Mantis shrimp help!!

[MrMorton]

I'm currently researching buying a mantis shrimp (N. wennerae) from tbs and I have a few Questions.

1. everyone says to feed mantis shrimp live food at least once a month but i am not in a position to feed them live food very often at all (certainly not crabs or snails...) in order to maintain its raptoral appendages i was wondering if i could feed it clams (frozen), in cohesion with salad shrimp and maybe some live brine shrimp just to make him chase stuff around .

2 There is a confusing thing on the tbs website when looking at the price list...it says that the N. wennerae costs 10$ but it also says "one N. wennerae delivered right to your door" costs 50$. I know a lot of people have ordered from them so i was wondering if anyone had info on this oddity.

on other subjects...here is my tank setup so far...tell me what you think and if it will work well

aquaeurousa 12.5g open top aquarium (its glass but it is cheap, good reviews, and I read that small mantis shrimps cant't break glass)with a glass cover

petco brand 15 watt florescent lighting (i heard they don't need much lighting and i can touching the tank if need be)

5 lbs of tbs or fiji lr (which is better[fiji rock from aloha aquariums<--cheap])

3.5 inches of argonite dead sand (how many lbs is that)

thanks for all comments :bounce3: :bounce3: :bounce3:

:fish1:

 

[stepho]

1) Why aren't you in a position to feed him live once a month? Snails should be pretty cheap, you don't need very big ones.

2) I believe the $50 includes shipping. I got mine from TBS but I am local so I picked him up with some rock.

an N wennerae is not going to be breaking any glass tanks, only a few species are capable of doing that.

I have the same fixture for my wennerae, he is very active under it. Much more active with it then when I had a 23w CFL spiral bulb from home depot.

I like the tbs rock. When I got mine with my mantis he gave me a rock with a really nice tunnel system my mantis has lived in for the past year and a half and another rock with a lot of barnacles on it (which he ate).

What are the dimensions for the tank?

 

[MrMorton]

thank you for such a timely response

1 My family/girlfriend are sooo against feeding live animals to the mantis shrimp (even snails ) and there are no stores within 45 minutes of where i live that carry any live sw inverts (crayfish are bad for the shrimp apparently).

2 okay thanks for the info

3 tank dimensions are 13.5" H x 16.5" W x 15" D

thanks again

 

[Koshmar]

You can use empty snail shells and pack them with frozen food, make sure to pack them in well because the mantis can simply pull the food out. Also, your mantis will probably get pleanty of rap exercise from expanding its burrow. Honestly, if I were you, I would order up a bunch of live snails online and pick them up at the shipping center, and feed them to the mantis anyway. If your GF or family doesn't like it, tuff luck, let them deal with it. It's nature.

 

[MrMorton]

lol thanks...but really...will clams work, I can get them cheaply...

I don't look forward to having to pay 20+ $ just to ship some snails that will end up as food (and paying 1.50 per snail)

also another question...do i need a heater or cooler my room goes from 72-80 F (i live in Texas) and the aquarium I have has a cooling fan...

 

[Koshmar]

I live in Dallas and have never had a real problem with temperature except when the power went out one time. I would get a heater because as you know it can get really cold really fast around here without warning. You can pick up a heater for about ten-twenty dollars which is well worth the investment. I have mine plugged in and set to turn on if the temp gets to less than say 75 F. These guys are pretty hardy, when there was a huge power outage my tank temp got up to 85 and my guys survived it. Clams will work, just make sure they weren't perserved with any nasty chemicals, so in other words make sure they are fresh and uncontaminated. I feed my two mysid shrimp, squid , krill, silversides, and brine shrimp. There is also a nutritional suppliment you can buy called "selcon" that many mantis keepers use, including myself. You can find it at most lfs for around fifteen dollars and it will last you several months to a year.

 

[MrMorton]

ok thank you

 

[stepho]

If you get an N. wennerae I don't think you will need a heater since they can be found as far north as North Carolina.

I see what you mean about the family thing. My girlfriend nearly broke up with me when I fed my guy a stone crab I found in my reef tank.

According to my calculator 40 pounds should be about 3.5" sand bed.

 

[MrMorton]

thanks for the info

 

[MrMorton]

I just found a lfs in my area ( not 8 minutes from my house) :dance: :smokin: :lol: :fun2: <-- yes I'm that excited lol
soo i could sneak some snails in there but I'd just have to buy one at a time

 

[Thurge]

:idea: Every tank needs an algae clean up crew. So you aren't technically feeding them to the mantis, you are purchasing natural algae controllers who are being picked off.:bounce3:

And its $10 for the mantis and $40 for shipping = $50
Still the best deal I know of.

 

[cameronpalte]

late reply but with tbs you can order 10lbs of live rock and it'll come with a mantis. Their the only place I hear of people getting mantis in all orders.

 

[TundraGuy]

late reply lol 2 years late