is 83c too hot for a mantis?
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Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Let me say this one more time. One stomatopod is not all stomatopods. You cannot generalize from one species to another or even from one population to another. In no case is this more true than with termperature tolerances. There are stomatopods that live at 4c and there are some that live at 35 c. Studies that I published on N. bredini and N. oerstedii showed that they could handle temperatures up to 39c for a short time, but 37c was pretty much the cut-off. Minimum temperatures in Panama where the study was done were about 26 c. and individuals collected there could only handle temperatures down to about 22 c. However, the same species in the southeastern US and Bermuda experiences and can live at 17 or 18 c. for several months (although they do not breed at these temperatures. Even more extreme, Squilla empusa is found from Maine to the Caribbean. In the Gulf it experiences temperatures into the 30's. In Maine in the winter, temperatures drop into the single digits. Similarly, Odontodactylus scyllarus occurs over a wide temperature range. I have collected O. scyllarus in the Gulf of Siam where water temperatures were 33c. I also have collected them off Brisbane where the temperature was 17c.
The important point is that species and populations are adapted to live in the ambient temperatures that they experience and furthermore, they are acclimated to current temperature conditions. If you take an O. scyllarus from Brisbane living at 27 c and place it straight into 18 c water, it will die, but if you gradually change the temperature over several weeks, it will survive. Do the same thing with an O. scyllarus from the Philippines and you are unlikely to be able to acclimate it to water below 21 c.
Again, let me stress that when dealing with stomatopods, you have to know the species and often the location of origin to select the optimal living conditions.
Sorry, I got carried away, but I'm kind of sensitive to this issue. One stomatopod is not all stomatopods.
Roy
The important point is that species and populations are adapted to live in the ambient temperatures that they experience and furthermore, they are acclimated to current temperature conditions. If you take an O. scyllarus from Brisbane living at 27 c and place it straight into 18 c water, it will die, but if you gradually change the temperature over several weeks, it will survive. Do the same thing with an O. scyllarus from the Philippines and you are unlikely to be able to acclimate it to water below 21 c.
Again, let me stress that when dealing with stomatopods, you have to know the species and often the location of origin to select the optimal living conditions.
Sorry, I got carried away, but I'm kind of sensitive to this issue. One stomatopod is not all stomatopods.
Roy
Hmm...I keep the Baron's tank at 80 F. I switched it last night to 79F, fearing that I might have it too hot for him.
He is a G. Viridis, and I am not sure what temp is optimal for him.
On a related note, I am planning on having my mantis Hotel (either 3 mantis and a Dwarf Lion in the chambers, or 4 mantis) set up by the end of December.
I now have a bit of fear regarding temp. I will definately have an O. Scyllarus in there, along with Baron von Munchausen (the G. Viridis), and one or two others. I doubt that I can/should have seperate heaters in each area...or could I...(Hmmm).
Two 20 gallon sections and 2 7-8 gallon sections.
He is a G. Viridis, and I am not sure what temp is optimal for him.
On a related note, I am planning on having my mantis Hotel (either 3 mantis and a Dwarf Lion in the chambers, or 4 mantis) set up by the end of December.
I now have a bit of fear regarding temp. I will definately have an O. Scyllarus in there, along with Baron von Munchausen (the G. Viridis), and one or two others. I doubt that I can/should have seperate heaters in each area...or could I...(Hmmm).
Two 20 gallon sections and 2 7-8 gallon sections.
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Unless you have a cold water species such as Hemisquilla, you can't go wrong with 78F. Just bring animals to that temperature over several hours.
Roy
Roy
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