My First Mantis arrived today!

[SMaxwell]

Got my first mantis today from TBS. I was a little woried because the one day delivery turned into two. When he got here the water was somewhat cold and he was on his back not moving much. I acclimated him with a slow drip and he perked right up. He's in the tank now, exploring the back of the rockwork.

He is fairly good size for a N Wennerae, about three inches or maybe even pushing 3 1/2". He's missing his right raptorial, so I think I'm gonna call him "Lefty." From what I have read that should grow back in a molt or two, but at his size it sounds like it could be a while between molts? He's really cool though!

Tomorrow to the LFS an hour away to get some frozen, krill, silversides or mysis I guess. He's got plenty of hermits an snails if he decides he wants to eat in the mean time.

 

[romsoccer12]

my mantis was 1 inch when i got it from tbs. funny, i asked for a more larger one. congrats on ur first mantis, i love mine

 

[wang949]

congrats on your mantis. you're going to get hooked!

 

[nikesb4l]

I have two N.wennerae and the smaller one is way more agressive. That one lives in the same tank as the peacock and always out walking the bottom of the tank. the peacock and the n.wennerae have made eye contact a few times. My other N.wennerae that i've had for a year now is still active but stays in the burrow more often. I think it all depends on the mantis and what stage of life its at. There activity changes so im sure yours will be more active one it gets a little more used to the tank. I would have a lot of LR so they can make tunnes throughout the tank then there always out. Its like finding waldo my large N.wennerae is always looking right at me but hes always so hard to see in different spots around the tank.

 

[SMaxwell]

Lefty seems to be making himself at home, he's got several burrows he's dug out under the rock (good think I put PVC pipe under the rocks). He's been out exploring a little bit. I think he ate one of the Astrea's that tipped over yesterday and today he took a frozen krill that he is still carrying around munching on. I got him a pack of frozen krill and a pack of frozen silversides yesterday. I have not seen him mess with any of the blueleg hermit crabs yet, but my guess is that him being a 3" + wennerae he could easily take one if he wanted to, even with one raptorial (?). What is a cheap type of non-hermit crab I could ask to LFS to order in for me occaisoinally for feeder crabs and will he still go after them with only one raptorial?
I'll post pics as soon as I get some good ones. Unfortunately, I have not been hom a whole lot since I got him settled in.

 

[romsoccer12]

if u LFS is nice just ask for the hitchhiker crabs they get in there liverock and say youll play like a dollar for each one.

 

[Koshmar]

Even with one rap he'll have no problem cracking shells. My N. wennerae and G. chiragra both only use one rap at a time. Hermits should be your cheapest bet unless you get free hitch-hikers of course. Congratulations and welcome to stomatopod slavery.