Mantis Shrimp set up

[Stork141]

OK so ive always been interested in mantis shrimp after i got my first hitchhiker in my LR. I currently am running a 180 reef system and would like to add a Mantis shrimp set up to the mix. My first question is what tank i should use. I have a drilled 15g and a undrilled 20g. Im leaning toward the 15g 12x24x12 due to the fact that it is drilled and i could loop it into my system.

So my first question is a 15g large enough to do a mantis?

Im thinking of a peacock (due to their vivid color) but some of the spearers have some amazing coloration also. What would work best in the 15g?

Tank idea: LR with a pvc den with about 1-2" of substrate

Questions about set up:

Ive read that making a pvc den can keep them from cracking through the rock and possibly your glass making their own den. I understand that it may not chose to use the pvc and make its own but if it helps ill take it.

Placing egg crate and plexi glass on the bottom to help prevent cracking.

What the reason for keeping rocks away from the glass? Ive read this in a number of threads and wondering why.

So seeing what you guys think? if the tank is too small ill pass if you think it will work i would really like to set up a mantis shrimp tank.

 

[Fartin'Gary]

No peacock and no spearers. Spearers need a deep sand bed and Peacocks need at least a 40 breeder full grown.

You could do some of the smaller smasher species. Looks through Roy's list for ideas. N. wennerae and G. Smitthi are the most common smaller ones and easy to find.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

 

[Keoki18]

Agreed, even though they do sell small peacocks, they will eventually be too large for that tank. G. Smitthi are really awesome to keep. Either tank will work.

 

[Stork141]

Thanks guys ya thats what ive been reading. I have plenty of empty tanks right now so when it needs it i could always switch the tanks around. I have a 40b a 72g, and 75g that are drilled and sitting dry. Wife just asked if i do set one up if i could just make it a small one for the time being. Used up alot of my brownie points on the 2nd DT so im stepping lightly haha.

 

[Fartin'Gary]

Sometimes you can find a P.Ciliata. That will go well in a 20 long. Even though it's a spearer, it doesn't need a deep sand bed and will do fine with a PVC burrow. They are active and always running around exploring. They have cool checkered eyes.

 

[Stork141]

The 20 is the same foot print but just 16" tall. Would really like to have a nice active one. My buddies peacock is always ripping around the tank. Great personality. So id like to have something like that in my 15g if at all possible.

 

[Fartin'Gary]

If you can find a small baby peacock then it should be fine for a year or so in a smaller tank. Since it will be plumbed into your main tank, water quality won't be an issue. I have only seen a tiny peacock once and it sold fast. It was about 3". Most that I see are around full grown.

 

[Keoki18]

If you can find a small baby peacock then it should be fine for a year or so in a smaller tank. Since it will be plumbed into your main tank, water quality won't be an issue. I have only seen a tiny peacock once and it sold fast. It was about 3". Most that I see are around full grown.

Agreed. If you do find a small peacock I would grab him. It is very rare though to find them less than 6" or so. Small ones could be raised in a small tank like the 20, but as soon as they reach a size over 4.5 - 5" I would move him to a bigger tank. They are very intelligent creatures and will need the space and rock work to explore. Spearing species usually dont wander around, but can be fairly massive when sold at pet stores, and for obvious reasons, would need a bigger tank.

 

[Stork141]

Ok thanks guys. So i guess now from the sounds of it getting a baby peacock is nearly impossible. Looking at other species what would you guys suggest. Would like something thats active with some nice color. Have been looking online and lots of places seem to be out of mantis sadly. Any good place to look online?

 

[Fartin'Gary]

Since you are going to be plumbed into a massive system and your water will be great, I suggest looking for an O.havanensis. They are small but very active and just as pretty as a peacock. They are a deeper water mantis shrimp like the peacock so the same level of care is needed. They are good in around 20 gallons fully grown.

There is a live rock place in Florida that gets them regularly, I just can't remember the name of the place. I'll look around. The smaller you get it, the longer you will have it.

