My Ultimate Multi Mantis System(s)

[Kharn]

Odd thing happened today...

I acquired 2 more stomatopods however both are spearers and both seem very similar to the 3 'squillids' I already have with 1 major exception, these 2 seem to have more color on them from green-blue-red-yellow I have put them both into the live food tank with the other 3, so far so good but I do have dividers set and ready just in case.

These 2 new 'squillids' are slightly smaller then the other 3 but one thing about these ones that makes me confident in their survival is the location they were caught at ...off a jetty with a cast net in a very dirty polluted river (Brisbane River)...LOL so I consider it a very lucky grab and I am confident in them doing well as opposed to the other 3 having being caught at over 60fathoms making their local habitat much cooler and less fluctuating in parameters as opposed to this "pair off the pier" .




Finally a good sign of my latest Lysiosquillidea, L.colemani...he is eating I will try and get a pic of him in his partially built burrow soon, he seems to be outside the burrow more then in it, I still keep his tank dark and whilst I am not in the room, I lower the temperature of the room to a constant 16C-17C (whilst at work), in the hopes it helps.


More to come

 

[Kharn]

I'm going to settle with the 2 newest spearers members belonging to the Harpiosquilla group due to the dot(s) on the Telson, however I think these are quite young as the Harpoisquilla Dots on the Telson at larger sizes(older animals) seem to part more making it 2 clear distinct Dots rather then the 1 that it looks like rite now, I fail to find other Squilla with this on the Telson.

 

[Kharn]

I am also settling with the assumption that my 3 remain unknown squillids are actually Quollastria gonypetes/Quollastria subtilis, the color in life, the telson, the rostral plate, eye shape and general overall size seem to fit the 3 squillids but the most distinct features are the "patches" that they have on their abdomen, 1 per animal at the lower end just above the Telson.

 

[Eel Freak]

And my amazement continues...... :thumbsup: Every time I look at this thread I look at my closet and begin imagining stacking tanks and filling them with wonderful stomatopods... :lmao:

Those two new stomatopods have a strikingly similar pattern as my C. dubia. I feel like I remember reading somewhere that there was an Australian species that looked similar... I'll have to poke around and see what I can find. Regardless, they are awesome!

Regarding your L. colemani, I wouldn't be too terribly worried yet. It sounds like it is doing exactly what my C. dubia did in the beginning. It took a couple months before I saw that classic spearer response, and that was after it had finally settled in and was energized enough to hit a live shrimp. Up until that point it lazily removed food from the end of my feeding stick. So perhaps yours is going through the same routine...

 

[TundraGuy]

Karn have you collected any mud yet to start playing with it? I know and understand your fears with possible contamination but still think you should give it a go. With the mud thing I would go to a local pond or hard ware store and pick up one of them small ponds that people put on their porches build a little filter or run a canister. Fill that sucker up with the mud to your liking and start testing. You never know till you try it. I was thinking you could build a sump with a raceway that would allow the water to flow through it slowly to settle out any mud floating in the water (see http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1744289&page=2 post #35 for an example). The one he built is to collect detritus but you can see how it would make for easy clean up of mud floating in the water.

Any progress on the new filter tower?

 

[TundraGuy]

Or post #131 for an explanation.

 

[Kharn]

To be frank, YES that filter stand is the one I will be making however...

This week I have been very busy wrapped in my favorite scene for my movie and last night I just completed it so most of my spare time this week and last week has been poured into my movie.

 

[TundraGuy]

and last night I just completed it

Make with the movie broham.
I want to see it. :thumbsup:
Tonight I took the wife to Outback and thought of u. hehehehehe:rollface:

 

[Kharn]

Make with the movie broham.
I want to see it. :thumbsup:
Tonight I took the wife to Outback and thought of u. hehehehehe:rollface:

Fair dinkum mate! Yas be dinky die at the waterhole with a few barbed wires in yah clakkers!

 

[Kharn]

Been a while since I posted some feeding videos so here are a few, 1080p HD capability.

L.colemani first attempt with Live Food, I think the fish is a bit big for the spearer however it is the current smallest fish I had to offer...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yfQtIzMAtWQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Leviathan taking down a Striped Grunter, half way through the film The Leviathan struck my feeding rod, I left the sound on so you could here him ripping it into the water.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A5FJXDSUkdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is something I haven't seen happen yet after over 100 live feedings...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BGA82Iw4pms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

More to come as I got some more pics to share

 

[Kharn]

Maximus - G.graphurus This guy is going to (hopefully) be a world wide star soon =)...

Minnie - G.graphurus Antsy as always and she has shown tremendous growth...she prefers sitting outside her cavity rather then in it.

Rocky - G.graphurus Another of my smaller smashers that has grown tremendously since I originally got him, he now exhibits the full mature colors that Maximus exhibits.

More to come

 

[Kharn]

Here are some more...

Nicole - G.ternatensis Look carefully and you will see her, she was too quick for me xD...

