making holes in the mainstays. i also used a cork opener to enlarge some holes on the top for feeding. i ended up using a manual hand drill (not electric powered) to make the rest. (the kind you have to crank with ur hand like a cake batter mixer)
after the first night, i dropped a small piece of mysis and one of the small mantis took it. the dark one would not take his food. the other one hasn't come out of his jumbo turbo snail shell.
after the 2nd night, the small one again took his food. but this time he walked around his jar for a few minutes.
the dark one still hasn't taken the piece i gave him the day before. the other small one still hasn't left his snail shell. he won't even show a piece of himself.
my bicolor blenny loves the mainstays. he perches on them. the blenny watches the mantis and the mantis watches him.
