My Ultimate Multi Mantis System(s)

Be easier to just cut the top off an IBC 1000L plastic container + I don't know if those crates can hold water permanently however those IBC containers can and for the added bonus...are cage confined!
 
Photography for today!

Rocky - G.graphurus - Caught him hammering away at his acan encrusted rock again! Cheeky bugger zipped rite into his home after noticing the camera, then poked his head out as seen in the pics as if to pretend he wasn't doing anything wrong...not that he was anyway =D, just a cute reaction like some little kid!



The Kraken - O.scyllarus - Also caught The Kraken methodically picking his shots at a nice sized hermit about his own size, there are pieces of the hermit scattered in the local area so I know he has been having some success, either way he wasn't phased by the camera and continued to pummel the crab into oblivion...




The Juggernaut - O.scyllarus - He is becoming a lot more bold and confident in his surroundings, I can no longer "press" the camera against his tank to get as close as I can of a shot of him, for he now charges the camera and hits the glass, each time he has hit the glass (less then half a dozen times..) it makes an ear splitting "Chink!" noise (sends me white as I just wait to see that hair line crack appear...) rather then the thud of him hitting a snail/hermit/rock.





too be continued...
 
...continued

The Leviathan - L.maculata - Previously The Leviathan was rather secretive about his burrowing ways, never actually really creating windows in his old tank that allowed me to see him below the sand level (unlike Morgoth whom created very large windows and is beginning to do so again!). However The Leviathan seems to of had a change of heart and has created the largest window so far in STAND C and continuing to make it larger as I type, he is very close to breaching the other end of his compartments surface there by creating the classic "U" burrow.










Hope you enjoyed the pictures and by the activity of The Leviathan..I dare say there might be a lot more pics incoming very soon (like within a couple hours) as to him breaching the other side of his compartment.

Stay tuned for more!
 
STAND A - 1 of 6 compartments - Skeleton frame.

Basically how I hope for this to turn out, I plan on just wrapping fly screen once around the egg crate plateaus so I can smother the fly screen in glue and then glue some substrate to it as well making it look more natural.




More to come :lol2:
 
Modified & likely final outcome.




Just going to neat it up a bit then start gluing the egg crate onto the zip ties and the zip ties onto the frame, then I'll start to coat it in the glue and sprinkle/pour the substrate over it.

More to come
 
Wow is about all I can say! To the shelves, tanks, mantis', the whole build and documentation in general.

If you could only have one tank which mantis would you suggest? Would want it to be able to have a light as well.
 
alford35 said:
Wow is about all I can say! To the shelves, tanks, mantis', the whole build and documentation in general.

If you could only have one tank which mantis would you suggest? Would want it to be able to have a light as well.
Click to expand...

G.graphurus I'd say.

I have 3 currently and each one is extremely interactive/colorful & housed with coral (there not phased by bright lights).

Each one has its own personality.

Minnie - Flirtatious and dominant, she dictates like an overlord when copulation between herself and Maximus. She decides the place/time/position. She is bold and will actively attack anything that goes into her compartment.

Maximus - Lazy and old, he is big...REALLY big for a G.graphurus (typically the species only gets to 90mm long) he is 120mm...although he is big and "old" he is just as interactive as Minnie and will attack/defend his compartment swiftly (my finger -_- caught this first hand). Although he is very submissive in the presence of Minnie (even though size wise he could quickly dominate and likely kill Minnie).

Rocky - Energetic, Cocky, Escape artist! This is what indiana jones reincarnated as -_-, Rocky once punched a large hole through his heavy duty plastic container to escape, he came into contact with Minnie the slightly larger then him Female, they had a clash and it cost him a claw (long since grown back). He almost came to clash with Shockwave (something I believe would of ended him...) but due to my swift intervention I saved him, very curious critter always investigating. Loves to play with food -_- (as you can see in the videos of him).

In the end though and to answer your question again.

G.graphurus! - Interactive / Colorful / Tough & they don't get (or suppose to not get) larger then 90mm.

I like to call them "Colorful G.smithii" lol
 
Came up with a Custom HOB sump/refugium idea that I can easily mod onto each stand to enhance filtration and promote better life not just in the stomatopods but for the coral life that will be assigned to certain compartments in certain stands.

UPGRADES

STAND A:
Lighting:- 6 x (3Wx12 LED CREE 4G). (1 for each compartment)
Filtration:- 1 x Custom HOB Sump/Refugium (Macro Algae/LiveRock/DSB).
1 x (Tunze Doc Skimmer (9002 or 9006).
1 x TLF 150 (Phosphate Reactor).

STAND B:
Lighting:- 2 x (3Wx12 LED CREE 4G). (1 for each compartment top tank only).
Filtration:- 1 x Custom HOB Sump/Refugium (Macro Algae/Live Rock/DSB).
1 x (Tunze Doc Skimmer (9002 or 9006).
1 x TLF 150 (Phosphate Reactor).

