Seriously considering getting a mantis again

[svynx]

I had a peacock for a few years...a number of years ago. Got her when she was about 2" long, and ended up having to sell her when she was all but 7". I had her in a 40g breeder in my office. A great focal point for both office mates and visitors. I'm back behind a desk again, and have had a CadLights 8 running for a few months. I've had a few people who knew about the old tank ask if I was going to put that "meat eating, shell crushing" shrimp in. Obviously, another of her kind won't fit, and I'd feel uncomfortable putting a smaller wennerea in this tank. However, I've come across a good deal for a Coralife biocube 29 that I think I'm going to pick up. It already has upgraded lights (SteveLeds sps intensity), and luckily they have dimmers. So, here's what I'm thinking, and as I've been out of the mantis world for a number of years, I'd like to see if this would be ok.

Tank: Biocube 29
Lights: dimmable StevesLeds upgrade
Skimmer: Aquamaxx Hob-1
Filtration: Intank media holder with chemipure elite and carbon if needed

Livestock:
Neogonodactylus wennerae
Standard clean-up crew / meals
Fish: dependent on the mantis's personality and tolerance of other inhabitants. I'd like to have two or three small fish for movement
Coral: mainly soft and large polyp corals. If the mantis can handle slightly brighter light, I'll put a few sps near the top (think birdsnest for light requirements)


I am open to suggestions and thoughts on the setup. All info welcome on both hardware and livestock. I decided on the wennerae because of its small size and from what I've found, ease of purchase. Would there be a better fit for the tank? I have no problem waiting to purchase a mantis as long as the tank will be a good fit for a healthy sustainable life. If I choose to go down this road, things will have to be set up (both the tank and the choice of livestock) with the forethought of being absent for weekends, and limited vacation days. There is one person here at work that took care of my peacock while I was away for a week, so I trust him to do the same again.

 

[lawfuanda]

Do you know of any places that has them in stock? I was looking for a while for one and couldn't find any place that had them in stock except for one place but they want $75 shipped, which is a bit ridiculous.

 

[Adetia]

I'd try to get an O havanensis instead, they are much more interactive and prettier than N wennerae.

 

[svynx]

lawfuanda: as I said, this was a number of years ago. I shouldn't have, but I assumed finding one would still be fairly easy.

Adetia: I'll have a look. Thank you.

 

[Calappidae]

If you go O. havensis, make sure the tank is well oxygenated. Biocudes have very little gas exchange.

 

[Martini5788]

Kpaquatics supply o havanesis. You could get on their waiting list, I was looking for places to get mantis and they came suggested from other members

 

[nmotz]

Honestly, based on what I've personally seen, heard from other mantis owners, and read about online, Odontodactylids are where it's at in terms of personality. I think they are just an active, inquisitive genus that really stands out in the aquarium much more than it does for Gonodactylids.

I'm not saying that other species are no good, I really enjoyed my G. Chiragra for example, but IMO Odontodactylids are the best and I'd also recommend the O. Havanensis for the OP's tank.

 

[svynx]

If you go O. havensis, make sure the tank is well oxygenated. Biocudes have very little gas exchange.

Good thought. Luckily, since I already plan on having the Hob-1 skimmer, a good chunk of the lid in the back will be cut out. I'm hoping that with the aeration from both the skimmer and the overflow, I won't have an issue with oxygen.

To all who have had a O. havanensis, how do they fair with higher lighting? As I said in the first post, I'd like to keep a few sps. Not a deal breaker if I can't, just planning ahead. And, what other livestock have you kept with them?

 

[liverock]

Do you know of any places that has them in stock? I was looking for a while for one and couldn't find any place that had them in stock except for one place but they want $75 shipped, which is a bit ridiculous.

Mantis shrimp are shipped via the US postal service priority overnight. Postage alone on the small styro box is about $50. Add the cost of the Styrofoam box, bags, oxygen and other packing materials, $10. Then the delivery to the post office. Total costs about $60.

I sent 10 to Doctor Roy Caldwell last week, cost of overnight fed ex $164.38. The transportation cost way exceeds the cost of the shrimp, but there is no other way to get healthy specimens delivered other than overnight service.

