My Ultimate Multi Mantis System(s)

[Calappidae]

At first provide no live rock.. absolutely nothing but the glass and wall and maybe they'll go on. Or they'll go up high where you can't see them.

 

[Calappidae]

Might want to take extra caution in their enviroment tho..

Systems younger than 6 months old have a very high risk of losing nems.. even those maintained daily have reports of losing nems. Not sure why but it has to be taken seriously from what I've heard.. and experienced.

 

[Kharn]

At first provide no live rock.. absolutely nothing but the glass and wall and maybe they'll go on. Or they'll go up high where you can't see them.

Well I don't want to make them uncomfortable and 1 piece of live rock isn't going to hurt but could do a world of good for the nems if they don't like the walls as far as attaching themselves to it.

I think it wiser to give them the live rock.

Might want to take extra caution in their enviroment tho..

Systems younger than 6 months old have a very high risk of losing nems.. even those maintained daily have reports of losing nems. Not sure why but it has to be taken seriously from what I've heard.. and experienced.

Well from what I read about Mini Maxis & BTAs (very limited info on Hells Fire) is that the former 2 are quite easy to care for if not the easiest to care for Nems, some people have loads of mini maxis in a tank dedicated for them like a Ric garden.

Some people even credit the difficulty of maintaining Mini Maxis to that of Maintaining Rics...

The Hells Fire is a real random one though...a real dice roller I guess but I have created a "cell" for it that I think should not only protect itself from anything that could harm it but also protect everything else (aside me) that it can harm, all there is in my eyes is the chemical interaction once the nems are in the same tank...

 

[Kharn]

Well here it is the completed nem tank now awaiting its nems that will hopefully get along and hopefully host the critters planned but so far so good! In time it will look so natural that you won't realize it and that divider will look even better....like some sort of encrusted piece of cage left in the bottom of the ocean, already half done on the encrusting part now just need to let algae cover it






The pump outputs are angled slightly opposite each other so each one blows water into its half of the tank before water passes through the divider.

 

[TundraGuy]

Looks good.

 

[Kharn]

Looks good.

Mini Maxi & Hells Fire will be arriving tomorrow and possibly a BTA as well

Something got me thinking recently which has boosted my confidence a bit in the survival of the nems with each other specifically or rather the same tank...

Whenever I go to my LFS they have nems...in fact many within the same tank(plain and ugly colors usually 1 really nice and equally over priced)...different types as well, these nems do not move much and by that I mean from the store, so they are in the tank for a while cause people don't buy nems all that often, the aggressive ones they keep caged and floating in a critter keeper again this can be months...

So I guess...if they can why can't I...None of the different nems are touching and its clear that is 1 factor to maintain vigilant of but as far as chemical warfare, I am curious now...

 

[Kharn]

The Perfect Alternative Relationship ...

Giant Spears & Nassarius Snails (Zombie Snails down under).

I really can't talk good enough about these little creepy critters...they move with incredible purpose for a snail, their speed is very entertaining in comparison to a normal snail.



What we have happening in this photo is an extremely beneficial situation...one that due to the spearers previous nature of performing the task, the 'Zombie Snails' now get to benefit from greatly!

Basically what has happened is the Leviathan (L.mac) has "evicted" a carcass from his burrow, the partially eaten fish lay on the sand surface and by the time I got back with the net to remove it, the Zombie Horde rose from the sands and were on the march towards the dead fish!

Amazed I watched at the speed they moved and appeared from the sands, they smothered the carcass and all I expect back now, is bones

Crazy, awesome, amazing relationship that is all too beneficial!

 

[Calappidae]

Those nassarius snails don't bother his burrow?


That's what I'm still stumped on.. in the future L. maculata is my goal when I'm able to have more setups.. but the sandbed cleaning has had me scratching my head forever.. sandsifters wouldn't collaspe the burrow? Or bother him during molting?


Speaking of molting.. how does an L. maculata molt anyhow? Same as smashers just close up and cya in a few weeks?

 

[TundraGuy]

BTW "zombie" snails as you call them have always been a favorite food for my smashers. But currently I need a new mantis as I lost mine from a bad molt

 

[Calappidae]

BTW "zombie" snails as you call them have always been a favorite food for my smashers. But currently I need a new mantis as I lost mine from a bad molt

Sorry to hear that


I hate it when they do molt.. it's such a stressful and a prolonged process...


Are stomatopods the only inverts to have such a complex molting cycle? All the other inverts I know just molt in 30 seconds and grow back their exoskeletons in a few hours or next day even..

 

[Kharn]

Those nassarius snails don't bother his burrow?


That's what I'm still stumped on.. in the future L. maculata is my goal when I'm able to have more setups.. but the sandbed cleaning has had me scratching my head forever.. sandsifters wouldn't collaspe the burrow? Or bother him during molting?


Speaking of molting.. how does an L. maculata molt anyhow? Same as smashers just close up and cya in a few weeks?

You really do not need to worry about cleaning a sand bed with the giant spearers, the spearers are more then tough enough to survive and thrive...Dr.Caldwells spearer tank (the inspiration of mine) is almost black :X...looks like a chemical bomb waiting to go off, but the spearers never cared.

