mantis and fish

[lanzo]

hey guys i'm new on this forum.

One of my friends on MASA forum told me that you guys can help me allot with info about a mantis.

i got a panoramic 10mm thick glass tank(120l)
it came with a mantis, but he died from tress, he molted a few days before moving tank.( o. scyllarus).
it has a 13mm deep araganite sandbed.

i did some research and it comes down to O.Brevirostris, G. Smithii and O. Scyllarus.

i like the o scyllarus very much but will he kill fish or not, if i keep him\her well fed will he\she attack fish?

 

[Guygettnby]

it all depends on the mantis. they all have there own personality like us. some will do fine and others wont. usualy the smashers dont mess with fish too much but again it depends on the mantis.

 

[lanzo]

i got a o.scyllaus( peacock) mantis, he is 7cm long.

Very very beautiful and the first thing he did when i entered him, he dove done between the LR and started smashing something, very very cool.

So with what kind of fish can i test with?

 

[MantisO_o]

It really depends on the mantis. my old Peacocks did fine with the clown fishes but my new ones eats fish as i tested to put a Damsel...and yah. I'd say just try with a Damsel and see...their the cheapest fish to try with.

 

[lanzo]

wicked cool, i'll do this tomorrow.

This is my first mantis, i know only little about them( did some reading but some guys say this and others say that).

what must i feed him?
mussles?
crabs?
oysters?

any info will be appreciated very much,
i'll paste a pic tomorrow

 

[MantisO_o]

I feed mine fiddler crabs and fish better saltwater base food once a week or twice. If more they tend to not eat or play with their food...lol at least those i have.

 

[lanzo]

say they need to be fed twice a week?
Any specific vitamins that need to be added with their food?

 

[MantisO_o]

At least once or twice a week ether of the following...

Smashers - live foods like Hermits, Snails, and Fiddlers; frozen foods like thawed Krill soaked in Vitachem & or Selcon.

Spearers - Silversides, Damsels/Chromis and or thawed Krill soaked in Vitachem & or Selcon.

Personally i just gut load feed the Fiddler crabs for a day and i feed them to my kids. No freshwater base life cuz it be like giving them nothing...they have no nutritional value. Also don't over feed it will just create poor water conditions and the mantis will not eat regularly. Mine tend to go towards the glass and look at me if not tap on the glass till i give them food...lol however i feed them once a week.

 

[lanzo]

thanks allot mantiso, is there any thing else i must know that is important?

 

[MantisO_o]

np. can't think of anything at the moment shrugs...lol

 

[lanzo]

thanks man

 

[John7429]

I just put a damsel into my peacock's home... so far so good.

Mantis is about 5"
4bar damnselfish is about 3"

 

[MantisO_o]

Once the test Damsel seem to be okay. I'd say wait about a week before you add whatever else. Once you decided on whatever you want to add with the mantis i suggest do it about the same time. Reason which i just remembered is that my old ones did not eat the fish or harm them BUT once the mantis is use to those you put with him. any new fish added later on...like about month +. Might not be so safe...lol As i learned when i added puffers about 6 months later to the two fish i already had with her. She ignore the old ones as always (They were, a blenny and a maroon clown) but the 3 three inch puffers i added became Miss Peacock new ornaments of her barrow...lol So just remembered that... and basically she got territorial to the new fish added. To make sure...i suggest to feed your Mantis 2 times a week. So it won't feel to take a snack if she happen to do it randomly.