Picky mantis

[EMG]

My Mantis a 2" Neogonodactrylus wennerae is now so picky he doesn't seem to want to eat. The first 2 days I got him he ate thawed mysis shrimp from a feeding stick. I have had 4 snails and 3 crabs in his tank for the last 5 days now and he doesn't want anything to do with them. I also put a tiny green chromis in there in case he wanted live fish and so the fish would eat any mysis shrimp left floating around the tank... He couldn't be bothered.

The only thing he eats is live freshwater ghost shrimp. Is it ok for him to just eat this? Will he get all the nutrients he needs from them? Should I gut load them first? Do they lose their appetite before they molt? *** ... I guess he's just not hungry enough.

He has done a lot of digging under the LR in his tank but only in the sand and not in the rock. He has dug himself a few lairs. I was hoping I'd get to hear him doing some smashing in the LR? I WAN'T MORE ACTION.

I added a little fresh water to the tank Yesterday to bring the salinity down a little and when I poured it in he got some on him and flew back to the other side of the tank and hasn't been to the (Freshwater Side) since. The salinity was at 1.027 and I brought it back down to 1.021 It's harder to mainain SG in a smaller tank like this... As the water evaporates it gets saltier in there and I wanted to stay lower on the salinity because of this so it won't go so high again. I covered the whole thing with a homemade plastic lid to help restrict water evaporation too.

I know you use freshwater to get them out of LR but does it hurt them to come into contact with fresh water like that for a little while? I didn't think it could cause any damage. I'm probably paranoid.

Someone ease my mind.... I wan't carnage, noise, smashing etc... in there.... I want a happy pet

AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHhh!!!!!!!

 

[crafty_50mitchell]

There is nothing wrong with your mantis, regarding the freshwater start well it should startle him he probably just got hit by some water that was of a different tempeture, different salinity, and of coarse..well he just caught a flow of water that startled him. You dont have to load a small tank like this up with every imaginable food that your mantis may want to eat, just continue offering him the same food (preferebly one that is nutritionally good, or at least soaked in some selcon or something similiar) and he'll eat, basically let the thing get acclimated and be able to relax.
Brian

 

[crafty_50mitchell]

As far as wanting carnage maybe you should look elsewhere, these guys are incredibly interesting without busting a hole in your tank or killing everything in sight. Keep in mind also that evaportation helps keep the temp in check, if youve covered the entire tank with your homemade lid then I would seriously watch your tempteture. There are many designs for DIY top offs that could easily fix the evaporation problem or at least keep it under control, at least to the point where your not switching your salinity from 27 to 21 in a matter of seconds, this is shocking to any saltwater organism in and of itself, I believe the term is "osmotic shock" but dont quote me on that one.
Brian

 

[EMG]

Thanks


the bastard just ate another ghost shrimp.... I guess he just likes the cheap stuff..... I'm trying to keep the water at a more constant SG.

 

[dc]

That would be the expensive stuff here! Plus I'd have to go to Utah to get them.

 

[EMG]

That would be the expensive stuff here! Plus I'd have to go to Utah to get them.

Freshwater ghost shrimp are .33 cents each at my LFS. I'm just afraid my Mantis won't get enough nutrition eating only them. My guy is really cool to watch...he does like to explore quite a bit, even in daylight.

I do have a 1 inch gap in the lid where the filter sits so the lid is not 100% sealed but it does help it retain water. I just needed to get the salinity low enough so when water starts evaporating it doesn't leave the water in tht tank too salty. I'm new to the full salt tanks and a 5 gallon one is tricky to constant.

My 36 gallon brackish tank is much easier to hold at SG.

 

[Uriel]

Ghost Shrimp are 39 cents, or 4 for a buck at my LFS.

Tha little Wenn will eat in time. He didn't survive this long on Ghost Shrimp, after all...he will take snails and hermits, as well as other food in time.

 

[dc]

They're about $7 here. My new little guy poked his head out today and went for a krill, so I'm happy.

 

[D-Trick]

I can get them 4 for a dollar at my LFS. Are they good for a mantis? Also, how do you gut load them?