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :rollface::rollface::rollface:

 

[EI Gringo]

Might be worth thinking about p.ciliata. Yes yes I know they don't smash **** but they're really awesome to watch and you can fill the tank with hard bodied inverts. Fish should be ok too, keep the tank well stocked with river shrimp/ glass shrimp for it to hunt, just a suggestion, get some big hermits in there

 

[svynx]

I never considered a spearer as I've always had fish in the same tank. I do plan on having 2 clowns and possibly one or two other non aggressive fish in the tank. I'm still on the fence about a mantis. My only requirement for housing a mantis is that they will be comfortable in the 29g biocube reef tank.

 

[EI Gringo]

You'll find pretty much any will be fine in that asides from the largest giant spearers. It really depends on the character of each animal though as to what will be best, I love all mantis, probably my downfall :L

 

[EI Gringo]

Pseudosquilla ciliata is more a predator of soft bodied crustaceans than fish, clowns and chromis should be fine

 

[Calappidae]

Pseudosquilla ciliata is more a predator of soft bodied crustaceans than fish, clowns and chromis should be fine

They are fish eaters like most spearers.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...acostraca/royslist/species.php?name=p_ciliata

Diet: Generalist; small crustaceans, particularly shrimp, worms, small fish
Cohabitants: Will prey on small fish and shrimp; generally safe with gastropods and large crabs

Personally.. I wouldn't trust large crabs since crabs can be oppertunistic and hurt the stomatopod. A smasher you know is going to kill a crab but a spearer is fairly helpless, which is probably what roy is suggesting, what the mantis won't attack.

I never considered a spearer as I've always had fish in the same tank. I do plan on having 2 clowns and possibly one or two other non aggressive fish in the tank. I'm still on the fence about a mantis. My only requirement for housing a mantis is that they will be comfortable in the 29g biocube reef tank.

In a 29g biocube, just stay away from O. scyllarus, and Lysiosquillina sp. O. scyllarus need alot of room to roam and grow surprisingly big (on paper they don't look big.. but when seen in person they look WAY bulkier and gigantic.) A 36x12 surface area is a recomendation for O. scyllarus. Lysiosquillina's burrowing habits are just not going to fit in a biocube.

In regards with coexisting with fish.. eeehhh I'm not too sure. Neogonodactylus wennerae seems like a much more passive and less trigger happy species. They stay small and mine their own cavity where you may or may not see it. They aren't THAT active but they are pretty interactive. Just bigger is better. I had mine coexisting with some emerald crabs, they generally only hurt little things like hermits, amphipods, etc. Right now he's kinda just lurking in my refugium with the feeder stars.

You do have a massive variety in gonodactylids but they aren't as passive usually or are very reclusive. That is really personality base whether or not these guys will hurt your fish.

O. havanensis is honestly your best bet. I don't know about fish coexisting.. that's going to be your luck but it's by far the best substitute for O. scyllarus in a biocube.

 

[EI Gringo]

Like he said ^ it's personality based and as I've said before, people will say a mantis will kill everything but until you try... You don't know. Just focus on things that will be completely peaceful to the mantis and that are not very expensive and just go from there, good luck.

 

[Kharn]

Stomatopods are opportunistic predators I don't think it's so easy to label this one or that one (for smashers) as fish eaters when every species I had kept would catch & kill fish.

From the small G.smithii/graphurus to the big phat bulky O.scyllarus.

Infact I have footage of a G.graphurus impaling a Tinnny (thumbnail size) scat/stripey in slow motion where it opened it's dactyl to stab into the tiny little fish, great accuracy!

 

[svynx]

I agree 100%. I've seen mantis that can't be housed with anything else. They kill everything, even if they don't eat it. The peacock I had was not an opportunistic feeder. She didn't have any issues with the two clowns, one damsel (hated that fish), and one blenny that lived with her, and I was able to keep a small clean up crew. She only killed the blenny after he was hurt. At some point he jumped out of the tank and flopped a good 5 feet from the tank. Ended up at my feet under the desk. I had no idea it happened until I moved my foot and felt something. Naturally, like all of us, I put my foot on it and rolled whatever it was out so I could grab it. I though he was dead, but after grabbing him for a close inspection, his eye moved. So, back in the tank he went. I held on to him and moved him back and forth to get water flowing over his gills. He perked up and fought my hold. I thought he was ok after about a minute of watching him. But, his swimming was only in a circle, all the while leaning towards one side. I knew things weren't ok. I was preparing to pull him out of the tank, but the mantis saw what was going on and dealt with it herself. One quick strike and it was over. The blenny became food after that. Only thing left the next day was part of the tail fin.