n. wennerae ideal habitat?

[coryjac0b]

I'm just looking for references or pictures for an ideal habitat for this mantis, I've read the docs description but was looking for a little more detail.

1. substrate, coarse or fine? how deep?
2. PVC tunnels?


pics of the setup you have for your mantis would also be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Rob_Zamites]

N. wennerae tend to be rock dwellers, so just an average 1-2" substrate will be fine. I use sugar-grain sized oolitic sand. You don't really need PVC tunnels, however they will (if used) save the tunneling under your LR. I don't have a N. wennerae, but the same basic rules apply for most of the smasher species.

 

[Guygettnby]

couple nice size pieces of live rock with nice sized holes all thru it and some really small rubble rock for them to make a door out of. they can be kept in just about any substrate.

 

[Gonodactylus]

N. wennerae is generally a subtidal species that is a found in sea grass beds typical habitat, it would be a stabilized sandy flat with some Thalassia and algae, a mixture of gravel, small and medium size rubble encrusted with coralline algae and only the occasional small coral. The animal would live in flask shaped cavity in a softball sized piece of rubble with about a half inch opening. Lighting would be typical for 5 m - peaks in the blue, not much in the yellow to red.

You can take a cue from Tampa Bay. Their cultured LR is about the ideal habitat for N. wennerae which is why they have so many of them.

Roy

 

[lionbacker54]

what shape aquarium would be best for them? rectangular or hex?

 

[Rob_Zamites]

I'd vote for the rectangular, as it would provide more substrate and roaming room.