please help me make a decision

[ziah]

Just so I can make a decision on whether to keep my mantis or get rid of him.....

- What's the min. size tank for one (if the answer largely depends on what kind of mantis...there's an attached pic cause I have no clue which one I have)

- If I setup a new tank...I have new sand and LR for it. Only thing is I'll have to recycle the tank. Is this necessary?

- Filtration and lighting needs?

- Can I keep it with seahorses?

 

[kmk2307]

Howdy ziah,

Although I'm no mantis expert I can help with a few of your questions.

- Can I keep it with seahorses?

No! It will eat them.

- Filtration and lighting needs?

Mantis shrimp seem to require good water quality. An adequate filtration system that keeps the nitrates low is necessary. A good protein skimmer and good live rock or a refugium system that grows a lot of macroalgae for nutrient export would both probably be good.

The shrimp itself shouldn't have any specific lighting requirements but if you want to grow algae and/or corals with him powerful lighting will be required. I have heard that the color of the shrimp is affected by the lighting. Green = high light, red = lower light. Mantis experts, is this the case for many speices or just a few? Or is that just an urban reefer legend?

HTH and thanks!
Kevin

 

[lllosingit]

I have a 2" Mantis in a 10 gallon and he's been doing great for 6 months, I have about an inch of sand and about five pounds of live rock and some macro algae.
I do regular water changes that consist of 1/2 gallon a week.
I feed him a few pieces of frozen Mysis shrimp every other day.
If they aren't hungry or don't like the particular food they will push it away, they also seem to like fresh shrimp and crab meat from the grocery store.
I feed with a feeding stick and he comes out to eat as soon as he see it.
I also have 3 more in a 38 gallon hex and they get along fine with some damsel's, crabs and snails thet were put in there for them to eat but it seems that I feed them enough that they don't bother with them.
They are very smart creatures with an attitude

 

[Gonodactylus]

I'm assuming that the animal came from the Caribbean. It is NOT Neogonodactylus wennerae. From what I can see, my guess is either N. curacaoensis or N. austrinus. It would help if you could get a look at the meral spots inside the raptorial appendages. (large striking appendages). I suspect they will be white, but if they have watermelon colored spots, it is austrinus.

Neither of the species I mentioned above are as tough as N. wennerae, but either should be able to live in a 5 - 10 gal. even when it reaches its maximum size of 2.5 inches. N. austrinus lives fairly shallow and can tolerate a lot of light. N. curacaoensis lives below 10 m and would prefer ambient or even dimmer lighting. (It will survive the intensie lighting needed to maintain corals, but will change color.)

You can maintain an animal like this with just a little sand and gravel and one or two small pieces of rubble, coralline algae or LR. If you remove waste food and perform weekly partial water changes, you can even get away without cycling the tank. I routinely establish 2 gal tanks with one, 2 inch gonodactylid and use nothing but a Fluval 203 (I have a strong dislike for the newer 204's because they jam and burn out if sand gets into the propeller - which always seems to happen!).

Roy



Roy

 

[ziah]

I'll have to look at it's "raptorial appendages" once I gather the courage to get closer.

My LR came from Indonesia if that helps to pin point my mantis type. Can you recommend a website that details the finer differences between each mantis type (including maybe exclusive keeping details)?

Thanks!

 

[Gonodactylus]

Indo-Pacific LR! That makes it tougher. Let me know when you get a look at the meral spots. The telson is most like a G. smithii, but that doesn't look quite right either.

Roy

 

[ziah]

Indo-Pacific LR! That makes it tougher. Let me know when you get a look at the meral spots. The telson is most like a G. smithii, but that doesn't look quite right either.

Roy

So here's another picture...hopefully you can tell what he is.

Also, I'd like to know it's temperment and behaviour if you pinpoint it's type. Thanks Roy.

 

[ziah]

Another pic.

 

[ziah]

Another pic.

Oops.

 

[Gonodactylus]

I think it is Gonodactylus smithii. The meral spots should be purple with a white ring and there should be a red-orange spot at the base of the uropods (projections from the side of the telson.

This is one of my favorite species to keep. They are alert, come out of their cavity fairly often, and threaten a lot. (image attached)

ROy

 

[ziah]

I think it is Gonodactylus smithii. The meral spots should be purple with a white ring and there should be a red-orange spot at the base of the uropods (projections from the side of the telson.

This is one of my favorite species to keep. They are alert, come out of their cavity fairly often, and threaten a lot. (image attached)

ROy

Coolness!! Thanks Roy. The pic you attached looks EXACTLY like mine. So now my plan is to find him a 10 gal home. Can you recommend lighting? I intend to use a 2 inch sand bed...have some base rock too. You mentioned I could get away without a cycle. I think I'll just use the water straight from my current sump. Cheapo aqualclear filter enough?

Thanks again Roy.

 

[kmk2307]

Hi ziah,

You might want to use a thin layer of crushed coral instead of sand as the sand might damage the impeller of the filter (if you go with an aquaclear or similar). Roy does that sound like a good idea to you? Does this kind of mantis do a lot of digging?

Kevin

 

[ziah]

Hi ziah,

You might want to use a thin layer of crushed coral instead of sand as the sand might damage the impeller of the filter (if you go with an aquaclear or similar). Roy does that sound like a good idea to you? Does this kind of mantis do a lot of digging?

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Hmm, my guess is that even if my mantis doesn't do a lot of digging, I want longevity out of my equipment. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess one question that pops in my mind is, is CC softer than sand? How does sand damage those types of impeller (or filter types I guess) and CC doesn't?

 

[lllosingit]

I don't think the digging will be a problem.
I have southdown sand in both of my mantis tanks.
They dig boroughs under the rock but they don't really kick up any, they just push it out.

 

[kmk2307]

Hi Kevin,

Hmm, my guess is that even if my mantis doesn't do a lot of digging, I want longevity out of my equipment. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess one question that pops in my mind is, is CC softer than sand? How does sand damage those types of impeller (or filter types I guess) and CC doesn't?

I think the crushed coral would be heavier and less likely to "fly up" and into the intake of the filter. In a 10 gallon tank I would think the intake would be close to the substrate.

I don't think the digging will be a problem.
I have southdown sand in both of my mantis tanks.
They dig boroughs under the rock but they don't really kick up any, they just push it out.

I'm not sure if it would be a problem or not but I just wanted to throw the idea out there. How big are your mantis tanks? Are the intakes to your pumps / filters near the sand?

Kevin

 

[lllosingit]

The Mantis about 2 1/2" long.
I actually have a Emporer 400 on my 10 and the intake is about 3" above the sand, it's been running that way for over a year and I've never done anything other than clean or replace the filters
The other Mantis tank is a 38 gallon hex with a Emporer 280(?)
I know it's smaller but the panes of glass on the hex are to small for a 400.

 

[cjm033]

you could also put a piece of netting over the bottom of the intake and strap it onthere with a rubber band so the mantis or ne sand dont get sucked up,Chris

 

[kmk2307]

I actually have a Emporer 400 on my 10

Well, It's good that the sand thing isn't a problem for you.

Kevin