Largest "prey" a G Smithii can take on

[J2FcM]

Just wondering how large of prey a G smithii (3.5in)can take on...

ie.. for crabs, I imagine once they are 3+ inches they become a danger? Or would the G Smithii ignore them? What about cray fish?

For hermits... At what size would a hermit be "safe" from a G Smithii (3.5inch)? Would a white spotted hermit pose a threat to the smithii?

For fish... I imagine a fish would have to be 4+ inches and NOT a bottom dweller to be safe??? (Despite a small mantis being housed with a blenny in a previous thread).

Basically... when will the Smithii begin ignoring inhabitants that are larger... and when does potential prey become a potential threat to the lil mantis???

Thanks for any input!!!

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

yup thats me with the scooter blenny and mantis. there almost exactly the same size lets say about 2"-3". the mantis has no interest in the blenny at all, he doesn't attack any of my snails other than tiny tiny stomatellas, i tried feeding it a dwarf blue hermit and it smacked it a couple times and threw out it the hole.
never touched it again.

i'm not sure if my mantis is just not as aggressive as others or there bad reputation is just grabage.

theres another thread around that they were trying to locate actual footage of a mantis attacking a hermit and i don't believe they've found any.


i've noticed that when i do put something that it will eat in the tank (food, or ghost shrimp) it's starts acting much bolder and will dart around the tank looking for it

 

[TrappedMetal]

LOL
Everyone picked up on what i was saying, this hermit thing must be a myth!
Everytime i throw a hermit to any of my mantis including one really aggressive chiragra, they will smack it a few times, get bored of it, then chuck it out. Now, i have no doubt in the wild they will eat hermits, but this is because theyre not being fed Seafood Delight from my local supermarket on a stick, or thrown dazed shrimp or crabs. I think in the wild they would eat what they can, and i also think theyre clever enough to know if they dont eat the hermit they will get something else instead..
Smashers dont eat fish in the wild, this is why a lot of people have had success with this, however they are still territorial and will defend their burrow, so if a fish decides to swim in, it will be smacked in the head. It seems some mantis dont like fish at all and will activly hunt them down, but generally larger non predatory stuff is fine it seems, especially the more secrative mantis like Chiragra. I have 3 of these and one is living with a fish, a pseudochromis splendens that is quite capable of sticking up for himself and is a bugger for taking live shrimp before they get to the mantis.

Crab size, i dont think it matters too much. As long as it is not 2 or 3 times the size of the mantis i think it will die either way, although something bigger than the mantis is not really reccomended, especially with crabs as their exoskeleton is much thicker than that of a crayfish, of which a mantis can take easily.
You know when youre pushing it size wise because rather than come out and stalk and smash the item it will generally give it the meral spread, this is a sign of defense.
The one thing i can say is that all mantis are different.
James

 

[J2FcM]

Thanks for the input.. the meral spread bit is something I didn't consider.

I think my inbound Smithii (from Sharkdude!) apparently has a reputation for killing any fish is lives with within 2 weeks. And 10 hermits in a night, while ignoring a large turbo snail.

I think my only chance will be with larger passive creatures (that can be maintained in a nano).

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

and just to drive the worry worts nuts i purchased a small lawnmower blenny and a pink and black cucumber from my LFS today no not really but i know they'll worry anyway

 

[sharkdude]

Motoko will take on all hermit challengers and eat their remains with glee! Muahaha ha!

I can hear J2FcM now, " Let's get ready to rumble!"

 

[Arati]

Sweatpea my Smithii definetly kills hermits with gusto. It lets the shrimp live and imo is terrified of any fish. Pounces on amphipods too.

I plan to put it into the display soon, im betting reefsafe , it didnt get the name sweatpea for nuthin.

 

[cobaltplasma]

My old smasher (not sure what species it was, it was a long time ago, I got it for free from my LFS heh) would obliterate anything in a shell. Small snails, hermits, bigger hermits, shrimp...if it had a shell to crack, he'd crack it. He and any fish ni the tank just kind of ignored one another, but things on the ground were clearly his to crush under his heel (er...rapt?).

 

[J2FcM]

Motoko the Smithii had a royal rumble and an expensive buffet. Fiddler crab obliterated in 1 hit. Damsel was clubbed in mid-swim and left alone for a bit. Woke up and the Damsel was gone too; a lil midnight snacking.

Oh yeah, and I'm saving her frozen left overs... Emerald Crab.

 

[J2FcM]

oh, the damsel actually improved its reflexes and hiding skills by enough that it survived! but still breathing heavy...

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

i wouldn't say it improved any sort of skills it was just lucky not to be one shotted and survived

 

[J2FcM]

Well, don't tell the Damsel that, because I don't want it to lose anymore moral.

 

[sharkdude]

j2fcm: be careful on the bioload of unconsumed victims of Motoko. 8 gals of water can go sour pretty quick.
I see a youtube video or two in your and Motoko's future!
Gald you two are getting along famously.

 

[kookerson]

Re: Largest "prey" a G Smithii can take on

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13204099#post13204099 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by J2FcM
Just wondering how large of prey a G smithii (3.5in)can take on...

For fish... I imagine a fish would have to be 4+ inches and NOT a bottom dweller to be safe??? (Despite a small mantis being housed with a blenny in a previous thread).

FWIW, I had a scooter blenny/Mantis shrimp tank.....3 months after I got the mantis, and thinking the scooter blenny would be OK, I now have just a Mantis Shrimp tank.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

i now have a scooter blenny and lawnmower blenny living with it with no issues,

 

[r.d.m]

ive got a G smithii that came with the live rock in my fowlr, theres many squabbles over food with a 6" clown trigger and a 4" picasso,but the mantis always comes off best , the triggers are just not interested in taking him on!