stupid havanensis tricks
- Thread starter medellia
- Start date
thanks! glad you like the pics.
i have 5 more coming in tomorrow from Ken at www.sealifeflorida.com. he is a diver who hand-collects all his livestock from the florida keys. i won the first havanensis from his e-bay auctions, and once i realized what a cool species this is, i decided i wanted more! i put in a request with Ken, and within a week he had hand-picked them for me. he has really gone the extra mile as far as customer service goes.
so if anyone wants a havanensis, this is a great source for them. he also sometimes has P. ciliata too...
i would recommend havanensis to anyone as a great pet mantis. they have all the personality of a peacock in a smaller package (under 3") and without the risk of breaking glass. their colors are not as dramatic as a peacock's, but they are very beautiful mantids in a suble way.
sorry to sound like a walking billboard...i am just so totally in love with this species...they are the best!
i have 5 more coming in tomorrow from Ken at www.sealifeflorida.com. he is a diver who hand-collects all his livestock from the florida keys. i won the first havanensis from his e-bay auctions, and once i realized what a cool species this is, i decided i wanted more! i put in a request with Ken, and within a week he had hand-picked them for me. he has really gone the extra mile as far as customer service goes.
so if anyone wants a havanensis, this is a great source for them. he also sometimes has P. ciliata too...
i would recommend havanensis to anyone as a great pet mantis. they have all the personality of a peacock in a smaller package (under 3") and without the risk of breaking glass. their colors are not as dramatic as a peacock's, but they are very beautiful mantids in a suble way.
sorry to sound like a walking billboard...i am just so totally in love with this species...they are the best!
forrestp38829
New member
I just received my havenensis today from Ken. About two inches long right now.
Question...Can I expect him to hide for the first week or so?
Will he eventually warm up to me?
Thanks
FOrrest
Question...Can I expect him to hide for the first week or so?
Will he eventually warm up to me?
Thanks
FOrrest
that is cool that you got a havanensis too! do you have any pics of it or the tank setup?
as for activity level, it really seems to depend on the individual mantis. some of mine have been more active the first week or so, then they settle down a bit once they have their burrow finished. others seem to pick a spot and hide at first, then get braver as time goes by.
my havanensis was very active when i first put him in his tank, and now that he has his little den perfected, he likes to spend more time in there and less time wandering around the tank. but maybe he is preparing for a molt or something...i have really not had him long enough to get to know his routine. it will be interesting to get these others in and see how they compare to him...
as for activity level, it really seems to depend on the individual mantis. some of mine have been more active the first week or so, then they settle down a bit once they have their burrow finished. others seem to pick a spot and hide at first, then get braver as time goes by.
my havanensis was very active when i first put him in his tank, and now that he has his little den perfected, he likes to spend more time in there and less time wandering around the tank. but maybe he is preparing for a molt or something...i have really not had him long enough to get to know his routine. it will be interesting to get these others in and see how they compare to him...
forrestp38829
New member
He likes to sit at one of his four entrances and look at me. Right now he is collecting broken shells and rocks to use as doors i guess. I watched him pull a tiny bluleg hermit into his burrow just a few min ago. He has been taking frozen mysis from me as well.I can tell that he is gettin bolder.
![man1xv3.jpg[IMG]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimg339.imageshack.us%2Fimg339%2F1223%2Fman1xv3.jpg%5BIMG%5D&hash=9b436aea341fbf1866947be676a15076)
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Well, now I know why Ken couldn't fill my order for O. havanensis. He has been supplying my research needs for years.
O. havanensis is not your typical mantis shrimp. A few words of warning. First, they jump. An adult can clear 6 inches and I have had more than one end up on the floor.
Also, they are one of the more delicate species I have worked with. If tank parameters go off, they will be the first to die. Low oxygen is particularly a problem.
As a burrower, they don't live as long as most gonodactylids. Maximum that you can expect is 3 years.
These animals are burrowers that live on open sand bottoms. If you provide them with about 2 inches of sand gravel and lots of bits and pieces of shell, coralline algae and coral in the 1/2" range, they will eventually pile it into a mound with the burrow running under it. This is what they do in the field.
Also, they are a deeper species, 10-50 m. They do not do well with bright lighting.
Roy
O. havanensis is not your typical mantis shrimp. A few words of warning. First, they jump. An adult can clear 6 inches and I have had more than one end up on the floor.
Also, they are one of the more delicate species I have worked with. If tank parameters go off, they will be the first to die. Low oxygen is particularly a problem.
As a burrower, they don't live as long as most gonodactylids. Maximum that you can expect is 3 years.
These animals are burrowers that live on open sand bottoms. If you provide them with about 2 inches of sand gravel and lots of bits and pieces of shell, coralline algae and coral in the 1/2" range, they will eventually pile it into a mound with the burrow running under it. This is what they do in the field.
Also, they are a deeper species, 10-50 m. They do not do well with bright lighting.
Roy
forrestp38829
New member
Here He/she is I would love some help in sexing it. I will try to get a shot of the tail. If this isn't enough.
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Unfortunately in contrast to many other odontodactyids, there is no color sexual dimorphism in this species. The only way to sex them is to look at the genitalia.
One more word of warning. If you get two, even if they are male and female, do not leave them together. Every time we have tried this, one (usually the female) killed the other. Even just trying to mate them often results in fights. I have yet to figure our the mating system in this species.
Roy
One more word of warning. If you get two, even if they are male and female, do not leave them together. Every time we have tried this, one (usually the female) killed the other. Even just trying to mate them often results in fights. I have yet to figure our the mating system in this species.
Roy
Pea-brain
In Memoriam
Have you tried using clear dividers and looking for mating signs? Or playing with their light cycle? 3 years seems to be quite a short lifespan....is this from sexual maturity, adult size or hatching? Thanks. BTW awesome mantis. Once I hook all my 10 gallon tanks together I plan on getting one myself...either that or a smithii I found online....Either way with 300 GPH going through 3 tanks + powerheads should provide good oxygenation....
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Many of their signals are polarized, so clear plastic might not be the best divider. I have looked at courtship through glass and in the field (these were the main focus of study on our last Aquarius mission) and the courtship is somewhat similar to O. scyllarus as I would expect. However they just are not very tolerant of one another.
The 3 year estimate is from time of recruitment. We don't know how long they are in the plankton, but give that they are quite large for a stomatopod when they settle, I would guess at least a few months more in the plankton.
Roy
The 3 year estimate is from time of recruitment. We don't know how long they are in the plankton, but give that they are quite large for a stomatopod when they settle, I would guess at least a few months more in the plankton.
Roy
Altpers0na-old
Reefer
did you try some wine coolers?
sorry , had to...
i konw your research stuff has public release issues... but.. do you have footage of some jumps?
sorry , had to...
i konw your research stuff has public release issues... but.. do you have footage of some jumps?
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Experimental animals are in 80 gal open tanks with about an inch of sand and gravel. The animals collect the gravel they need to build a burrow. The u-shaped burrows look just like they would in the field.
Animals not in experiments are held in smaller 5 or 10 gal. tanks with a canister filter attached. Again, just sand and gravel to build a burrow.
Roy
Animals not in experiments are held in smaller 5 or 10 gal. tanks with a canister filter attached. Again, just sand and gravel to build a burrow.
Roy
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