mantis food
- Thread starter sbwood007
- Start date
crafty_50mitchell
New member
Well not too sure about the best.. Here's what I use: Whole cockle, whole krill, and there are always some astrea snails in the tank to help the mantis maintain its raptorial appendages. Oh ya and I only feed the cockle etc. every other day. Here's a quick question to others reading this, does anyone soak the mantis food in any supplements (i.e. zoecon or something similiar)?
-Brian
-Brian
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
We use supplements (Selcon), particularly for post larvae and juveniles being fed adult brine shrimp. When we have an O.s. with shell disease, we also add supplements to its diet.
Roy
Roy
crafty_50mitchell
New member
Thanks Dr.Roy for the information. Sbwood007 the cockle isent still alive its frozen, the brand I use is "Gamma" and is sold as "Gamma whole cockle".
Brian
Brian
Ken2001
New member
If you're near the ocean, you can do like I do and collect crabs, snails, hermit crabs, and mussels for your smasher. Be careful with the mussels because they can foul the water really quickly once they die. After the mantis has eaten mussels, I try to get the remains out quickly (which can be pretty tricky with a 5"-6" peacock that likes to give everything new to the tank a quick tap or two, even its reflection in the tank glass 
).
Ken
).Ken
Ken2001
New member
Well, usually I collect from tidepools (and yesterday evening dropped my moble phone into one 
). Anyway, tidepools get pretty warm, and the smaller pools can even dry out between the tides. Most of the animals in them can take a pretty good temperature swing and some drying. I just pick the animals up, throw them into a small plastic bucket, take them home, and toss them into the tank. They don't seem to be any worse for the wear, at least until the meet the tank's owner. Nearly all of the tidepool animals seem to live for days or weeks just fine until they get eaten.
Ken
BTW, I also collect the seawater for water changes in all my tanks. Everything seems to like it and does well. Just be careful where you collect from so you get clean water.
). Anyway, tidepools get pretty warm, and the smaller pools can even dry out between the tides. Most of the animals in them can take a pretty good temperature swing and some drying. I just pick the animals up, throw them into a small plastic bucket, take them home, and toss them into the tank. They don't seem to be any worse for the wear, at least until the meet the tank's owner. Nearly all of the tidepool animals seem to live for days or weeks just fine until they get eaten.Ken
BTW, I also collect the seawater for water changes in all my tanks. Everything seems to like it and does well. Just be careful where you collect from so you get clean water.
GreasyMidget
New member
Drop some crabs in and watch them go ape chit! 
Ken2001
New member
Actually, I just got back from taking the kids to the beach. While they were playing, I waded out and collected about 20 hermits and a crab slightly larger then a half-dollar. I dumped 'em all in the tank, and it was like watching a kid in a candy shop. The mantis would shoot out of its cave and grab a hermit, go in and whack it a couple of times, and come back out and grab another crab. Repeat six times or so, and now the mantis is sitting in the cave cracking crabs like an insane squirrel with a bag full of acorns.
BTW, this is the time of year to collect 'pods from the seaside if you keep fish - they're gathered right on the shoreline, at least up here in New England, and are easy to catch in quantity.
Ken
BTW, this is the time of year to collect 'pods from the seaside if you keep fish - they're gathered right on the shoreline, at least up here in New England, and are easy to catch in quantity.
Ken
crafty_50mitchell
New member
Collecting live food
Collecting live food
Are you guys concerned about the live food you collect, especially if it is right off of the shore line? Im asking in regards to pollutants.
Brian
Collecting live food
Are you guys concerned about the live food you collect, especially if it is right off of the shore line? Im asking in regards to pollutants.
Brian
Ken2001
New member
I'm not - but then again, I do pay attention as to where I collect from. My hermits/snails/crabs/mussels come from the same place I collect NSW for water changes. I try to avoid places that have storm drains nearby, I don't collect after storms, near active boat ramps, or other places where contaminants and run-off could pollute the water. Since I've been collecting NSW, for the last two years, I've not noticed any problems with my reef that could be traced back to the water. I also know guys that have collected from the same places, for over 8 years, with no noticable problems. That said, there could, of course, be problems that I just haven't noticed (ie chemical buildup in the animal tissue that takes years before damage becomes apparent, metals buildup in the LR or sandbed, etc.). However, I don't think so. I'd guess the biggest potential danger could be from the mussels, since they are filter feeders and can quickly buildup pollutants in their tissue that would be released in the tank when they die. I think that from where I'm collecting, things are safe, but YMMV.
