interested in smasher

qwuintus

New member
hey guys im interested in getting a small smasher.
know of any species that max out at 6" maybe a little bit larger?
i was thinking 20-30 gallon acrylic, does this sound right?
friend said he has one in a glass tank but i dont want to take the risk.
do i need a hood? what equipment do i need?
 
Six inches is a large smasher.

A 30 gallon tank that is well run in can easily support a 3-4 inch O. scyllarus or any gonodactylid. Neogonodactylus wennerae from Florida or Gonodactylus chiragra from the Indo-Pacific are the most common species available.

You do not need a hood. In fact, ambient lighting is best.

Because mantis shrimp can kill and not eat fairly substantial prey or at times will hide uneaten food, you need a system that can handle nitrogen spikes. I find that skimming also helps when a slug of organic material shows up from feeding or a molt.

For these species, temperatures should not drop below 72, but they can stand temperatures up into the low 90's (as long as other things in the tank can as well).

Roy
 
i can get an acrylic 20 gallon tall for 40 bucks. it has 2 holes in the back. i want to attach an over flow to one. and then drops to a small sump then back up to the other hole for some minor current..
do u know how much the hang on protein skimmers are????
thanx for the help, its well appreciated
 
For that type of tank, I'd go with a BakPak... Start checking the drygoods sale/trade forums here. You should be able to get one used for under $75 (excluding shipping).
 
i was looking around there and i think for a 20 gallon ill go with a prizm skimmer. its hang on tank and it can run up to 60g's
i will hand it on my sump that i will build.
 
My 2 cents, I would put a hood or some sort of cover on there. They are smart and until they settle in there burrow they will try to escape. And I am sure they could hop out of the water if they got enough speed and depending upon how big yours is.
 
When I read hood, I equated it with lighting. Of course the tank should be covered, more to prevent evaporation than escape. I occasionally have animals jump over shallow barriers (an inch or so), but even that is unusual. The only common aquarium species that routinely jump small barriers are O. scyllarus and S. empusa - usually when being fed.

There are however, a few species that are real jumpers and that must be covered at all times. These are the small Odontodactylus, O. brevirostris from Hawaii, O. latirostris from Indonesia, and O. havanensis from the Caribbean. They are by far the most hyper stomatopods I have ever worked with and they can easily jump four or five inches out of the water.

Roy
 
i wouldnt want a jumping one.
whats your recommendation on a shrimp thats active doesnt hide in its cave all the time. will hunt its food instead of having me impale a fish infront of its cave, and doesnt get big. 6" is enough.
 
Despite what I said above and their proclivity to jump, Odontodactylids are by far the most interactive stomatopods you can keep. A small O. scyllarus or O. havanensis or O. brevirostris readliy come out of their burrows, spend lots of time hunting, buiding, etc. and quickly learn that people mean food so they watch you and come to the glass when you approach. I also find Gonodactylus smithii and Gonodactylaceus ternatensis good aquarium species, but they do not leave their cavities as readily and they are hard to come by.

Roy
 
O. havanensis and O. brevirostris rarely get over 65 mm. My guess is that maximum age is 4 or 5 years. O. scyllarus get to 180 mm and probably live 5 or 6 years. Gonodactylus smithii get to 90 mm and Gonodactylaceus can reach over 100. My guess is that they live 5 or 6 years as well.

Most smashing stomatopod that live in cavities slow their growth as they get larger. This is not true of some burrowing species.

Roy
 
i like the O. scyllarus
i will try to look for one, but if i dont see any i cant define ill grab whatever i can.
 
qwuintus,

Where in So. Cal are you? There is a LFS in Pasadena that had a 4" O.S. the last time I went there. I believe he wanted $20 for it.
 
You're thinking of the right one...Pasadena Tropical Fish (PTF). He had a couple of smashers the last time I was there, one being the O.S. Probably your best bet considering it's only a few minutes from where you live.
 
Back
Top