mantis updates (and lots of pics!)

[medellia]

bad news...the peacock just got here and was DOA, and the ciliata did not make it. i was worried about the ciliata because of the high ammonia levels in the water it was shipped in, but it was alive when it got here. once it was acclimated and placed in the tank, it seemed to be settling in ok at first. it looked a little sluggish, but i assumed it was from the stress of shipping. i decided to leave it alone for a bit to let it settle in. but now it is dead looks like there was a big patch of shell disease on its back, too. so i am really bummed about that.
the peacock must have died pretty early in shipping, because i could smell it as soon as i opened the bag, and its body is already starting to fall apart.

on a happier note, the havanensis is doing great and is busy bulldozing all over its new home. it is a little male, about 2". he sure is a cute little bugger with those big round eyes. it is weird, the havanensis was the one i was most worried about during shipping, because it sounds like they are not as hardy as most species, and can't handle low oxygen levels. but he did just fine.

so after months and months of searching and waiting, no peacock but the havanensis looks and acts kind of like a little peacock...watching it is cheering me up a little. it is kind of funny, the wennerae is in the next tank on the same shelf, and she is usually just stays in her burrow. but she must be curious about her new neighbor, because now she is out watching the havanensis dig. so now i will have to get some pics.

 

[mattyice]

well if it so happens that i do have to sell my peacock, you will be first on the list, she is a happy female and is very very spoiled lol

i might be moving out and in that case will only be able to have one tank so if i do then you get first dibs, i will even have salty critter fill the bag oxygen and will make sure she doesnt eat much and will have perfect water shipped in

 

[medellia]

thanks mattyice--that is awesome of you. if you do need to find a new home for your peacock, i would be glad to give her a great home where she will also be spoiled

 

[medellia]

havanensis pics!

havanensis pics!

man, i think this havanensis is my favorite mantis yet. he is fearless and inquisitive, and has a lot of attitude. he is very active-- constantly running back and forth with "armloads" of rubble to build his den. when he sees me he stops working and comes out to take a look. and i love his huge round eyes--they make him look like a little bug personality-wise he is what i hoped a peacock would be like...so far in the half day i have had him, i have seen more of him than all my other mantids combined!

on a side note, does anyone else think his rapts look disproportionally small? it makes me wonder if he is re-growing them or something...or maybe this is normal in havanensis. even my wennerae, who is just a little bit bigger than him, has huge rapts in comparison.

anyway, here are a few quick pics. forgive the picture quality...i will get better pics when i have a bit more time to spend perfecting the photography.

here he is in the cup as he is acclimating, looking disgruntled

here he is carrying away a load of crushed coral...

 

[biomekanic]

Dr Fosters and Smith has O. scyallarus listed on their website. My Squilla rugosa was quadruple bagged, the back was surrounded by peanuts and 2 heating packs tapped to the lid.

 

[justinl]

hee hee! The eyes on it make it look like an anime character or something. beautiful mantis.

 

[medellia]

yeah, you're right! his big round eyes make him look like an anime or cartoon character. glad you like him
his colors are not the brightest, nothing compared to a peacock, but i kinda like his subtle hints of pink and blue and green.
his personality is the coolest--he is super fast, and rushes around with his rapts up like he is trying to pick a fight with the world.

now i just need to come up with a cool name for him...

 

[medellia]

feeding time...

feeding time...

i could not resist giving the new little guy a snack before bedtime.

awww...just look at those puppy-dog eyes...

 

[Ehudd]

awww!
he is by far the cutest mantis shrimp i have ever seen. His appendages r quite small! and his eyes r big.
I think he is awsome! and if he is active that makes it alot better.
BMSE award!!! (Best Mantis Shrimp Ever) !!!!

 

[medellia]

thanks, glad you like the little guy. i definitely second that on the BMSE award!

it is fun to watch him zooming around the tank, gathering up rubble and constantly re-arranging things for his den. he has burrowed a trench in the sand and is making a roof over it with pieces of rubble. he will scoop up armloads of crushed coral and run back and forth with it, add some pieces to his burrow, step back and look at it for a minute, then tear it all down and start over. either he is a perfectionist, or he just likes to build!
i could not wait to get home from work tonight so i could sit and watch him. so much more entertaining than my others, who are lazy old beasts. i am afraid you guys will be hearing about him a lot, and will be forced to put up with more pics soon! heh heh heh...

 

[oceancube78]

wow he must be cool to see, i hope my peacock acts the same when i setup his home here soon, keep up the good pics and thanks for sharing!!!

 

[medellia]

thanks--
you have a gorgeous peacock--i am so jealous you will have to post more pics of him once you get him set up in his new home!

 

[Ehudd]

Good i cant wait for more photos!!!
i hope that one day my G Smithii will stop being such a wuss!!! i want a peacock for the fact they move around, we dont get them here its hard to find ne thing else but G Smithii