My Mantis's behavior...

[black_majik]

Well I just got my new G. Smithii ( I thought it was a G. Tern, but after reading the orange stripes can be found in smithii I looked at that species and they have the same meral spot. ( Black, white ring). Basically right now he/she is hiding out in the 1" flex hose piece I put under the LR.

When I push a hermit at the entrance she/he simply pushes it back outside.

When I inspect it with a flashlight its inter appendages are rapidly cleaning every-part of it's body.

When I put a shrimp pellet in front of it it punched it twice than left it alone.

My substrate has small shells in it and the mantis has grabbed a few and brought it back in its "house".

Every once in awhile I saw sand being kicked out of the hose.

It never pokes it's head out ( without my baiting of hermits).


I just bought it today around 1030, I just want to make sure nothing is wrong.

 

[gholland]

Give it some time. Moving is stressful! Meral spot should be purple for smithii.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

well basically your harassing it. leave it alone for a week or so and let it get adjusted to it's new home.

stop blinding it with a flashlight that might help, they have super sensitive eyes. mine retreats deep into it's hole everytime i bust out my flashlight.

it'll eat when it wants too , it's not like a fish it won't just keep eating. mine eats 1 tiny little piece of shrimp every other day and thats it, when he's not hungry i can't even get him to stick his head out to inspect the food

 

[black_majik]

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...eumalacostraca/royslist/images/g_smithii1.jpg

That guy is identical to mine, maybe it's a dark purple. That one is listed under Smithii on Roy's list. Thanks for the response. Should I pressure him towards feeding or will he/she decide on it's own?

 

[gholland]

No. Don't pressure it. Relax. Give it time to adjust. Leave it alone for several days and stop stressing it.

 

[cobaltplasma]

Another vote of "don't worry, let it adjust" heh...my mantis was acting darn peculiar, to the point where I thought she would buy the farm the night I put her in. Found out later that it was just a sense of adjustment, her adjusting to the tank, the new water, the bigger house, etc. heh. Just give your mantis some time, a few more days, and just let it go about its business. I think it'll turn around and become more active then

 

[black_majik]

Well I let it alone and a few hours ago I put a krill on a feeder stick and
had it on the other side of the tank and sure enough he/she comes flying out full force and smacks away. I am relieved. Mr Smith is happily munching away as we speak.

 

[black_majik]

BTW before everyone comes out with the stressing issue. First I did research on the mantis and I know their eyesight, now if the halide doesn't "blind" it I know the dim flashlight won't. Second I would shine on the inner walls of the tube and not the mantis directly. As for the hermits I wanted to make sure he/she would respond I understand the leaving alone theory but sometimes coaxing it into the open helps with adjustment. Same goes for all fish you have a tank full of swimming fish and you add a new one the chances are the new one will come out faster than a fish in solitude. I merely wanted to show that the tank is safe for hermits to live. Thank you though for the concern.