Megatron - G.chiragra As you can see he has lost most of his pink, he is still quite small only at 50mm long and has double that to go =).

The Kraken - O.scyllarus

L.colemani Here he is starting to create his burrow.

Live Food Latest batch of soon to be consumed victims...

More to come as I get them :lol2:

 

[Eel Freak]

Awesome shots and videos! Love how that one fish just comes back out unharmed... It stared death in the face and won!

 

[Kharn]

Awesome shots and videos! Love how that one fish just comes back out unharmed... It stared death in the face and won!

Thanks for the comment, that fish which survived was a bit of a shocker...I brought my brother over (whom helps me collect my live food) to watch first hand how the spearers attack as he really likes them (but incapable of setting up a tank as he just started a family).

He was very excited to be able to watch as I noticed he couldn't take his eyes off the tank once the fish was in with the spearer, every time the spearer would adjust/raises a little as if about to lunge for the fish, my brother would get really excited "Here it comes!"

Naturally as soon as the fish was taken I went to place the lid back on the tank and remove the lighting barrier etc. so my eyes were not fixed on the action inside the tank after the fish was taken, it was only when my brother shouted, "It came back out!" that I swiftly turned around in amazement to see the fish back out of the burrow and alive (I thought he meant the spearer was back out lol) as I have seen them bring food back to the surface and "re-rip it" back down as if it didn't go down properly in the initial strike.

He wants me to diversify as best I can with live food (so do I personally) so basically as far as fish goes, cover all "3" zones types for each fish type, Top/Surface dweller (Gar) Middle Dwellers (all current) & Bottom Dwellers (flathead etc.) and then to diversify in actual intended prey as well.

Rather then just small fish & shrimp he wants to catch small eels, squid, octopus, sting rays etc. to see how the spearers deal with different adversaries.

Last night we partly succeeded in capturing 1 of these stranger adversaries / prey to offer a spearer however it turned out as I suspected, last night we caught a small live squid instantly once we saw it in the net we both knew we wanted to see it taken by a spearer so we were quite excited to have a live squid to offer, after about 20mins more of casting we left.

Regrettably by the time I got home (which was only a 10-15min drive) the squid was practically dead...the only life it had was flashing pigment cells (dots) & the tentacles retaining there suction, it wasn't moving ='[ it made us rethink on how best to transfer such delicate critters (cephs) from jetty to tank without them dieing in between, there were things we could of done faster to get the ceph back to mine after we caught it....so next time we will do that.

Next time we plan to leave as soon as we catch one of these stranger critters to get it in a tank with a spearer asap, having said all this I did offer the squid still to my L.colemani and he seemed to play with it more then consume it (I got the footage) however after seeing it not consume it I gave the squid to Rocky(G.graphurus), whom instantly took it.

Made a whole bunch of vids last night and finally got of my butt to get footage of Megatron my G.chiragra, I have been lazy as I have started to see him as more reclusive then my other smashers...these videos really disprove that thought and I will now film him much more often, very active & entertain, and his coloration is vary different from any of my other smashers. I find something special or unique in him being the weight for weight hardest hitter =) now all I need to do is find him an Optimus...

 

[CedzAquAddictio]

Those G.graphurus are absolutely beautiful... What are you feeding them in the pictures? Looks like legs of sometype?

 

[Kharn]

Those G.graphurus are absolutely beautiful... What are you feeding them in the pictures? Looks like legs of sometype?

Often times when I feed my larger stomatopods with larger live food (sometimes bigger then the stomatopod itself), the stomatopod will not consume it all and often "throw out" what it doesn't consume (by discarding from burrow) sometimes if the food comes back to the burrow/cavity entrance (through current in the tank) the animal will pick up the pieces and swim with them to the opposite end of the tank and discard it there, this is all a clear sign that it's full and no longer wants to eat.

In these cases (often with large mud crabs) I will remove what is left out of the tank, and cut up the remains for the smaller stomatopods, this might mean braking off uneaten legs and giving 1 each to a smaller stomatopod, usually the whole body goes from my largest smasher (full grown peacock) after it is killed and this large peacock has its fill, I remove any other 'digits' left and then place the 'body' into the tank above which houses a much smaller peacock, he then gets his fill & if there is anything left after this I will split the body into halves giving 1 half to Minnie the other half to Maximus.

All remains go back into the mudcrab tank where they cannibalize anything left helping to keep them from each other.

Nothing is wasted and why should there be...just because the 1st stomatopod kills the mud crab doesn't mean there isn't anything left after it...Muddy Meat is such a delicacy down here, my stomatopods often truly do eat better then I do.

 

[Kharn]

I would rate G.graphurus (in my opinion) as the best all round display stomatopod in Aquariums.

I have or have kept many species of stomatopods in my short time frame of getting my first (just over a year ago)...just look at my signature for a species list, of ALL of the different types, G.graphurus is the 1 most outstanding all round stomatopod.