Edit: Found it! http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=31&osCsid=4e95d204d7f6ccccb655df41ba7896c1

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...straca/royslist/species.php?name=o_havanensis

 

[Stork141]

OK thanks so from the looks of it these little guys stay small <3" am i reading that correct? Whats the life span of these guys?

Also see that they have P. ciliata in stock you mentioned before that this would work also in my tank set up. Would either of these guys be ok? I know one is a spearer and one is a smasher.

 

[Fartin'Gary]

Yes they stay small 3" is probably full grown. They have a 3 year life span maybe longer in the wild. They are very sensitive to water changing parameters so it's important to drip acclimate them for a long time. Their personalities are as outgoing if not more than a peacock.
A P. Ciliata is a spearer and would work in a smaller tank 20 gallon long being full grown. They are pretty active as well. I saw an orange one in the pet store once and it was pretty interactive. They get almost 4" max.

Here is their care http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...acostraca/royslist/species.php?name=p_ciliata

 

[Stork141]

Would you say go with one over the other at all. The P. ciliata is amazing. Are they always that Yellow/Orange coloration?

 

[Adetia]

Would you say go with one over the other at all. The P. ciliata is amazing. Are they always that Yellow/Orange coloration?

From the link in Fartin'Gary's post:

Color: Variable; green, yellow, brown, black, cream. Can be one solid color, have a stripe running down the back, or a mottled appearance. Color and pattern often matches color of habitat. Will change color in the aquarium across molts depending on lighting and habitat color.

 

[Stork141]

OK i plan on doing a mini reef with softies and mushrooms. I have a old 24" 4 bulb t5 fixture believe 2 blue+,aqua Blue and a Purple +. So basically lets say i buy one and he comes in yellow over the coarse of months he may change to a orange, green, or cream color based on my tank set up? Sound cool id hope he would stay yellow.

Side note i had a frog fish that i would but different colored decoration in every couple months to change his color. Im gona guess that the mantis wont do that to the extent of the frog fish.

 

[Stork141]

What would you guys suggest O.havanensis or P. Ciliata

 

[Adetia]

What would you guys suggest O.havanensis or P. Ciliata

That's your call. I love my O Havanesis but I never owned a P Ciliata so I can't comment on them. In the end it comes down to a simple question: Would you rather see stuff get stabbed or smashed? Once you have an answer to that, you'll know which mantis you'll want.

 

[Stork141]

Well thats the hardest question to answer after watching videos both are so cool. I guess i dont care what they do as long as its active in the tank and i can learn more about keeping a mantis.

 

[Fartin'Gary]

I fed my peacock mostly frozen food soaked in selcon and stuffed into snail shells. She really enjoyed beating on that. I fed her the occasional crab just to see how she handles it. It's pretty brutal so I only gave her three the whole time I had her. The rest were snails and frozen.
THe Ciliata doesn't have to eat live food. You can feed it fresh fish or shrimp. There is plenty of high quality frozen stuff too.

It's really your call. O.Havanensis would be higher maintenance and being a deep water dweller and are prone to shell rot but with excellent water quality there is nothing to worry about. The light spectrum they live in is mostly blue.
The Ciliata is heartier and more tolerant of bright light and water parameter changes.

Both are great shrimp, it's really up to you.

Ciliata https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=P.+ciliata

Havanensis https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=O.+havanensis

 

[Stork141]

Ok so with my light set up you would suggest the P. Ciliata. I havnt come across many threads talking about shell rot. I run a sps tank so have a large skimmer and clean water but dont want to run into any problems with 100w of light over the tank.

Having a smasher would be ever cool to watch but with the Ciliata vivid color that is also a very cool trait. I'd really be happy with either so i guess with my set up 15g, 180 total volume, 100w of light what would be best suited for this set up. Interested more about the well being than the species than than what i want. What will do best in that 15g tank?