Mantis Newby

[dbrooks1440]

I just picked up a free mantis last weekend for my 20g I keep in my office at work. No idea what "kind" he is except that I know he's a smasher (he's smashing the hell out of all my hermits and snails as we speak).

The only tank mates are 4 ea. damsels (if something is going to die - it's going to be a damsel...).

My question is wrt feeding. What, and how often, should I feed this little beast? I am tempted to just restock with snails and hermits every coupld of weeks. How long can they go without a good meal?

Any input is appreciated.

DBrooks
San Diego

 

[rwhhunt]

I feed every day to every other day, depending on if he will come out for the smell of food. If you can afford it, live food would be very good...

 

[Uriel]

Snails and hermits seem to be the staple of live food, unless you have a ready supply of shore crabs (San Diego) that are 'clean' and that you can collect. They take to thawed shrimp/scallop/squid and even fish with relative ease, though you don't want to get them completely on this diet, as their smasher would atrophy from lack of use.

I am a bad person to ask about how long they can go without a good meal, as I spoil mine to a rediculousldegree. I offer food every nearly day, keep snails and hermits in all of the tanks and pick up ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs 1-2 times a week for them.

They can go quite a bit (a week or two, longer?) without anything significant, but Dr. Caldwell (Gonodactylus) is the expert.


-Ron

 

[dbrooks1440]

Thank you

Thank you

anothar quick question with, what I think will be, an obvious answer...

Can you keep more thatn one mantis in a 20g?

 

[Uriel]

Not smashers.
Even if they 'get along' for a bit, when one molts, there is a high chance that the other will kill them.
there are some spearers that live communally, and I really want to get a handful from Florida, where one species lives.


-Ron

 

[dantodd]

The good news is it looks like he'll eat for you.