mantis ?s

[bluegrizzlies1]

My daughter has a 29 gallon tank and has been up and running over a year now.

She has discovered she has a mantis who knows how long it has been in there she says it is an inch in a half.

Nothing has been killed maybe some snails but she has a pretty big black saddle back clown and a sixline. She has a pistol shrimp and a cleaner shrimp and a sexy shrimp. Im sure the mantis will take out the sexy but Im not sure of anything else.

Im not sure what kind of mantis it is is there any that play nice?

She doesnt really want it but wanted to know if it will kill more things?

mantis in the middle in the hole in the rock

 

[micstarz]

That shrimp is sketchy but the fish should be fine.

How can anyone "not" want a mantis shrimp?

 

[noahm]

Feed him bits of shrimp etc. on a skewer. Start by putting it loosely on the end near his hole. They will become quite friendly and basically a fat mantis is a happy one. He will get lazy and even leave your hermits and snails alone.

 

[jb61264]

Hard to tell from the picture provided what type of mantis you have but there is a great forum on mantis shrimp right here on Reef Central (check the Invert and Plant forum section)...lots of "mantis fanatics" (including me) who have devoted tanks to mantis

Its really a crap shoot with mantis as far as what they may or may not take in your tank as they all have different characteristics but they are probably one of THE most fascinating creatures you could ever have in your aquarium.

I had one in my 29 gallon BioCube for probably 8-9 months with a Coral Beauty and Coral Beauty and he never bothered them, however as soon as I put a firefish in, the next day it had two tiny gash marks on its back and two days later it was gone (no doubt taken by my mantis). I'm sure this fish was taken because it was smaller and because at night it would take refuge on the bottom between two pieces of live rock...this is what prompted me to modify a 10 gallon tank to keep my mantis separated...now I get to feed him bits of shrimp and more recently watch him attack one of the the cleanup crew members I am trying to keep in there (hermit crab)...which was fascinating and means I need to feed him more often

Keep him...you won't be sorry

 

[Tangalong]

Putting in a few Margarita snails will keep him very happy and in good physical condition. I have more fun with my Stomatopod than I ever imagined...they have a lot of personality. What color is he/she? I couldn't tell in the picture.