Hi,
As many of you know, i've got a mantis shrimp in a dedicated tank (refugium) & is approx 3.5" long. Happy as larry.
Just before xmas, I got a message from wilfy asking if i'd like another - how could I refuse
so I plundled off to wigan to pick said shrimp up - it was only a baby of approx 1" in length. I placed him into the same tank as the other never to be seen again 
About two months ago, I was doing a 20 gallon water change, emptied the sump & promptly poured the fresh mix in, hit the water with a bang & got a shock as I saw what I thought was my larger mantis (thought the other was dead) but no matter how well I searched, I couldnt find it do put it down to detritus flying around in the current.
About two weeks ago, I modified a seaclone skimmer to convert it into a fluidised phosphate reactor, all doing well till I come home tonight. I noticed that it had clumped & the entire foam + rowa column had moved up a few inches - I decided to strip it down to clean it out etc.
Then I got a real shock when I saw the baby mantis alive and well, living in the water void at the bottom of the seaclone - now as some of you will know, this space is only about 3" dia x 2" high, obviously hes come in via the aquaclear 402 feed pump, missed the propellar (god knows how) & settled in there with a constant flow of food!
Wow, got him out and into a temp container so I could get some pics, some are good, others crap but hes a fast bugger
Now hes living in my frag tank, bundled a load of rock in there & he played around & went in to make his home.
Miracle or what! Watch this space
Si
As many of you know, i've got a mantis shrimp in a dedicated tank (refugium) & is approx 3.5" long. Happy as larry.
Just before xmas, I got a message from wilfy asking if i'd like another - how could I refuse
so I plundled off to wigan to pick said shrimp up - it was only a baby of approx 1" in length. I placed him into the same tank as the other never to be seen again About two months ago, I was doing a 20 gallon water change, emptied the sump & promptly poured the fresh mix in, hit the water with a bang & got a shock as I saw what I thought was my larger mantis (thought the other was dead) but no matter how well I searched, I couldnt find it do put it down to detritus flying around in the current.
About two weeks ago, I modified a seaclone skimmer to convert it into a fluidised phosphate reactor, all doing well till I come home tonight. I noticed that it had clumped & the entire foam + rowa column had moved up a few inches - I decided to strip it down to clean it out etc.
Then I got a real shock when I saw the baby mantis alive and well, living in the water void at the bottom of the seaclone - now as some of you will know, this space is only about 3" dia x 2" high, obviously hes come in via the aquaclear 402 feed pump, missed the propellar (god knows how) & settled in there with a constant flow of food!
Wow, got him out and into a temp container so I could get some pics, some are good, others crap but hes a fast bugger
Now hes living in my frag tank, bundled a load of rock in there & he played around & went in to make his home.
Miracle or what! Watch this space
Si