Their colorful, interactive (almost like a puppy!) & they are very hardy/tough (survival freaks).

I can stick my finger in the tank of any of my smashers (inc the biggest ones) even my spearers won't be phased by the presence of my finger in there domain....But I am hard pressed to stick my finger in the tank of any of my G.graphurus, their aggression is something far beyond all the rest...which extends towards their crazy upfront/in your face personality.

Where my other stomatopods often have tactical approaches towards predation of potential prey...my G.graphurus bull rush to the surface of the tank in anticipation of a chance to play with a new tank mate...as soon as they see me wave their soon to be prey in front of there tank, their out, zipping up and down like madness.

Another brilliant thing about them (specifically for Aussies) is that as far as I am concerned their extremely common down here (I've seen more G.graphurus for sale then anything else, they are just labelled G.smithii or something else).

 

[Kharn]

Got a few more pics today, there was a short power out earlier today as well which put me on my nerves...

Here is a nice shot of Megatron my G.chiragra.


This fish head is the remains of the Striped Grunted I sacrificed to The Leviathan.


Here is the Murderous Ghost whom I named The Leviathan at day 1 (L.maculata), ever still...ever watching...he gives off a creepy eerie nature with his lack of movement, I love calling him "The Iceberg" all you see is just a little tip...and like the Titanic...many have perished.


Like I said earlier, there was a Power out here today so I was left twiddling my thumbs and reading my printed out .PDF files on stomatopods by candle light, I also got the chance to get some "night" shots of The Leviathan, unphased by the storm & power out the Master of STAND C, stood guard at his burrow entrance as it were any day.


Here he is again but this time I wanted to show his size...taking into account that the entrance/rim of his burrow where he 'stands guard' like this is much slimmer then the inside of his burrow down lower...Take note of the Divider to the Right, the point where the substrate meets the back/black wall & the point where the substrate meets the front glass, a snug fit for such a beast and I only hope he gets bigger .


I would love to get The Leviathan a 'missus' (Female L.maculata) as I personally see it only bringing out the best in him since it is all he is lacking I have requested for one but even then...am not very certain as to how best go about introducing them together without 1 killing the other...

More to come as I just finished uploading half a dozen or so vids

 

[Kharn]

:dance: VIDEO TIME :dance:
1080p HD capability

Up first is Nicole (G.ternatensis) I offered her a live shrimp this evening and she took to it as she normally does, methodically picking her positions & shots inevitably the shrimp gave in and she feasted well.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sfj2gVsmXwo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is Maximus (G.graphurus) hopefully he will soon become a world wide star being the primary actor in my remake film 'The Rise of the Planet of the Stomatopods', here he is dishing out punishment to a shrimp, the first hit really tells the shrimp who is boss!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CbJbZda2pLg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Watching anxiously and beside him and acting like a jealous little spoiled girl...Minnie (G.graphurus) bound and leaped around her compartment then as I prepared the camera to capture her, she froze and prepared herself for her soon to be new play mate & dinner companion.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9n26vIp9y48" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Making his first appearance and in a fashion that couldn't of been any better...Megatron (G.chiragra) has his way with a crab & shrimp, this kind of action excites me as he will make for even better footage as he gets larger and he has MUCH more growing to do...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VR1z1s2Pgyc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This one is for "The Flash" super hero fans...(not me particularly, "Whooped dee doo you can run fast..."), nonetheless Morgoth (L.sulcata) makes quick work of a fish I could of sworn would of made him work a lot harder...stupid thing dove into death itself :hammer:...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HXTeXzfRDRY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is a unique situation and something I would like to explain...my brother & I are the ones whom mostly captured and provide live food for my stomatopods and in the process he is very "keen" on diversifying in live food offerings to my various stomatopods (but specifically the spearers, he just loves the spearers so much but cannot start a tank due to starting a family).

Anyway the plan is to get all different kinds of things small octopus/squid, eels, rays all small enough to actually be considered "prey" to a stomatopod. In the case of this particular evening we did capture one of these more unique prey objects and instantly thought about offering it to the spearer(s), in essence we caught a small squid, PERFECT size...

Only problem was cephs in general as I told him are so delicate that it is going to likely be dead by the time we get home...unfortunately this was the case...the little squid was 90% dead with the only signs of life remaining were its pigment flashing (dots) and suction in its tentacles.

I offered it to the L.colemani in hopes he would consume it, he played with it a bit but ultimately discarded it leaving me to remove it and give it to Rocky (G.graphurus) he took it very quickly leaving nothing for the camera to capture even though the squid outsized him.

Here is my L.colemani & the practically dead squid.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u0X362KpooU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

More to come, fairly sure Morgoth (L.sulcata) just completed a molt (with him taking the fish today) so he should be back in action now

 

[lionbacker54]

kharn-

can you tell me a little more about your "mud crab tank"? sounds fascinating! i love crustaceans of all kinds, and the idea of tank with crabs just crawling all over the place sounds awesome. maybe a pic?