Mantis Activity Level - Low=/

[pikachureefer]

my Gonodactylaceus ternatensis (id'ed by Dr.Roy) The only way that i can see his/her full body is by luring it out with a pieceof shrimp. I never see my mantis rummaging around or roaming around the tank=/. Its about 3.5 inches large now in a 20 gallon. The only reason i can think of is too much light maybe? im running 65 watts over the twentty long...

past ternatensis owners, did u experience the same thing or was urs more active? mabye i should cut down the light a little? i would just like to see something besides just his eyes moving around outside teh cave (although it is really cool) he/she is so pretty i just want to see more=) in the tank i have a blue damsel , which my mantis i think is afraid of=P i have a hill of crushed coral on one half of my tank.and by hill i mean about 8 inches up the glass coming down utnil the bottom about 8 inches away, and then a shallow sand bed on the rest with live rock in the middle (where he lives) and a large acropora skeleton colony on the right side (which my damsel sleeps under) i also have some rock anemones and have a bit of caulerpa and chaetomorpha in my tank..any help or suggestions would be appreciated =)

 

[Janina]

I had a G. Glaborous about 4 inches in a 12g nano with a small yellow tailed damsel. I found that when I removed the damsel, the mantis become much more active. Don't know if it would help in your case, but probably can't hurt to try it.

Janina

 

[Pea-brain]

I think you need to forget about the mantis shrimp and consider the possiblility that you don't have a mantis-A man has killed your mantis and put it on a stick and is living in your rock structure surviving on the shrimp you feed your mantis!!! The mantis is just a puppet! quick, blow the thing up! But, if you still think you have a mantis shrimp (DONT BELIEVE THE LIES!!!!) Then I would definately get rid of the damsel. My damsels pick at my mantis (P. ciliata) every once in a while. But once he molts a few more times and has spear again...heh heh heh will he show them >

 

[infalible-one]

pea-brains right..... not about the puppet thing but you should get rid of the damsel.... or at least cut it up and feed ur mantis with his little fishy soul

 

[pikachureefer]

really drop the damsel?! i put him in there cause i thought he woudl be too fast for hte mantis... but its acutally that the mantis is too slow for hte damsel? hm..... i liked the damsel=/ it looked nice as a blue fish swimming around the green caulerpa/chaeto...

are there any other suggestoins or is that it?! thanks for hte advice guys=)

 

[infalible-one]

lots of live rock (or dead rock if you have live rock already) will encourage it to come out. live rock rubble also works. a precise night and day cycle of about 10hr day, 14hr night will also help.

 

[Ms. K]

My ternatensis would cruise around the tank from time to time, but it mostly came out when it was quiet and I was the only person in the room. Well, he probably came out more when there was NO ONE in the room, but you know what I'm saying. He was pretty aggressive, though, and would posture easily.

How long have you had it? If it hasn't been long, your mantis may just need more time to adjust. I would also recommend that you remove your damsel. The mantis will likely come out more often without the fish in there.