more mantis updates and pics...

M

medellia

New member
well, i got the havanensis in from Ken yesterday, and instead of the 4 havanensis i was expecting, I got 8! most are between 1-1.5", with a couple around 2". my favorite is a really tiny one, just barely 1/2". i am guessing that she must have just settled. i have never seen a mantis that small before!
they are all awesome, and are doing very well. they all ate frozen krill off a bamboo skewer tonight, and they are all actively exploring and working on burrows.

here are pics of the little one--she found a discarded shell from one of my blue-leg hermits and decided to call it home. it is the coolest thing...

shell1_sm.jpg


shell3_sm.jpg


getting annoyed and doing a little threat display...
shell5_sm_Small_.jpg


shell10_sm_Small_.jpg


just to put things in perspective...
thumb_sm.jpg
 
thanks :)

that is why havanensis are my favorites...even my boyfriend, who doesn't like mantis shrimp, asked if he could have one! but even though i have a ton of them, i don't know if i would be able to give any of them away...i want them all!

yeah, it took me a minute of looking for the ciliata to figure out where she was in the tank, then once i found her i just had to go grab the camera.
she is much more active than any of my other mantids, who pretty much stick around their burrows most of the time. but every time i pass the ciliata's tank, she is in a different spot.
here is a link to a full-size version of the pic if anyone wants to see it in more detail :)
http://www.liquidlizard.net/mantids2.html
 
wow!!! so dam cute!
i wish i could get some of them in aus!
their big eyes r sooo awsome.
I have 5 G Smithii. They 3 are in the same tank and they all get along, 2 share a den! its really good atm i am getting to know them alot better. Dr Roy has inspired me, I have 8 tanks only 2 r used. I want mantis shrimp!!! :)
 
that is cool about your smithii. wish we had more of those over here! if only it was possible, i would trade you some havanensis for some smithii :)
sounds like your smithii that are sharing the den may be a mated pair--that would be awesome if you were able to get the babies and raise them.
it would also be really cool to see how they interact with each other within the same tank...i would love to try something like that with the havs, especially with their polarized signaling, but i just don't want to risk any of them. from what Dr Roy said earlier, they are really intolerant of each other. but that is neat that the smithii are getting along! i would love to see pics if you have any...
 
Hehehe...Ciliatas are cute. Mine just moulted and is getting darker yellow almost orange...maybe its trying to match the orange corals in the tank. heh.
 
A word of caution. I got a .5" N. oerstedii and she immediately went into my fijian LR. If your small mantis decides it doesn't like it's shell, it can practicaly fit in any hole in any of your pieces of LR in your tank, so it would be a good idea to keep a good eye on it.

But that is a nice mantis. very beutiful with it's eyes that are 1/3 of it's body weight:D
 
ok, who is Ken and how can I get one or two of those??? LOL But actually I've been considering getting a Mantis and even have a couple of smaller tanks ready. I apparently missed who Ken is.
 
thanks averyone, glad you like the little guys :)

good point, infalible-one...i could totally see her vanishing into the tank, never to be seen again. and i have several others that are barely 1". so what to do with a tiny mantis that is super sensitive to water quality??
my solution to this problem was to get a "betta condo", one of those plastic containers that suction-cup to the side of your tank. the one i got is divided into 4 compartments, and each has a tiny little havanensis set up in it. the container gets plenty of water circulation through lots of small holes in the plastic. that way i can keep the water super clean while keeping an eye on my little guys. and as tiny as they are, each little compartment in the "mantis condo" is like a mansion for them :)

i would highly recommend Ken at www.sealifeflorida.com for all your havanensis needs. his customer service has been awesome, and i am super happy with the mantids and other livestock i have gotten from him. but just beware, he likes to send "freebies" along with your order (which is why i am now the proud owner of a horde of havanensis! ;) )
 
Wow, that is a small guy. My "O" is 2inches in length.
Hes got some fight though, today he ripped my Nimble magnet cleaner off the glass and gave it a good beating. Pretty territorial, I guess.
 
yeah, my first havanensis was about 2", and the rest range from 1/2" to just over 2". i really like the tiny one though :)
today i fed her live brine, and it was so fun to watch. the adult brine shrimp are about half her size, and she really has to fight to wrestle them down. i tried to take some pics and video, but it is just too small for my camera to focus on with any good detail. but it was pretty cool :)
 
Dear, your Havanensis are *beautiful*! Great photo hogs, too, I may add. ;)

Mine is still hiding in her burrow... "The Gimp" as we dubbed her. She spent most of the evening redecorating and making herself comfortable. She's still sorta in Misanthopy mode (I couldn't relate at ALL to her on THAT one! hehe) but I'm sure she'll pull out of it.

-Paul

Addendum: She just had her first piece of hand/skewer given krill from me. I'm in love... ;)
 
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thanks Paul! glad you like the little gimpy havanensis. but just wait until the next molt or two, and she should have both rapts again :) she is a cute one though.

thank you again for the ciliata--she is great! today i am in the process of moving her tank from the kitchen into a new stand in my bedroom. so that should be an adventure for her :) but i am looking forward to having her in a location where i can spend more time watching her.

just got all the cleanup crew stuff that i ordered from e-bay. i got 400 assorted snails and hermits to divide up among the tanks, and there are happy clicking noises coming from all the tanks now. i even found a couple microscopic snails for the micro-mantis to eat! i will have to bring you a "mantis lunchbox" of treats for The Gimp :)
 
Anytime, Kelly! Glad we're both happy with the trade. I'm sure the Ciliata will have some fun with those Cluster Dusters I gave ya, too. She LOVED the larger variety...

Here's the video I took of my little gimpy Havanensis. She had been in her burrow most of the day, but I swear as soon as I came over with the camera, she came out and did this:

Video of my Havanensis

I love her so much. She's really has a great personality, and seems very curious about what I'm up to. As you put it, the "bringer of the krill" or was it "krill bringer". ;)
 
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