STAND C:
Lighting:- None (no need not supporting coral life).
Filtration:- 1 x Custom HOB Sump/Refugium (Macro Algae/Live Rock/DSB).
1 x (Tunze Doc Skimmer (9002 or 9006).
1 x TLF 150 (Phosphate Reactor).

NOTES: There may be some slight differences with STAND C filtration....as I do have a HOB Deltec MCE600 just sitting around rite now collecting dust...so it may end up on STAND C not sure yet, and if it does end up on STAND C then I will unlikely make a sump for that stand since the reactor can also be considered "HOB".

Anyway more to come!
 
So your new approach is to treat each tank in the stands as an individual tank with its own filtration, even though they are all collectively one system sharing water? I like this a lot. It for the idea of redundancies will safe guard and make for a more stable set up. I can see this making for a bit more work to maintain equipment wise but that’s the trade off. Are you still going sump A and B together?

You mad man…………….
 
Feeding my large spearers

<iframe width="800" height="600" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AmEZCTHbHT8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="800" height="605" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZhFiDSC9l1k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hope you like
 
Dude a Square side Antheus for the WIN!

Can’t tell you how PO’d my buddy is at me for showing him this video. All he keeps for swimmers are antheus. OMG I think I peed a little lmao when he called me back.
 
What would happen if their entrance was caved in by sand, especially in the case of a baby? Would they be able to dig up to the surface?

Did you get to see him eat the anthias or did he go to a dark place?
 
alford35 said:
What would happen if their entrance was caved in by sand, especially in the case of a baby? Would they be able to dig up to the surface?

Did you get to see him eat the anthias or did he go to a dark place?
Click to expand...

To my knowledge if a cave in occurs the stomatopod may need saving...which means you need to physically dig out sand deep enough for the mantis.

When I was removing my spearers from there old tank, The Leviathan retreated deep into his burrow and it caved in...for 2hrs I panicked and finally I freed him, he SHOT rite out of the sand when he got free so I assumed he didn't like it...

I saw what you saw in the video, after that he took it deeper beyond my sight.
 
TundraGuy said:
Dude a Square side Antheus for the WIN!

Can't tell you how PO'd my buddy is at me for showing him this video. All he keeps for swimmers are antheus. OMG I think I peed a little lmao when he called me back.
Click to expand...

I got a mate that loves Anthias so I am sure this cut him to the bone as well ...
 
The fish that The Leviathan took was acquired through cast netting at my local jetty. It was quite a large fish measuring at just over 4inchs long and almost an inch thick... I was unsure if he would take it.

I just wished I set the camera slightly further back to capture the fish in his video as well rather then just the strike...
 
Kharn said:
To my knowledge if a cave in occurs the stomatopod may need saving...which means you need to physically dig out sand deep enough for the mantis.

When I was removing my spearers from there old tank, The Leviathan retreated deep into his burrow and it caved in...for 2hrs I panicked and finally I freed him, he SHOT rite out of the sand when he got free so I assumed he didn't like it...

I saw what you saw in the video, after that he took it deeper beyond my sight.
Click to expand...

Ok, I asked a similar question last night about my tiny snapping shrimp. Since it burrows I thought the answer would be the same. They removed my question for some reason even though it envolved burrowing.

A hammer coral fell and caved in his burrow and I didnt notice it till quite a few hours later. He never comes all the way out (1/2") at max and is a baby. I opened up the cave in just enough to see a little hole and he came darting out carrying rubble like a mad man in under 2 seconds. I was worried when I noticed it and laughed when he actually came all the way out carrying stuff in anger.

How deep of a bed will I need for the G graphurus? Thinking of going ahead and putting one together here in the next few days so will need to find a deep enough tank.

And, why did you go with the larger substrate in all the shallow sand beds?
 
alford35 said:
Ok, I asked a similar question last night about my tiny snapping shrimp. Since it burrows I thought the answer would be the same. They removed my question for some reason even though it envolved burrowing.

A hammer coral fell and caved in his burrow and I didnt notice it till quite a few hours later. He never comes all the way out (1/2") at max and is a baby. I opened up the cave in just enough to see a little hole and he came darting out carrying rubble like a mad man in under 2 seconds. I was worried when I noticed it and laughed when he actually came all the way out carrying stuff in anger.

How deep of a bed will I need for the G graphurus? Thinking of going ahead and putting one together here in the next few days so will need to find a deep enough tank.

And, why did you go with the larger substrate in all the shallow sand beds?
Click to expand...

I know nothing about pistol shrimps besides them having cool "weapons" and since this is a mantis shrimp specific forum...I can understand why it was removed (even if it was about burrowing, its 2 very different things).

G.graphurus is a small smashing species not a large spearing species.

G.graphurus do not require deep sand beds to burrow in, only cavities within rocks (something they may just bore out themselves).

Minnie, Maximus & Rocky are G.graphurus.
 
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