I'm planning to plumb a mantis/fuge tank(10 or 15 gal) off of my current tank which is a 46 gal reef with a backpack 2 filter/skimmer. Could a mantis live in a standard refugium setup? Does anyone have any suggestions for things that I should consider in planning this? What are some good species of smashers to keep?
Planning a mantis tank...
- Thread starter mike219b
- Start date
opihi
Premium Member
yes. mantises are remarkably resilient and can live in a wide range of habitats.
depending on the mantis species you end up with, i suggest adding lots of LR with burrows already in them. you can also add PVC pipes with at least one bend, and 2 open ends for shelter.
use substrate.
i believe peacock mantises can grow pretty large, so make sure you get the right species for your setup.
also make sure that your drain leading back to your main tank is mantis proof.
i have a hitchhiker neogondolactus wennerae from a friend's TBS shipment. i like it because it stays small, doesn't require a ton of room, and is easy to keep well fed with strombus snails that reproduce in my main tank (read: "free live food").
other than that, most LFS suppliers do not sell mantises by their species for various reasons. usually the best you can do is order a Peacock mantis by name, or try to ID one at a LFS that frequently carries them.
pisces77
New member
I have a G. ternatensis (4"), and a Gonodactylaceus glabrous (3"). They are both great. They are currently housed in a 20g and a 3g eclipse. I am in the process of building a 55g mantis tank, divided 4 ways, to house 4 mantises (in additon to the 20g which I will keep as a mantis tank. I plan on using cut glass dividers on tracks for removability with strength. I wouldn't go through all this effort if they weren't entertaining. Besides, I am mostly a pred keeper, and there aren't many preds that can go in small tanks.
