dantodd
New member
looking for a mantis I went to the LFS today. They had a "sand mantis" and 2 peacocks but nothing small enough for my planned tank (10wX8dX12h) well, instead I picked up a couple skunk clowns for the 15gal side of the tank.
Well, on the way out of the store I saw a dish with a bunch of hitchhikers to be tossed from the load of liverock that had just come in.
You guessed it. 2 mantis and a bunch of UGLY crabs. Well I got the larger mantis (about 1") for $5. He would have given me both for $5 but I didn't have a second place set up, oh well. The smaller one, about 1/2", was wrapped around the much larger crab trying to eat it. That was one viscious critter.
I believe the one I picked up is a beautiful solid light green color he went immediately to the bottom of the tank and dug a burrow under the LR rubble. He has since been perched under the rock facing the back of the tank where I can't get a decent picture of him. I also have a number of small snails; astrea, cerith and nassarius in the tank so he shouldn't go hungry.
Well, on the way out of the store I saw a dish with a bunch of hitchhikers to be tossed from the load of liverock that had just come in.
You guessed it. 2 mantis and a bunch of UGLY crabs. Well I got the larger mantis (about 1") for $5. He would have given me both for $5 but I didn't have a second place set up, oh well. The smaller one, about 1/2", was wrapped around the much larger crab trying to eat it. That was one viscious critter.
I believe the one I picked up is a beautiful solid light green color he went immediately to the bottom of the tank and dug a burrow under the LR rubble. He has since been perched under the rock facing the back of the tank where I can't get a decent picture of him. I also have a number of small snails; astrea, cerith and nassarius in the tank so he shouldn't go hungry.