Mantis vs. (insert critter) questions

[Shrimpi]

So i just "converted" my tank to a mantis tank.

I had spotted a peacock (3") at a reputable LFS about a month ago and fell in love, I went back today and my crush was still there.

here lies the questions.

I recently purchased a baby mandarin- I will be attempting to catch him although he is a fast little bugger suprisingly.... Im worried that since reading mandarins have a poisonous skin that if the mantis does take a 'bite' what will happen? will he die? or just get grossed out and leave it be?

other question... which no one at the LFS could answer. I have a beautiful tube anemone in the tank. happens to be my fiance's favorite 'critter' (so i try to keep him around more than other things) do you think the mantis may attack it? its mostly buried and comes out of a rock crevice where it retreats quickly if disturbed.

Im leaving the CUC in there I figure its a 'meal plan'.

Any help with my questions on the mandarin and tube anemone would be great thanks.

Ill try to get an official first pic. And I recently got a canon rebel so there'll be LOTS haha. Hes kinda lurking, but was very active in the LFS. Hes currently in my AP24. Dont worry he will be upgraded in the future, not an issue

Jessica.

 

[DanInSD]

Baby mandarin will be history. I don't know if its slime will harm the mantis, but I can assure you that at least my mantis would attack/kill it. Actually, their survivability in small tanks (<100 gal) is dismal because of their live food requirements. I'd return this guy to the LFS.

In my experience, the tube anemones are not very dangerous to either fish or inverts. I keep one in my mixed reef without incident, and have kept it with cleaner shrimp and other such arthropods.

Dan

 

[Shrimpi]

This mandarin is a replacement to a previous mandarin that came to his demise after colliding with my fuzzy dwarf's spine(downsized from another tank and was trying to catch the dwarf). I found him all puffy and dead a few hours later after almost a year in my little tank. I know mandarins dont usually do well but Ive sucessfully trained them to take prepared foods. I know he will get taken, Im actually more attached to the mantis than the mandarin anyway... and I just got the mantis lol. the mandarin is cute but i havent had much time with him yet- maybe a week. He has gotten fatter since the first day.. but thats not really relevant being that hes gonna be toast lol. Id love to return him so he wont get eaten... but I cant catch him! the rocks are too tricky

My tube anemone is actually pretty mellow- if thats the right word. Im just curious if the mantis will attack it? Ive never lost anything to the anemone, not a hermit, a pompom crab, nudibranch, nothin, its kinda weird. He actually retracts his tentacles if the slightest movement is felt on the tips of his tentacles. He isnt very predatory at all. Im more worried about the mantis giving him a good whack!


I snapped a quicky of the mantis here you go- not the best pic but hes still a bit shy

 

[Shrimpi]

OMG

so mr mantis just grabbed a hermit and pulled it into his burrow...

my heart was pounding.... and still is.... as fast as a high schooler on a date! WOW! that was so cool

he let the hermit go though lol

this little critter is so cool:eek2:

 

[Shekki]

My mantis has never gone after his roommates, a 6 line, a few clams, and a spiny urchin, as long as I keep the tank filled with his favorite food: hermit crabs. I would try to get rid of the mandarin since they mostly hang around the bottom of the tank where your mantis will be. He will end up getting smacked.

 

[DanInSD]

Regardless of how many snails/hermits are in the tank, my mantis allows one -- one -- critter in there with her, and it's a specific yellow-tailed blue damsel. I've tried other damsels of the same species; cucumbers; humbug damsels; chromis; a six-line wrasse; nudibranchs...

All get eaten.

Dan

 

[bkvreef]

I may be wrong but leaving the cuc in there may be a bad idea. When stressed don't they have the possiblity of poisoning the entire tank?

 

[Pea-brain]

It's not a cucumber its a Clean Up Crew (that can get real confusing sometimes, cause cucumbers can be on CUC's!)

And yes i agreee with you, cucumbers are dangerous with the possible exception of a tiger tail, and even then it can be dangerous.....

Dan

 

[bkvreef]

Sorry, good point!