Mantis Shrimp Set Up help

[tranamosity]

Hi all,

i am setting up a mantis tank and will be ordering a peacock from my lfs soon...

i have a 30g tank with a external fluval 305 filter..do i really need live rock or can i get away without it?

i have read that these are very hardy little critters, and that is why im wondering if i needlive rock or not...

look frward to reading your advise and tips as im a noob in the mantis game

Thanks...oh yeah can some onalso tell me how i up load m avatar pic, cant find browze or upload opton in the change avatar section

 

[TMPoften]

They need some sort of shelter and sand bed to construct their home out of. I have seen people use PVC piping instead of live rock. I personally prefer live rock because I like the natural look and my mantis shrimp is very active and is always constructing a network of tunnels and moving bits and pieces of live rock around. Good luck with your mantis shrimp and post some pics of it sometime.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

they need a burrow of some sort and you have to have 100 posts or more(it goes by fast) to get a custom avatar

 

[justinl]

TMP's got most of it but i would also put in some small rubble. peasized rocks and a few smal shells. it is very cool to see a mantis use little pieces of rock to construct what it needs.

note that if you get a spearer mantis (as opposed to a smasher), the burrow may be quite different. decide what mantis you want before building the tank.

 

[tranamosity]

yeah i plan to put white ocean rock and other rocks for him to hide in and substrate to burrow. Its just i wanted to save money buy not using live rock...do i need the live rock or will the other rocks surfice?

Ive got a FO marine setup and had some of my fish die occasionally....the tank is stable now and going strong!!
Id be gutted if my new Mantis were to die so ill do all to keep him comfortable...but is it true they are hardy little critters and can be kept in poor water conditions...

thanks guys

 

[Pea-brain]

Some are and some aren't. Your average hitchhiker (N. wennerae for example) can take a cycling tank and still go strong. However peacocks ten to be a bit more sensitive. Don't worry tooo much they are still pretty hardy but in poor conditions large adults can develop shell disease which can be fatal if it progresses to much before the molt.

 

[tranamosity]

thanks pea brain,

i will be using a external fluval 305 filter. hope that it is good enough????

What about the Live rock situation..Do i need it??? i will put white ocean rocks and other rocks for him..will that do??

and what sort of feeding regime will i be looking at...i live near the sea so will be able to live food ost of the time..will frozen also do..??

 

[Pea-brain]

Yep frozens works well. Frozen shrimp, frozen squid etc. Just as long as it is raw seafood that isn't treated with too many bad chemicals. Live rock Is a great biological filter, which is why I would use it in my tank. Just use mostly base rocks (those old coral skeletons)and some Live rocks to seed the tank. You will also get coraline. I don't know alot about canister filters and I prefer the old biological filters (macro algaes, Live rock, Deep sand bed etc. etc. But you shouldn't use deep sand beds in a peacock tank because they will just plow through it and burry food/molt skin in it) I don't know much about canister filters. I like to rely on my biological filter for most of the work. So I can't tell you if it is enough or not.

 

[bryon0508]

live rock is a must

1 it will give them a place to hide

2 it will help with keeping the tank good peramiters

3 it just looks better

 

[DaveBien]

ROCK is necessary. Just use mostly base (not live) rock and add some live rock with coraline. The base rock will become LIVE rock over time. Its like Pea-Brain said. Actually it's magic.... lol