tank set up?? Need quick anwser

[ruby]

Per the earlier thread I got a line on a Mantis.
I'll pick him up next week.

Now, after reading several other threads I'm confused on what to put in the tank.
I used to have a mantis but he was just in a 50 acrylic with decorations and such.
I want a tank for him only, to show him off.

What do I need........and more importantly what don't I need.
filtration (small piece of cured rock and hang gizmo enough?)
Substrate (sand? how much?)
caves (1-2-3??)
heater (get broken?)


Tank will be a 8 gallon plastic tank.
Or my other option is to move my octopus to the small tank and put the mantis in my 30 gallon, which has 35lbs of cured live rock.
I'm afraid I won't see much of him in there though.

 

[Agilecrux]

what size mantis
and the species of the mantis.

the depth of the sand depends on if the mantis is a smasher or a spearer. i personally use CC for a smasher, sand for a spearer.

a heater in my case is a most. live in upstate NY, but i did put the heater in the upper level of the tank and have it horizontal not vertical.

8 gallons would be a beginning tank for a 2-3 inch mantis. beyond that size i would go for something bigger.

i have a 2.5 inch mantis in a 10g with about 30 lbs live rock. i see the mantis more often now than when i only had a couple pieces of LR. the reason, simple, the mantis has more places to run around under and around the LF and feels more secure in its environment, more places to hide to sum it up. another observation is that my mantis does not have just one den but multiple so the mantis runs for one den to another.

for how many dens depends on the setup, if you are going to use PVC then make a couple, the mantis will use all the space that it wants to.
if you use the natural way like i have the mantis will make as many dens as it wants to.

HTH

 

[Bashiba]

We have had are mantis four about 5 months in this setup with no problems. Standard 10 glass tank, small heater, a sponge filter and a Four lb peace of live rock with a four inch sand bed. Also keep a couple Blue Damsels some limpets, snails, and hermits with him. Haven't had any problems other than the air line from the sponge filter eventually will plug with salt so you have to cut the end off about once a month to keep it working.
Bashiba

 

[ruby]

agilecrux,

I'm getting the species everyone calls the Peacock. The green and blue type. someone has a post here with a pic, and named Virgil.
About 2.5" right now.

Did you say you have 30lbs. of live rock in a 10 gallon tank???!!!
I was going to put something like 5-8lbs at the most.

I'll start him in the 8 a move up to a 20 long toward the spring. I'll have to try the heater too. I'll put it in safe place.

 

[msjn771]

rudy

rudy

Do you have any extra mantis, my local lfs doesn't sell them