What mantis for a 10gal

[Shoreliner11]

I would prefer a smasher but I am unable to find specs on how large some of the species get. Obviously color is a must as well. I hear people keeping Peacocks in tanks this small but I think that might be pushing it. Any suggestions? I liked the O. havanensis and Gonodactylaceus ternatensis but I can't seem to find whether or not they are smashers or not or how big they get. Thanks for your help and if you could point me to an online site for ordering that would be great. The lfs I go to says he can't find any lists with mantis' on them.

 

[Gonodactylus]

For color, your best bets are the following smasher species (followed by maximum size and my subjective colorfulness index from very to dull). All of these animals are at least occasionally available from commercial sources and can survive in a well-run in 10 gal with proper filtration or lots of established live rock.

Gonodactylus smithii , 8 cm, very
Gonodactylus chiragra, 9 cm, moderate
Gonodactylus platysoma, 8 cm, colorful
Neogonodactylus wennerae, 7cm, dull
Neogonodactylus curacaoensis, 7 cm, very
Neogonodactylus oerstedii, 7 cm, moderate
Gonodactylellus viridis, 6 cm, dull
Gonodactylaceus ternatensis, 10 cm, very
Gonodactylaceus mutatus, 7 cm, moderate
Haptosquilla stoliura, 6 cm, moderate
Haptosquilla glyptocercus, 4 cm, moderate
Odontodactylus havanensis, 7 cm, colorful
Odontodactylus brevirostris, 7 cm, colorful
Odontodactlylus latirostris, 7 cm, colorful
Echinosquilla guerini, 8 cm, colorful

Obviously some of these species are color polymorphic and some morphs are more colorful than others. Also, I gave maximum size, but I would not put an animal greater than 7 or 8 cm in a 10 gal system. On the other hand, all of these species grow very slowly once they reach 5 or 6 cm.

Roy

 

[Shoreliner11]

Thanks for the help. Now just to find a lfs that can get me one. I like the Odontodactylus sp. the most but is there a place online that has a mantis sp. besides the peacock. That's all I have been able to find. Thanks.

 

[Uriel]

Gonodactylellus viridis, 6 cm, dull [/B]

Hey, now!

I happen to like black and white checkerboard patterns...
He does have bright yellow (my favorite color) legs and green eyes.

I take it that Baron von Munchausen won't emerge from a molt a bright green, then?

On another note, I thought that N. Wennerae was a species that tended to change colors between molts. Perhaps I have mixed them up?

-Ron

 

[Gonodactylus]

Many species change color when they molt if, and only if, the photic environment has changed. This can be due to a drastic change in the color or the habitat and or in the intensity and spectral quality of the ambient lighting. In the field, such changes are rare and animals usually do not change color, but when brought into the artificial world of the aquarium, this can happen and the animals respond by changing color. This seems particularly common in species that occur in a wide range of habitats and living over a considerable depth range. Probably the most variable species is Pseudosquilla ciliata, but color shifts are common in species such as Neogonodactylus wennerae, N. bredini and N. oerstedi, Gonodactylellus viridis, G. incipiens, G. affinis, Gonodactylaceus mutatus, and Gonodactylus childi.


There are also a few species that change color as they sexually mature. This can be subtle changes in background color such as occurs in O. scyllarus to to dramatic changes such as occur in G. mutatus.

Roy

 

[H2OLUVSME]

thanks for sharing all that info Dr. Roy. Ill have to save this page as a favorite. i also have a 10 gallon (without) mantis tank.

landon