Teeny Tiny Wennerae

[Kati]

I got a shipment of TBS rock today (it is awsome by the way) and while screening I found an TINY like 1/2 inch wennerae. I already have 2 other mantids, but I just have to keep this guy... I was just wondering what I should do, what kind of set up, how often will he molt etc. For now he will be living in a bucket with a pump in it, but I want to get a little tank or somthing- He is just too cool not to keep. I already saw him whack a gorilla crab like 3X his size. So I guess I am looking for some advice from people with experiance with small Mantids. Thanks!

 

[Pea-brain]

At that size a 2.5 gallon would probly handle him well, And a 5 gallon would keep him to adult. It takes about a year for a mantis to reach 1" from larvae. put in a rock for him to burrow in, maybe a 1" sand bed, and a powerhead in there and he'll be fine. Just keep water quality good.

Dan

 

[Thurge]

When I initially got Squirtle I kept him in a floating breeder container, in the sump on my reef. He was living in a hollowed out piece of Tonga Branch at the time.

 

[Agu]

The breeding container sounds lika a plan to me. That way you can target feed it until it grows a bit. Make sure it has a good hiding place though.

 

[justinl]

if you go the route of the breeding container i would make sure it has a plce to hide. the rock is a good idea but i think a piece of pvc and some rubble would suffice as well. if there are holes in the container, be sure that they are too small to fit through

if you go with pea-brain's suggestion of a devoted tank, cover up all the intakes so the mantis doesnt get in a powerhead and... well you know.

btw this mantis doesn't exist to us unless we see a pic!

 

[Thurge]

Justin, that is good advice for larger mantis also. On two different occasions I have had to free a mantis from a HOB filter's intake. They didn't make it to the impeller but they were sucked up to the first bend.

 

[mathias]

I also have a small mantis and I was just wondering what type of feeding could I do? I put 5 small snails in the tank and about 20 ghost shrimp the tanks is a 20gal aquapod

 

[yiliyang]

Dude, keep it in your mixed reef. They do not bother corals, they do not eat fishes. The worst will be he eats a couple snails a week.

I have a 2.5" one in my 55 gal mixed reef, I love him in there.

 

[Pea-brain]

20 ghost shrimp? I hope thiey are SW ghost shrimp, not FW ghost shrimp? FW ghost shrimp will die in SW and 20 won't be eaten at once....Anyways a breeder net is a good idea, but I'd be worried about Dr. Roy's story of a mantis chewing its way out of a dive bag in like a minute, but it is unlikely, so it'll proly b ok.

Dan

 

[mathias]

yea they are saltwater..... shrimp....

 

[Troyboy112]

I just got one at my LFS- She's red still (she must like the deeper stuff) about 2-2.5 inches long. I have a 72gal mix reef- look at my sig... I have her in my sump ATM, but I'd love to move here to the main tank, but I've been told that this wouldn't be a very good idea. I would try it without any hesitation if not for my BlueDotPuffer that I have that eats anything that moves. Has anyone had his or her mantis in the main tank with a puffer of some sort or any fish that eats shrimp for a living? I want to move her up there, but I don't want anyone hurt if I do...

Any info would be appreciated...

 

[Thurge]

I would be afraid as you are that the puffer would take it as a personal challenge to eat the mantis. Which way it would go would be a good topic for debate, the puffer is definitely well equipped to eat the mantis and there are cases of mantis killing puffers.

 

[Troyboy112]

I decided I'd leave her in the sump... I don't want to chance it either way, but I would still like to know if anyone else has success stories similar to this.?.

: )

Cheers