Is this ok for a peacock?

[Muze813]

Hi everyone,

I currently have a female Wennerae ( named "Siren") that I have had for about 2 years now. I have to say she is one of the coolest pets with whom I have ever shared my home. I sort of feel like I am staring into the eyes of an alien whenever I see her. lol My girl is in a 12gal JBJ cube. She seems really healthy and happy in that tank.

Since I have had good luck caring for the Wennerae, I would love to get a another species of smasher for a 27gal cube. I have had this tank set up for some time. It is well established, I just don't have anything in it except for liverock, couple starfish, and CUC. Right now the tank is running a 250w metal halide. I realize that is way too bright for a mantis, and I wanted to change to an LED fixture anyway.

My LFS can order a "small" or "medium" size peacock for me. Would a 27gal be large enough for a peacock? Or would it at least be large enough for a while if I got a smaller one? I am really hoping to get a larger species than the mantis I already have (Siren is about 4"), because it would be going in the bigger of my two saltwater tanks. If anyone has suggestions for another larger smasher species, please, I am open to suggestions. I think they are all cool as hell! lol

Suggestions for how bright of an LED fixture I can get without causing harm to a stomatopod? I don't actually know how dim lights for peacocks need to be. If I could have enough light in the tank to at least have mushrooms or other low light corals, that would be nice. Are there any bigger species that are not as sensitive to light as the peacocks?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you! I really love and am completely fascinated with these animals.

Christina

 

[matty0206]

I just set up a tank for a peacock and have only had mine a day so I am no expert but all of the research I have done says you should have no light over a tank with a peacock. They are very prone to shell rot and light makes their chances of getting it higher. I have mine in a 20H with only room/natural light.

 

[Muze813]

ok. Thank you. Is yours fully grown living in the 20H? Does that seem to be enough space?

Any thoughts on species that could live with slightly higher light?

 

[Muze813]

Matty, do you have any pics of your new peacock? Did you get from LFS or order it somewhere?

 

[matty0206]

I got mine from my LFS. She had been there for a few months and I believe they did order her. Mine is only about 3" so still young, I will be moving her into my 40breeder tank once I upgrade that to a larger tank. Here she is:

The conduit burrow she is in is 2" for size reference.

 

[nmotz]

A 27G cube is large enough but Dr. Roy always recommends getting tanks that are longer so the mantis has more room to prowl around.

Functionally, the 27G is a good size for a Peacock, which needs slightly better water quality than other hardier mantids (like your Wennerae for example). Even so, having a tank with a little extra space to roam (30 long or a 40G breeder maybe) is great for a Peacock.

I have a 33L tank for my 5" Peacock and it's a great living space for him. I keep the hood lights off to protect him from shell rot and have a UV sterilizer that I run at night.

Otherwise, I think the most important thing is to remain diligent in keeping the water quality at a high level. Your Wennerae is tougher than your O. Scyllarus in this regard so you can't think of them as having the same water quality needs. My recommendations are a UV sterilizer (fairly cheap as far as filtration devices go) and a gravel vacuum (especially if you intend to use a deep sand bed). I also recommend a PVC pipe burrow.

One added note is to be mindful that when you put your hands in tank, anything on your hands goes into the tank as well. I was just reading the other day how harmful everyday soaps and other cleansers can be for a mantis.

To answer another of your questions, any of the gonodactylids can tolerate higher light (G. Smithii for example). The Odontodactylids live a little deeper and either need no light or fairly dull blue lights (which mimics their natural environment).


Enjoy!

 

[Kharn]

An important factor with large O.scyllarus is to make sure they get decent flow within their cavity/burrow and a place with complete darkness to retreat to for resting this helps to keep them clean and stress free which means a long life, these animals can live for a decade!

EDIT: Water quality is the primary reason for the problem with Shell Rot, if the disease is within a system then lights will rapidly increase it's growth rate in the water, UV sterilizer work but even then this is very touchy...they need to be set at a certain level so as to target the Shell Rot disease specifically (can't just crank it full blast) and need replacing every 6months, if I had a choice (in the words of Dr. Caldwell) I would use a skimmer over a UV sterilizer, basically the UV sterilizer is targeting a problem that may not exist...however the skimmer is targeting the problem at its very source and where we know it is exists (poor water quality).

With great water quality this species can be kept in a thriving reef but who can say exactly what "Great" water quality is ? I am soon to find out I hope