So he's a She!

[Giga]

Ok so I got a mantis yesterday. She been working alot with her cave and so today I tried to feed her a small crab all she did was kill it and push it back out it's cave. So I moved the rocks around to help a little bit with her cave and get an aquscape that I like. She was cheching me out then decided she had enough of me and smacked me good(scared the crap out of me but she's too samll do do anything. So then I noticed something. To my surprise she had laid eggs last night! I have no idea what to do? Do I keep them in there? Or should I take them out? Becuase if they hatch I can't take care of them and they'll get sucked up into the filtration? HELP

 

[Pea-brain]

Absolutely zero chance of them surviving without being extremely prepared. I doubt the mantis will let you get them either. So just let them hatch and when they do scoop out as many as possible to help dilute the mass die off which could cause an ammonia spike.

Dan

 

[75Gallons]

I understand its a difficult chore but this hobby is difficult. I'd say buy a small 5 gallon and put an air hose in it and try to do what you can. Kinda sucks to think of all those babies never being born when you could hateh them and put like 3 in the mail to me. Just a thought. Maybe you'll be one of the few who successfully hatch a brood. Just b/c somethhing doesn't occur often doesn't mean its not worth trying.

 

[Pea-brain]

The problem is not hatching them, but the fact is that you need alot of larval foods for as much as 1-5 months depending on species and they need to be kept individually because they are incredibly cannablistic. Try it if you want, and I really hope it works out if you try, but it isn't realistic.

Dan

 

[Giga]

I just got rid of them I just don't have the time nor the money for these little guys(married, going to school full time, and working 48 hours a week ) Maybee later I could try this if it happens again but not now. I also just started this hobby so i'd most likly make a mistake anyway.

 

[MAGDRL Mom]

Sorry to hear that, Giga. I wish I would have known earlier, I would have helped you, loaned you whatever equipment you needed to at least try. Coral Frenzy might have worked for the hatchlings, I know Calfo did a study using it to feed jelly fish and it worked great.

Giga, Register at hrrc.us and tidewater-reefers.org that way if you have an immediate need, the folks there check the board all the time, and we are all local. I'll be happy to give you my phone number too.

BTW, Leroy, the owner, at Fish Safari should know what species of mantis you have. It's not like him to take something in and not know what he has.

 

[Giga]

Yeah I don't think I will ever shop at fish safari again. Only reef chief. Fish safari is very dirty and all the tanks are in bad shape and he told me had a peacock mantis and it totally wasn't a peacock.Fish safari dosn't even compare to Reef chief. At reef chief the service is great and all the tanks are in almost perfect order and its a great layout.

 

[dismalorb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10677061#post10677061 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pea-brain
The problem is not hatching them, but the fact is that you need alot of larval foods for as much as 1-5 months depending on species and they need to be kept individually because they are incredibly cannablistic. Try it if you want, and I really hope it works out if you try, but it isn't realistic.

Dan

I'm curious.. if you have them in a well established tank that's closer to a refugium than your typical Mantis tank, all the very minute copepods be enough for them to live on? My tank is COVERED in copepods and amphipods and I have a pair of O. havanensis in it. They occasionally share a burrow together, both guarding each exit. They also share a piece of krill together (think Lady and the Tramp, it's ridiculously cute).

Anyways, they share a 40g AGA breeder tank together, and have a multitude of caves, burrows, tunnels and territory to co-exist or live alone if they choose.

 

[Pea-brain]

That is strange. Dr. Roy reports O. havenensis to be ridiculously territorial. I'm surprised you can keep them in thesame tank.....ANyways I can't tell you if they would survive. Many would die from pumps, protien skimmers etc, many would die from cannabalism, and unknown amounts would succumb to infection and such. However a good source of copepods and copepod nauplii would be a good start for food. Getting them to eat can be a problem...If I were to try this I would start with several cultures of greenwater, copepod cultures, rotifier cultures and decapped brine shrimp eggs. That way you can provide a variety of good foods. Anyways, I don't think they would survive in a refugium, but I couldn't say for sure.....Also, most Odontodactylus may stay in the planktonic for over 4 months.....

Dan

 

[dismalorb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10683051#post10683051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pea-brain
That is strange. Dr. Roy reports O. havenensis to be ridiculously territorial. I'm surprised you can keep them in thesame tank.....ANyways I can't tell you if they would survive. Many would die from pumps, protien skimmers etc, many would die from cannabalism, and unknown amounts would succumb to infection and such. However a good source of copepods and copepod nauplii would be a good start for food. Getting them to eat can be a problem...If I were to try this I would start with several cultures of greenwater, copepod cultures, rotifier cultures and decapped brine shrimp eggs. That way you can provide a variety of good foods. Anyways, I don't think they would survive in a refugium, but I couldn't say for sure.....Also, most Odontodactylus may stay in the planktonic for over 4 months.....

Dan

I know! That's what Dr. Roy told me also in a post where I asked him about it. As I've learned with all livestock is that they can turn any second and destroy the other animal. It's very possible they may do that, but they were also introduced into the tank at the same time, and both staked out their own territories. There's alot of rubble, and alot of floor space for the little 2"ers.

I have a few colonies of star polyps and zoanthids in there, so I dose the tank with a capful of phyto every 2-3 days or so, and occasionally a little bit of cyclopeeze for the pods. I'll try and post a pic of it in the next few days...