Looking for the right species, appropriate tank

[thesus13]

Hello everyone!

I'm spending a lot of time doing research on how to maintain Mantis Shrimp, and decided that at this point the best way to get more information would be to ask those with the experience!

That being said,

I'm looking for a mantis shrimp that:
Is Hardy (Some people say they all are, but then Dr. Roy points out several species that aren't, so I wanted to clarify)
Stays Small (about 2")
Will survive transport up to college and back home (4 hour drive)
Is less likely to break the tank (Maybe I'd like a spearer then?)
And doesn't make too much noise (Again, does this point me toward spearers?)

What species might fit this description?


I'm thinking about the following tank setup:
2.5-6 Gallons w/hood & light (nothing special with the lighting)
Basic Filter to keep things smelling fresh (I want this in my dorm)
Heater (PA gets cold)
Not sure what to use on the bottom (IE, live sand?)
I'd like to put in some nice live rock, because it brings stability and diversity to the tank - but if that means I've gotta sleep through clicking all the time (how loud is it anyways?) then should I should stay away from live rock?
Possibly some tubing.

How does that setup sound? I'm definitely trying to do this a'la'cheap (read as, I'm a college student), but I know that a with keeping any aquarium, a few extra bucks spent tends to go a long, long way.

Thanks!

 

[Hwarang]

Neogonodactylus wennerae is easy to acquire, is hardy, and is about the size you mentioned. Looks neato too. The small size means it won't break much

If you have LR, don't bother with tubing.

I'm not sure how light a sleeper you are. The TICK TICK TICK is very audible, but it's never disturbed my activities or rest.

Use medium sized substrate "gravel" for the bottom. Mine seems to appreciate something inbetween large pebbles and silty sand. Actually I mixed up a substrate concoction from a few different ones. I don't know if it's quantifiably "better" though

Lastly, I've heard some complain that their mantis broke the heater, so you might not want to skimp in that area. Use a titanium heater (they last forever so it would be a good investment...) or i think they even make "guards" for regular heaters.

Good luck, hope that helps!

 

[majestic sea life]

Hwarang
i was just going to tell him a N.wenn lol yeah they are the best of pets u can play kill the crabs with them they only get 3''MAX if 5.5 is fine i have one in a 10gal but u dont need 10gal 5.5 is fine hek Hwarang had one in a 2.5 or is it still in the 2.5 but yeah thats just my 2cents

 

[thesus13]

Thanks for the advice!

After doing a search on N. Wenn and finding an article by Dr. Roy on Lurkers' site, I definitely agree that an N. Wenn would be an excellent match.

I understand that mantis shrimp tend to eat just about anything, but does N. Wenn have any preferences? I'd assume that because it is a basher it likes things with shells more, but I could definitely be wrong. Do they eat fish? How do you think an N. Wenn would feel about a fish or two being in the tank?

Also, are the live snails and crabs that you might feed to N. Wenn expensive? I think it'd be much more fun to feed it live stuff if it is cheap.

Thanks!

 

[thesus13]

Update:

So, the guy at the local pet store seemed to have some critique on my setup as mentioned in my previous posts. I've decided to cheap out totally, and do the following:

5 gallon tank
Cheap Whisper Filter
Medium sized gravel
Piece(s) of live rock
Misc salt water supplies I don't already have

Total: $45-$55

When I travel I can drain most of the water on the 5 gallon, and buy a 10 gallon tank to put the 5 gallon tank inside of. That way if the mantis gets angry about transfer, I don't have to sweat a shattered tank.

The guy also had a crazy story about how they tried to capture a mantis and ended up having a 90 gallon tank completely shatter. The tank's owner had it set-up at his girlfriends place - she kicked him out later that day. 90 gallons of yummy salt water on the floor didn't seem to make her very happy.

 

[Hwarang]

That setup should be fine for a mantis, as long as you're diligent about water changes / water quality.