mantis and clams?
- Thread starter Isis
- Start date
Fcamdog
New member
A smasher will definetly go for a clam. In a tank I had a couple of years ago I put a 2" Derasa clam into a tank I thought was mantis free and in under 10 minutes a peacock mantis was checking it out. I was able to catch him right away though. He went into an easily accessible rock. As for a spearer, common sense tells me no but I don't have any proof for that.
If you're near the east or west coasts, check out your local seafood monger. Here in Seattle, even the grocery store seafood counters sell a couple species of live steamer clams that my peacock mantises love. They are manilla littlenecks and eastern softshell clams. If you can't find these varieties, try one or two of whatever kind of live clam they have, and keep and eye on it in your tank. I've found a variety (that I can't identify) that dies within minutes in my warm tanks and pollutes the water. If the shell opens up and doesn't close when tapped (and there is no siphon sticking out), remove it immediately. Also pull out partially eaten clams as soon as the mantis discards them.
Keep in mind that a small smasher may not be able to break open a clam bigger than 1 inch. I feed clams about 1" to my 4" peacock, and 2" to my 6" peacock. They get 1/2 dozen each every couple weeks.
HTH
Jennifer
Keep in mind that a small smasher may not be able to break open a clam bigger than 1 inch. I feed clams about 1" to my 4" peacock, and 2" to my 6" peacock. They get 1/2 dozen each every couple weeks.
HTH
Jennifer
Clams
Clams
I had a large peacock mantis for a few years that i fed small frozen manilla clams to once a week. I work as a server in a resturant and the head chef got me an amazing deal on a 5 lb bag of them. I really wanted to get shelled food for my mantis to put those giant smashers to work. He seemed to love the clams and i loved to watch him bash them open. I even fed him some mussels i pryed off the local peer here. Though, i only fed him a few of those and never again for fear of the pollution in the water that they were harvested.
My pride and joy "Virgil" the mantis passed away about 2 weeks ago during a molt. Had him for 4 years. His adult size at death was 61/2 inches and nearly 1 inch thick. He was a monster!
I went to the LFS this week and was surprised to see his prodigy. A roughly 4 to 4 1/2 inch male (i think) peacock mantis. I bought him right away for 35 bux. This guy is amazing! Much more green then the female i had before. I will post a pic as soon as i take one.
Clams
I had a large peacock mantis for a few years that i fed small frozen manilla clams to once a week. I work as a server in a resturant and the head chef got me an amazing deal on a 5 lb bag of them. I really wanted to get shelled food for my mantis to put those giant smashers to work. He seemed to love the clams and i loved to watch him bash them open. I even fed him some mussels i pryed off the local peer here. Though, i only fed him a few of those and never again for fear of the pollution in the water that they were harvested.
My pride and joy "Virgil" the mantis passed away about 2 weeks ago during a molt. Had him for 4 years. His adult size at death was 61/2 inches and nearly 1 inch thick. He was a monster!
I went to the LFS this week and was surprised to see his prodigy. A roughly 4 to 4 1/2 inch male (i think) peacock mantis. I bought him right away for 35 bux. This guy is amazing! Much more green then the female i had before. I will post a pic as soon as i take one.
Wow, 4 years! I hope I have my girls that long!
I can't get my girls to eat frozen bivalves. They immediately toss them on the trash heap. I guess I've spoiled them.
I know what you mean about the pollution. I stopped catching crabs for my girls after the Parks people posted notices about treating parts of Puget Sound with an herbicide to get rid of an invasive seaweed. Considering that whale experts feel that the Sound's water is unhealthy for an orca, I probably shouldn't catch any more at all. Wish I lived near clean water!
Jennifer
I can't get my girls to eat frozen bivalves. They immediately toss them on the trash heap. I guess I've spoiled them.
I know what you mean about the pollution. I stopped catching crabs for my girls after the Parks people posted notices about treating parts of Puget Sound with an herbicide to get rid of an invasive seaweed. Considering that whale experts feel that the Sound's water is unhealthy for an orca, I probably shouldn't catch any more at all. Wish I lived near clean water!
Jennifer
Fish_and_XR
New member
so they eat clams.
Oh well... another food source for my mantises. i am new to keeping mantises as they are hard to find in my country.
Oh well... another food source for my mantises. i am new to keeping mantises as they are hard to find in my country.
check the food market - they sell a live variety that is supposedly very tastey - like a mix of crab and lobster 
They will each any clams that you drop into the tank...but not immediately. I had 6 live Manila Clams in my 24G JBJ Nano and it took more than a month for all the clams to get eaten. Of course I was feeding it other stuff too, but if it was too hungry it might have eaten them fater.
what kind of smasher - I was thinking of a O.S., but I have a 4-inch croeca that is a non-negotiable.
how large are these "manila clams"
how large are these "manila clams"
