Mantis Shrimp Owners

[Matt Scars]

I've been lurking a couple of them at coral reef for the past couple of weeks trying to get the ones I am interested in use to me.

6 days and counting until one comes home with me!

I've talked to Mel and EVERYONE else about them and I have gotten some awesome information and I thank you all very much.

Post pics and useful info that you might tell someone who is a newbie to mantis skrimpps.. Show setups and everything.

This is my new setup for her. Its been set up since January 15th and has about 5lbs of DEAD REEF ROCK and about 3lbs of rubble, and a 10lb bag of that live Caribsea or whatever. A damsel will inhabit the tank today until the mantis comes home.

 

[Pandarian]

I've kept mantises in the past. Which species are you getting?

 

[acrodave]

First i would make sure the tank is stable. Even know they are a mean animal they are very sensitive to unstable water conditions.keep your alk and ca. levels right.you will also want to do water changes to keep the no3 low. since they are very dirty because of the way they eat. if you are getting a smasher witch i think are easier to keep. i would feed it about every 2 days or so. i would feed it crabs, hermits and snails..i feed mine mosty small chunks of table shrimp.i would also keep a few snails in the tank all the time to keep the tank clean and for the mantis to feed on if its hungry. as far for something for it to live in i like 2in pvc tubes to make a artificial burrow that u can hide under the rocks. or it will never feel safe.when they are going to shed you wont see it for a few weeks. during this time you dont want to mess with it any. no water change or try feeding it.All this is a good start i would also check out the mantis fourm for alot more info

this mantis is a peacock that used to be Donny's

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i had it for about a year and it passed on. so now it have this one a japonicus

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I hope this helps some

 

[Pandarian]

Great pics Dave. How's the japonicus's personality compared to the scyllarus's?

 

[acrodave]

its night and day. the scyllarus was real bold came out alot and would hold its ground .while the japonicus is a little bit more shy and hits and runs. it does come out but not as much as the other. I think it has to do with were they come from Dr.Roy says that the japonicus comes from deeper water so they are a bit more shy. and the scyllarus from shallow so i think that makes them a bit more bold.. the japonicus is not collected as much being from deep water so its kinda one of the ones you gotta have if your into mantis shrimp

 

[EvilMel]

I still say that you could sell those mantis condos, Dave.

They are awesome!

 

[acrodave]

yeah maybe.. i wonder how kims is doing . any one ever see her any more

 

[EvilMel]

I've talked to her. Layla is doing fine from what I hear.

 

[Flavum]

Any New Updates matt?

 

[Matt Scars]

Well, we were ready to get the Mantis and I did a water test the day before we went to get here and apparently my PH was off and there was too much ammonia? So I assumed I was cycling again or wasn't done yet.

The tank has been up since January 14th. I've done several water changes to get everything right and its still not quite there yet. So we're just waiting until the water is good before we invest that much money into an Invert.

 

[Flavum]

If its still in cycle you dont want to do a waterchange, Wait till ammonia and nitrite bottom out and just have nitrate. Keep us posted I wanna see some pics!

 

[EvilMel]

Yes. Russell is right. Leave it be!

You put the damsels in there? If you put them in there they might have caused a bit of a cycle, which will be over soon. I'd definitely wait until you're 100% certain that it's stable.

 

[Pandarian]

I don't want to contradict Russell or Mel, because they know what they are doing and I <3 them, so I will just introduce this thought on water changes during the cycling period.

It has been suggested that water changes in cycle will actually speed up the cycling process. The theory is that by removing ammonia early during the cycle, it cannot accumulate as much. This leads to less toxicity buildup and will prevent unneeded bacterial die off, thus decreasing the cycle time. The excess bacterial die off without water changes may prolong the cycle.

But of course, I'm merely introducing the concept. I'm not suggesting it. Who knows if this really happens in practical application. Or if it really makes that much of a difference. Probably not.

 

[EvilMel]

Hmmm...so the bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrite are basically feeding the other group of bacteria that convert nitrite into nitrate, right?

What I mean is that since it's done by two different populations of bacteria (supposedly) when ammonia is converted into nitrite it provides an essential nitrogenous compound to the next set of bacteria. Seems like if there's less ammonia then there's less nitrite, meaning there's less food, meaning there's fewer bacteria. True? False?

 

[TriMax]

I have learned/read that you put in the tanks some peel and eat shrimp from the grocery store. The decay of the shrimp produces ammonia. The ammonia eating bacteria eat the ammonia and produce nitrites. Then the nitrite eating bacteria (another type/population) eat the nitrites and produce the nitrates. Then you hope you have some of the nitrate eating bacteria (a completely – non oxygen type) that eat the nitrates and produce nitrogen gas. The N2 gas then leaves the aquarium on its own.

You add more shrimp to produce more ammonia so you can build a population of each bacteria so, when, after your tank cycles, you will have enough of each to take care of the extra uneaten food, fish poop, the dead snail that is hidden behind the rocks, when they produces ammonia. That is why you add fish slowly. When the new fish poops and produces additional ammonia – above the current load which the current bacteria population can handle – the current bacteria population will increase to take care of the additional load in a timely manner so the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate increase will be minimized.

It seems that removing ammonia with a water change would slow down/inhibit/stifle the cycle process.

I do not know of a bacteria “die-off” during cycling. Of course, the fact that I do not know about it does not mean much. :lol:

 

[ZombieFlesh]

I think what Donny is saying is that once the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrite loses its source of food (ammonia) that particular bacteria dies off. Then there is another spike of ammonia, which then has to form new bacteria to digest the new ammonia that was formed when the original ammonia eating bacteria died off. Thus slowing the whole process down and keeping nitrites in the tank longer than necessary. Is that what you were getting at Donny?

 

[Pandarian]

You know what Mel and Eddy, I never really thought about it that way. It really does make sense biologically. I guess at one point I heard it and saw evidence for it, so it must have made big enough impression to stick. And also, I've seen a lot of reputable people say it as well. I guess I have forgotten what the original evidence was. I need to find out what that thought was and why I believed it.

Anyways, it may have been because I was so into negative feedbacks. That biasness may have lent itself towards my reasoning. To be honest, from what I've been learning on the biochemical reactions side of things, it can go either way. I really do want to take a look at it again. Or I can just ask my friend at UT that has a Ph.D. In microbiology. :lol:

Anyways Mel, are you coming to nash this weekend? Have time for lunch or something? Maybe you can answer my question as well.

Trey, that wasn't really what I was trying to go at. I was more thinking like this... Some cells in your body (and also different microorganisms within the body) can sometimes release substances or byproducts (ie. hormones, transmitters, etc.). Eventually, as those substances accumulate and reach a threshold, it gives a feedback to reduce or completely inhibit additional release. Some microorganisms and cells can actually die from an excess in byproduct they make. Basically, to keep things in check. I guess my thinking was that an aquarium is similar to our bodies. After all, they are both closed systems to a certain extent. But anyway, I need to find out why I was so sure water changes would help. Realistically, I don't think it really matters. It's just the nerd scientists inside of us that wants to know what really happens.

 

[Pandarian]

Edit: Actually Mel, the marathon isn't this weekend. I was thinking that it was for some reason. Nevermind about the coming to nash thing.

 

[ZombieFlesh]

Sooooooo, what your saying is that Dinosaurs never laid eggs and that the sky is purple on Tuesdays?

 

[Pandarian]

Close, but not really. Dinosaurs laid eggs ON a purple Tuesday.