LFS mantis question

dantodd

New member
I was just at a local LFS and they had a mantis for sale. It was labeled a spearer and I saw him eating pellets. The LFS owner also got the shrimp to attack at his finger through the tank acrylic. He also told me that the shrimp didn't eat live food.

Now the questions. I don't have any pics and didn't see any spots since I only saw his face/front while posturing/eating.

He was in a sand burrow. His color is extremely light green, almost clear looking. He is about 1.5" - 2" over all as far as I can tell though I didn't see all of him.

Any ideas what this may be? Is the fact that he is in the sand a good indicator or spearer v. smasher? Is his color set or due to his diet? Is he likely to be more dangerous to a tank than others since he is used to attacking the tank at the LFS?

Any other thoughts?
 
Mattis shimp in my opinon need to be in there on tank. That way when you are working inside you tank you don't end up getting hurt and you don't lose fish to them. ben
 
If he really is a spearer, he will be more likely to attack fish. Without seeing it, P.ciliata can be that color, that size, and is a fairly common spearer, but that is just a guess.
 
ahhh... sorry to mislead. When I said "dangerous to the tank" I meant the actual tank not any tank mates (in case he's a smasher and the LFS is wrong.) If I do this it will be a mantis, softies, and snails/hermits (assuming he is a spearer.) No soft-bodied critters that aren't food!

Although, as I look through a lot of the threads here I fear that an active mantis may make any of my attempts to aquascape or add soft corals may be pretty much useless if he is going to be mocing everything.
 
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