Mantis...Where to get good, colorful shrimp?

[thereefer]

Hello. I have a ten gallon that has been set up for some time now and ready for a Mantis, all to himself. Does anyone know where to get one? Also, I have seen some rather dull looking brownish ones at the LFS. These are ones that arrive in live rock that they don't sell. There seems there is no market for them except for the nuerotically reef impaired as myself.

I do want a colorful specie. Thank you.

 

[noidster]

It all depends on where you live. Most lfs if you do a little persuading can get you the mantis you are looking for. Have you tried all of them in your area? It took me about a month and a half and over half a dozen stores until one got one in from their supplier. If you have a printer it might help to print a photo of one that you like to bring around to lfs to show them what kind you are looking for. Chances are that the suppliers they deal with could get or have had them. Be patient and check around you should be able to find one somewhere! There are some online stores that ive heard sometimes get them but I am not sure.

 

[noidster]

If you dont mind mail ordering here you go!
http://www.anchofish.com/inverts_shrimps_lobsters.htm

 

[thereefer]

noidster,

Thanks for the great info and resource.

 

[cephalopoder]

Noidster, did you get your mantis from anchofish? If so how are they for shipping and livestock quality... I was thinking about ordering a ceph from them, and really cracked up at the names they had, and totally wrong scientific names for the blue ring. I had to sent them a email so some one didn't get hurt. I am curious what the zeba octo is. And I would love to see a half cow half squid. The infamous cattlefish lol.

 

[noidster]

Cephalopoder, no actually I got all my mantis' from different lfs in my area. I have heard that cephalopods do not ship very well though. I have never had one shipped so I dont know. I had one once for about 2 months and it died unexpecedly. I dont know what species it was though.