Leviathan_XE
New member
I've kept mantids before but this new one is kinda off. Went to the lfs about a month ago to see if they had anything intresting. They had quite a few mantids in a G.platysoma, 4 peacocks, 2 yellow P.ciliata that were all in the seperate little invert wells. They sometimes release them into the larger tanks with other livestock, can't understand why though it makes them hard to find.
They had a chiraga in the same tank with some gobies, a pygmy angel fish and another HUGE smasher I couldn't id. The tank next to it had some mandarins, anemones, and a flame hawk. But I noticed a rush of sand coming out from under this large rock. I watched for about 10 mins and see this flash of purple. Knew instantly it was a smithii under there.
I go home set up a tank and go back last week. The chiraga was gone, knew it wouldn't last long with the beast it was in there with. But the smithii was still there except this time it was in the rock. Told the clerk I wanted it and he looks shocked and says "Don't they chop your finger! Why do you want the one that's IN the rock? Can you catch it?"
I laughed, rolled up my sleeves and pulled out this boulder (had to weigh at least 60 lbs.) and placed it in the styrofoam box. Checked the den, she was still in there. So I flip the rock over and give it a little shake. Out falls some snails, crabs, a bta, even a mandarin! No mantis. I looked in the den and she was wedged in tight. ready to ride out the quake! After about 15 mins of this I put the rock back in the tank to give both of us a break. Soon as I so she peeks out again, no doubt taunting me. I walk around for about 10 mins waiting to see if she would leave the rock...fat chance.
For round 2 I decided to play at it a little smarter. I take the rock out plcae it in the box and grab a cup of freshwater from one goldfish bins they had. I slowly poured the water into the hole expecting to see it shoot from the rock into the box. She must've been holding her breath or something cause that was a failure. Checked the den and she had curled up into ball but she was still holding on for dear life!
By now I'm sweaty, tired, and kinda ticked. So I just stare at the rock and noticed that she had constructed a wall on opposite side of her entrance with rubble and shells. I start pulling it apart, if didn't know any better I'd have swore that it was cemented in place! I finally start pulling it loose and she must've heard me cause she came shooting out the opposite end. Victory!!
I bring her home and acclimate very slowly, about 2.5 hrs. Just wanted to be on the safe side cause of her stressful capture. Gave you back story cause it may help you to help to me explain what I think is odd behavior. When letting her out of the bag she actually ran towards my had instead away from it. Been in the water about 5 days. She seems healthy enough, great colors, no marks on the shell. She's got to be full grown cause she's 4 inches at least.
She has NO fear of me whatsoever. Which I thought was odd, all my other mantids went through a shy phase, then they gradually came out more and more. They also ate right off the bat. She won't take anything I offer her. I placed in a long pvc burrow that runs from one end of the tank to the other. She won't use it! She'll go through it but she's burrowed down under a rock and is trying wall up the back of the tank.
And I think she keeps trying to escape! She'll swim around the top of the tank and with a quick burst try to exit the water! If there was no lid I swear she would've made onto the floor by now. She'll do it, walk around for a little go sit and think and try it again. It's like she's testing the walls of her cell. I've not seen this before with my previous mantids( 2 N.wenn, G. smithii, G. platysoma). Is it me or is she knida off?
They had a chiraga in the same tank with some gobies, a pygmy angel fish and another HUGE smasher I couldn't id. The tank next to it had some mandarins, anemones, and a flame hawk. But I noticed a rush of sand coming out from under this large rock. I watched for about 10 mins and see this flash of purple. Knew instantly it was a smithii under there.
I go home set up a tank and go back last week. The chiraga was gone, knew it wouldn't last long with the beast it was in there with. But the smithii was still there except this time it was in the rock. Told the clerk I wanted it and he looks shocked and says "Don't they chop your finger! Why do you want the one that's IN the rock? Can you catch it?"
I laughed, rolled up my sleeves and pulled out this boulder (had to weigh at least 60 lbs.) and placed it in the styrofoam box. Checked the den, she was still in there. So I flip the rock over and give it a little shake. Out falls some snails, crabs, a bta, even a mandarin! No mantis. I looked in the den and she was wedged in tight. ready to ride out the quake! After about 15 mins of this I put the rock back in the tank to give both of us a break. Soon as I so she peeks out again, no doubt taunting me. I walk around for about 10 mins waiting to see if she would leave the rock...fat chance.
For round 2 I decided to play at it a little smarter. I take the rock out plcae it in the box and grab a cup of freshwater from one goldfish bins they had. I slowly poured the water into the hole expecting to see it shoot from the rock into the box. She must've been holding her breath or something cause that was a failure. Checked the den and she had curled up into ball but she was still holding on for dear life!
By now I'm sweaty, tired, and kinda ticked. So I just stare at the rock and noticed that she had constructed a wall on opposite side of her entrance with rubble and shells. I start pulling it apart, if didn't know any better I'd have swore that it was cemented in place! I finally start pulling it loose and she must've heard me cause she came shooting out the opposite end. Victory!!
I bring her home and acclimate very slowly, about 2.5 hrs. Just wanted to be on the safe side cause of her stressful capture. Gave you back story cause it may help you to help to me explain what I think is odd behavior. When letting her out of the bag she actually ran towards my had instead away from it. Been in the water about 5 days. She seems healthy enough, great colors, no marks on the shell. She's got to be full grown cause she's 4 inches at least.
She has NO fear of me whatsoever. Which I thought was odd, all my other mantids went through a shy phase, then they gradually came out more and more. They also ate right off the bat. She won't take anything I offer her. I placed in a long pvc burrow that runs from one end of the tank to the other. She won't use it! She'll go through it but she's burrowed down under a rock and is trying wall up the back of the tank.
And I think she keeps trying to escape! She'll swim around the top of the tank and with a quick burst try to exit the water! If there was no lid I swear she would've made onto the floor by now. She'll do it, walk around for a little go sit and think and try it again. It's like she's testing the walls of her cell. I've not seen this before with my previous mantids( 2 N.wenn, G. smithii, G. platysoma). Is it me or is she knida off?
