Mantis tank filtration

[Agu]

Did the searches but couldn't find an answer.....

A mantis will eat snails and hermit crabs, so what do you use for a cleanup crew ? Live rock will filter the water but what about live sand ? Are the organisims safe ? Will the mantis eat live sand fauna ? What are other natural alternatives for keeping the tank clean ?

Or do you vac the sand and use other mechanical export of nutrients ?

Agu

 

[Agu]

No responses, does that qualify the question as terminally stupid, or am I missing something here ?

Agu

 

[mantisshrimp]

U can use macro algaes.Also,they will not harm the DSB fauna,but mine ate bristleworms.

 

[Python73]

Come on Agu, there are no stupid questions... oh wait, yes there are! But this isn't one. However, I SWEAR I answered this exact question elsewhere. Hmmm...

Anyway, here goes. A smasher will kill and eat snails and hermits. But depending on the size of the mantis, you can work around that. I have turbo snails in my 6g with a N. Wennerae. He ignores them because they are too big. As far as sandbed fauna goes, mantis generally prey on large organisms. They won't be eating your pods and worms.

I've had my N. W. in a 6g for over a year, and have never done a water change. I have no idea what the specs are on the water, since I don't measure it. But by all accounts the tank is quite healthy. I have a bit of caulerpa in there, 5 - 7lbs of rock, and 2" of live sand. When the algae gets out of hand on the front of the tank I chuck a couple of turbos in.

HTH.

S !

ps - you forgave me for that Agu is a ******* remark, right?

 

[dc]

LOL, I just do more water changes, and if I get too much Cyano I run a filter.