Keeping a pair of G. smithii(?)

[G. smithii]

Recently set up a innovative marine 25 gallon fusion lagoon for a smaller gonodactylus species. A LFS I had never visited before had a male and female G. smithii in separate compartments. Over the weekend I took home the smaller male (~1.75 inches) and is doing well cutting down on the local narcissus snails and xanthid crabs I had put into the tank. However I am wondering because there is not much literature done on the breeding of this species in particular, I was wondering if I could pair the female(~2inches) with the male. Has anyone had experience with a pair of these in the same tank? Curious if I could keep them in the same tank without problems.

 

[nmotz]

Recently set up a innovative marine 25 gallon fusion lagoon for a smaller gonodactylus species. A LFS I had never visited before had a male and female G. smithii in separate compartments. Over the weekend I took home the smaller male (~1.75 inches) and is doing well cutting down on the local narcissus snails and xanthid crabs I had put into the tank. However I am wondering because there is not much literature done on the breeding of this species in particular, I was wondering if I could pair the female(~2inches) with the male. Has anyone had experience with a pair of these in the same tank? Curious if I could keep them in the same tank without problems.

I would definitely not recommend it in a tank that small. They might ignore each other for a while, but eventually one would have to molt and that'd be the end. Additionally, it's just about impossible to raise mantis shrimp in the home aquarium. Too many requirements and they're little cannibals.

Only experts even attempt breeding, and even they have extremely limited success. Dr. Caldwell used to talk about the difficulties of breeding all the time. He studied mantis shrimp at Cal Berkeley and is considered one of the most knowledgable resources on mantis shrimp in the world.

If you want the female, I would recommend setting up another tank. It'd be more work, but also kind of a cool visual to have two tanks side by side each with their own mantis.

 

[Calappidae]

Researchers can study and accurately pair specimens for specific mating periods, but in a hobbiest aquarium its nearly impossible to get a mating ritual going without a broken limb or death.

Keeping them in the same habitat would just make them fight over food inevidiable competing and killing each other on contact.

To say the least, every experience with any species of stomatopod together in the same conditions is never successful besides occasional lab test, which they remove the specimens after. L. Maculata is the only species we consistently see success with pairing, but getting ahold of a female L. Maculata is incredibly rare, not too many people actually seen one because they burrow deeper where people don't collect them as easy.