New to the mantis shrimp thing

[rydr119]

Ok well after much debate, we finally got our first mantis last night. Its about 5"long and it was sold to us as a zebra mantis. It's currently in a 20gal with about 30 lbs of live rock and some cheto for color. The LFS that had it, had it in a small critter keeper for about 4 months so I am sure its glad to have some room to move around in. Although it doesn't seem very aggressive the people at the LFS were scared to move this guy in any shape or form it was very funny.
Questions
Best diet for this thing? It ate frozen krill for us last night and this morning. Should we feed anything else?
Best habitat? It seems to be content with what we have provided for it, but is there anything we can do to make it more comfortable?
Is there anything else we can add to the tank that it wont try and kill?
Thanks for the help
Gina

 

[DylanE]

Congrats! by zebra mantis I assume you mean Lysiosquillina maculata. look on Roys list for some more info on them.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...costraca/royslist/species.php?name=l_maculata

They need a pretty deep sandbed i know, and it would probally enjoy
a few live feeder shrimp now are again. besides that im not sure,
ive never had one.

 

[rydr119]

cool thanks Yup thats the one. Its Black and white just like a zebra. I am gonna try to see if its a male or female. I guess I have to go out and get some more sand.

 

[rydr119]

Oh how often should I feed this guy?

 

[Pea-brain]

Once every 2-3 days. Feed 2-3 frozen foods and throw in a feeder fish like a damsel once a month or so. Soak frozen food in selcon once a week, feed every 2-3 days.

The sand bed should ideally be at least as deep as the mantis is long.

Dan

 

[408mike]

I have a smasher and he seemed to get bored with any one kind of food. He would eat frozen for a while, then refuse it. I would mix his food up here and there, do frozen once or twice, then throw in a snail then a damsel or something. They're incredibly finicky eaters.

 

[Swanwillow]

oh goodie, I just got my replacement mantis, and its a spearer. What size foods am I should be looking at? he's around 3.5-4 inches long. Theres an acclimated molly in there, I doubt its small enough for him to eat.

Is switching over to frozen as easy with spearers as with smasher types?

 

[rydr119]

Ok so so far this guy likes frozen krill and glass shrimp. We bought a small damsel but it hasn't been eaten yet.

Eating a krill

Going into his rock. Sorry its blurry

 

[krazeekiddie]

Nice looking mantis!!

 

[Altpers0na]

this thing will get huge (lobster size), and could live along time...

it will need a very deep sand bed... pea-brain said sand as deep as it is long, i thought it was 1.5 x as deep as it is long... and it can get over 12 inches... 18 inches of sand... built in dsb..

keep the pics coming....

 

[Thromgar]

Wow, that is one awesome mantis.