The Continuing Adventures of Tim (Supermantis)

[crzy_pig]

He is single and grumpy for it too apparently.

He's almost always looking for "companionship" as well. *grin*


His roommates still don't last very long though... I think he's really picky. He does take all of his roommates out to one last dinner though, before... parting ways.

Partings ways?!? is a "way", Tim's euphemisms for exoskeleton?
cuz I've read this thread a few times and Tim has parted more "ways" than I can think of.
:eek2:

 

[B Pierce]

I think tim is ready to take on another emerld crab

Bill

 

[sbwood007]

OT

DenstinyMan,
Zoanthid collector (gotta catch 'em all)

Do you have a tread on Zoanthids?

Thanks,
Stephen

 

[BrianPlankis]

Densityman,

I've been following your thread and Tim is very cool. I just noticed today you are from Indianapolis, I'm from there and my parents still live there! What part of Indy are you in?

B.

 

[DensityMan]

Tim does part exoskeletons more often than not when parting 'ways' with his roomies... *grin*

I've posted on many zoanthids threads in the past, but have no specific thread I've created to document their antics. This is due in large part due to their complete lack of antics, aside from opening in the morning and closing at night.

Tim and I are both on the near Eastside of Indy. His tank is almost always a little farther East than I am while inside the house. Near the intersection of Emerson and 16th.

Still want to chronicle the complete (short) story of Darth Crab (Tim's last roommate), but keep running out of hours in the day. Maybe this weekend.

In other news, Tim is still looking for new playmates. He has most recently been introduced to zoanthid-eating nudibranchs (to clear out the ugly zoanthids I place into his tank as punishment for being less-than-spectacular). He has show no interest in having them for dinner or over for dinner even...

Also looking at reaquascaping his abode sometime soon. He's shown a new interest in the water's surface recently, so I'm going to build up the back wall a bit and see what happens. Give him a little more sand-area to hunt while giving my new places to plant ugly zoanthids and algae.

That's all for now though...

Enjoy.

 

[Scalare102079]

MORE MORE MORE!!!

 

[Scalare102079]

PLAYTIME!

PLAYTIME!

WANNA PLAY TIM???

Okay, it is a crappy pic, but give me a break, it was a camera phone.....blah.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I just spent a good amount of time reading this whole thread and I must say it is excellent. I was contemplating getting a mantis but this pretty much sealed the deal. I can only hope he will be 1/10 as entertaining as Tim. Keep up the good work DM and Tim!

 

[DensityMan]

Re: PLAYTIME!

Re: PLAYTIME!

WANNA PLAY TIM???

Okay, it is a crappy pic, but give me a break, it was a camera phone.....blah.

He looks like a bully.

Not that Tim couldn't take him (with time, a clever strategy and a good deal of luck)...

Is that a new playmate or just a new pic, Scalare?

 

[DensityMan]

Tim's been fed well all week on his least favorite food - shrimp pellets. This was all part of a plan to have his belly full when I introduced a couple new astreas (big ones) to keep him occupied this week.

2 minutes after adding the snails the first one was split in twain.

7 minutes after that, having already hidden part of the first snail away, the second snail was taken away behind the rockwork. I have to assume Tim had his way with that snail as well...

3 days from now he'll be complaining that he's hungry and the tank smells.

/shrug

 

[Scalare102079]

just a new crappy pic... he was out looking for another fiddler crab.... one of his favorite snacks.

 

[DensityMan]

Got any cheap-food ideas? The snails are getting costly (especially when he hunts ALL of them down in under ten minutes)...

Gotta run... think he heard me type the letters c-h-e-a-p before the letters f-o-o-d. Gah!

 

[Wryknow]

What about ghost shrimp???? My LFS sells them cheap and at least Tim would have something to chase (for 30 seconds or so anyway - it sounds like he's getting to be quite a pig!

 

[DensityMan]

He hasn't had ghost shrimp in a while. Good thinking.

I don't feed freshwater items very often (in fact the only FW food he's every had before were ghost shrimp as well), but it's definitely time for a cheap treat...

 

[DensityMan]

So I'm doing some regular maintenance on the main reef and this guy manages to be spotted clinging to the underside of the big-ric.

Dr. Ron gives me the skinny on the young xanthid as not being noteworthy or immediately recognizable and perhaps even destructive to Ye Olde Display Reef. Sooooo, off to room with Tim...

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

He seemed excited by the prospect really. Given his size and color I thought he might actually be able to hide out for a time...

A blur of activity too fast and gruesome to display happens here followed by...

The search for companions continues...

 

[BrianPlankis]

At this rate Tim will never have a roommate. The latest crab was probably the coolest roommate yet and he didn't pass the test either.

B.

 

[DensityMan]

He was a cool little crab. Tim did tell me later he was tasty, so it all works out.

Once I finish the fish/crab trap for use in the display I hope to add a long-armed "mithrax-type" crab to Tim's long list of roommates. I've seen this crab pick off several zoanthids at a time before I shoo him off (by trying to grab him and the rock he's on for export). Only see the destructive punk near lights out and he has eluded manual capture for some time now.

That will be a dinner I will watch with absolute glee.

Meanwhile, Tim's having a hard time remembering what happened the last time a heater exploded in his tank...

I helped him out by moving it back onto the wall.

 

[Morgandy]

What an absolutely great couple of threads!! Your story telling and life and times of Tim is just wonderful, entertaining, and full of so much admiration you have for him/her?. I'm just smiling away at all I've read and your humor. I can picture you in a library doing story telling with these slides entertaining the kids.

I'm going to PM you some links to terrestrial mantids and other 'micro critter' pics/videos I have in case you are interested, since you are a true micro critter activist!! You go!

 

[Herbert T. Kornfeld]

I have a better idea. Take some monowire and make a leash for Tim. Then let him loose like a bloodhound in the main tank. Im sure he will sniff-out that emerald in no time and take care of him for you...and a few other snacks along the way... It would be like 'taking the dog for a walk outside' only>>>" taking the mantis for a walk in the reef".

 

[Scalare102079]

i'll tell you what DM, i am extremely happy that i went with a titanium heater for my mantis.... i often here "TING TING TING" in the evening hours.