Ken
PS: I looked at Gojira's tank this morning (See, I finally named my peacock!). It's really really grisly in there. On one side of the tank are the remains of multiple hermits, legs, heads, abdomens, etc, tossed to the side of the yard like beer cans after a trailer-trash party. Skulking around under rocks and in corners are the surviving hermits and one crab, chewing on leftover limbs. Back in his cave, Gojira was doing a bit of housecleaning, carting out armloads of sand, and the occasional hermit body-part, while the remaining hermits scatter every time he makes an appearance. At this point, Gojira really isn't paying attention to the crabs - I'd guess he's gorged himself at last night's feast and will probably be taking the day to sleep it off.
Major water change , and removal of the "beer cans" in the yard, when I get home tonight.
Ken
PS: I looked at Gojira's tank this morning (See, I finally named my peacock!). It's really really grisly in there. On one side of the tank are the remains of multiple hermits, legs, heads, abdomens, etc, tossed to the side of the yard like beer cans after a trailer-trash party. Skulking around under rocks and in corners are the surviving hermits and one crab, chewing on leftover limbs. Back in his cave, Gojira was doing a bit of housecleaning, carting out armloads of sand, and the occasional hermit body-part, while the remaining hermits scatter every time he makes an appearance. At this point, Gojira really isn't paying attention to the crabs - I'd guess he's gorged himself at last night's feast and will probably be taking the day to sleep it off.
Major water change , and removal of the "beer cans" in the yard, when I get home tonight.
Last edited:
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
I've written a few posts about this over the past few years.
The quality of locally caught snails and crabs from polluted waters is definitely a problem. We had a lot of troube with this feeding Tegula and bivalves from inside San Francisco Bay. Heavy metals were the major problem.
I know that there has been a similar problem feeding GPO's locally caught prey in Seattle.
We now only use prey taken from outside the Bay and have had fewere problems.
Roy
The quality of locally caught snails and crabs from polluted waters is definitely a problem. We had a lot of troube with this feeding Tegula and bivalves from inside San Francisco Bay. Heavy metals were the major problem.
I know that there has been a similar problem feeding GPO's locally caught prey in Seattle.
We now only use prey taken from outside the Bay and have had fewere problems.
Roy
Ken2001
New member
Roy,
That makes sense - particularly regarding SFB - it's supposed to be even worse then Boston harbor was (not Boston's inner harbor though - we take peverse pride in how dirty that was). Do you think similar problems apply to ocean facing shores - that is, ones that are directly receiving ocean currents, unlike shores in harbors and bays where the water doesn't circulate as freely? I'd really hate to think I was poisoning Gojira and Mantizzila (and myself too - I dive for lobsters and scallops (legally) in the same waters). Would crabs, hermits, and snails be more likely to accumulate poisons in their tissues then would animals fished for human consumption in the same waters (that is, animals living right at the shore line, rather then animals collected hundreds of yards offshore)? Or do you think the problem is mostly associated with bivalves and molluscs?
Thanks,
Ken
That makes sense - particularly regarding SFB - it's supposed to be even worse then Boston harbor was (not Boston's inner harbor though - we take peverse pride in how dirty that was). Do you think similar problems apply to ocean facing shores - that is, ones that are directly receiving ocean currents, unlike shores in harbors and bays where the water doesn't circulate as freely? I'd really hate to think I was poisoning Gojira and Mantizzila (and myself too - I dive for lobsters and scallops (legally) in the same waters). Would crabs, hermits, and snails be more likely to accumulate poisons in their tissues then would animals fished for human consumption in the same waters (that is, animals living right at the shore line, rather then animals collected hundreds of yards offshore)? Or do you think the problem is mostly associated with bivalves and molluscs?
Thanks,
Ken
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Ken,
This is getting outside my area, but in general the concentration of toxins such as heavy metals is partly related to what the contaminants are, where the contaminants enter the system, and where you are on the food chain. Unfortunately, many pollutants can be concentrated as you move up the food chain. That is why open water fish that live near shore can be pretty nasty. The micro-organisms feeding on the bottom are injested by bottom feeders such as bivalves, snalis and crabs that are eaten by bottom feeding fish that are taken by bigger fish that are taken by you that is taken by a great white.
This is getting outside my area, but in general the concentration of toxins such as heavy metals is partly related to what the contaminants are, where the contaminants enter the system, and where you are on the food chain. Unfortunately, many pollutants can be concentrated as you move up the food chain. That is why open water fish that live near shore can be pretty nasty. The micro-organisms feeding on the bottom are injested by bottom feeders such as bivalves, snalis and crabs that are eaten by bottom feeding fish that are taken by bigger fish that are taken by you that is taken by a great white.
polymorphus
In Memoriam
I have been feeding my g. smitti mysis shrimp. Any issues/problems with that?
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
It really depends on where the mysids come from. If they are living in sewage, they could be very bad - if they are from a pristine beach, very good. Gonodactylus smithii seems to be a pretty tought species and we have had few problems maintaining them. If fact, most of the time we feed adult live brind shrimp with an occasional snail to maintain the striking musculature.
Roy
Roy
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