I don't think the sand sifters will pose a threat to the burrow, I have lost much larger strombus snails down burrow entrances cause they got to close...if the spearer cannot carry the unwanted visitor out of the burrow, they meld it into the wall making it a part of their burrow.

Large spearers like the Leviathan can disappear for a month before returning to full action, it's one of the down sides of having a large spearer and requires great patience, never dig for it, never disturb it, this will kill it if its molting....the collapsing burrow whilst its molting will cut off the water in the burrow and lock in the spearer that is molting and incapable of burrowing during such...living coffin.

 

[Kharn]

The larger the crustacean the longer the molting process and more risky it is in both being taken by a predator or many small predators or in the fact that the large individuals tend to die more frequently during a molt then the smaller individuals.

 

[Kharn]

Actually when I dropped the Nassarius Snails into the tank, I dumped them all after acclimatizing them, when they hit the water the Leviathan might of thought they were food or in general something he wasn't sure of so he struck one really quickly dactyl closed, 'smashing' it a few inches away.

It survived and began to move shortly after.

Was like Mantis Base Ball

 

[TundraGuy]

How is the full system tour vid coming along?

 

[Kharn]

How is the full system tour vid coming along?

I am not in a rush...there are more important things happening at the moment...

I would rather give a full system video once everything is done including stocking.

Not bare tanks and ugly displays...

This nem endeavor had to happen now though else I would of lost the Mini Maxi and I might not see another Hells Fire soon, again.

The stars have all aligned for the nem tank

Not only might I have 2 incoming today...but I will also have a host of...hosting inverts for them to, specifically 2 Harlequin Crabs (for Hells Fire) and a PAIR of Porcelains for the Rainbow Mini Maxi.

Seeing as the Nem is soon to be mine (mini maxi talking) I think its safe to leak a photo of it early specially since this is a U.S. forum...Facebook will have to wait till this evening.


But with a pair of porcelains hanging out on it (hopefully)

 

[Calappidae]

The porcelains might go to the BTA.. might go to the mini maxis.. back and forth.. who knows!

Might even crawl through the divider and surprise you in the hell's fire.

They also swim.. kinda like little lobsters they have a tail and pleopods on them they pattle with.. you'll see this when you put them in the tank. They're awesome!

 

[Kharn]

The porcelains might go to the BTA.. might go to the mini maxis.. back and forth.. who knows!

Might even crawl through the divider and surprise you in the hell's fire.

They also swim.. kinda like little lobsters they have a tail and pleopods on them they pattle with.. you'll see this when you put them in the tank. They're awesome!

I plan to do introductions in the following order...

Both Mini Maxis are acclimatizing in separate containers and will go in first followed by the pair of porcelain crabs. After them the Hells Fire Nem will acclimatize whilst the 2 Harlequin Crabs acclimatize as well in a separate container. Finally the BTA will be acclimatized at the same time as the itty bitty clown and introduced together.

HOPEFULLY all is well and they like their "given" homes.

The Hell's Fire is actually a lot larger then I first thought, it's puffed up a lot in the bag filling it xD...I'm too paranoid to touch the bag around it only wanting to hold it by the very top where its done up with the rubber band.

 

[Kharn]

None Stomatopod Related Update on Nem Tank

Here you can see the various Nems, Crabs & Even a Fish that I got, time will tell how they all fare...

The Harlequin Crabs I thought were fighting but were actually mating in the acclimation box LOL...


Their new home the Hells Fire nem, they are already hosting in it! / Under it...


The small cheap BTA I got for...


The small cheap Clown...


The Porcelain Crab pair...1 is extremely small..very easy to loose track of so I'd rather it host a mini maxi sooner rather then later...the big one is unfortunately missing a claw


Pics of Mini Maxis to come as they open and adjust!

 

[TundraGuy]

The lost claw will be back with the next molt they lose and grow claws like most people change socks.

This mid section of that stand is taking on a life of its own. How is the NPC section coming along? I bet the feeds are made a lot less troublesome with the sump. What happened to the skimmer after you turn this section back on?

 

[Kharn]

The lost claw will be back with the next molt they lose and grow claws like most people change socks.

This mid section of that stand is taking on a life of its own. How is the NPC section coming along? I bet the feeds are made a lot less troublesome with the sump. What happened to the skimmer after you turn this section back on?

The NPS compartment was pulled down when the resident went AWOL likely passed on (Rocky - G.graphurus)....

I sent the NPS "corals" to a mate of mine who was already eye balling most of them when I got them xD...

Not sure if the claw will grow back instantly ? Or will there be a small stumpy one first then slowly get back to full size ?

EDIT: As of right now the Bottom Tank & Top Tank of STAND A are both Refugiums & only host 1 Stomatopod each, soon both compartments will be totally emptied and the DIY fake walls put up, the Top Tank will be my first SPS endeavor (Dallas,Birdsnest,Monti) the Bottom Tank will be the split Zoa/Acan gardens.