Won't take live prey.
- Thread starter nubreefer
- Start date
sdm
Premium Member
Maybe your mantis is still getting comfortable. So far, the only time I've seen phil attacking something with a shell like one of those, is when a large blue leg I put in for cleanup once walked in front of his burrow. As for the raptorials being lost, I'm fairly certain that's mainly O. scyllarus. One way I make sure phil exercizes his raptorials is when I feed him from the eye-dropper, once he's no longer interested/hungry, he hits it once to signal that, and I go on to feed the other tanks. (lack of exercise leads to "rap-loss", not lack of live foods. The rapto-ah heck i'll call em 'claws'- take a lot of energy to maintain, and if they aren't used enough, they are shed to preserve energy. They are also shed due to atrophy, which makes them useless if they're needed- if a mantis loses them they will regenerate, but can take up to a year or more depending on how often it molts (age), metabolism (more active and more food), food amount, and health of the mantis.) But if you find a way to make him more active, I'd like to hear it, Phils only taken down about 2 to date.
He's very very very active. Just won't attack anything living no matter where it is, even in his burrow. I tossed a tiny blue leg right in it and the thing just walked out. He's as gentle as a ***** cat. He was waiting behind a nassarius as it passed between a rock and the glass so that he could go the same way without disturbing it. Just a moment ago he was flitting around the tank and perched on an Astrea that was stuck on the glass.
He knows I'm talking about him too. I can see him watching me.
He knows I'm talking about him too. I can see him watching me.
sdm
Premium Member
Huh...how big are the hermits compared to him? Phil is about 1.25-1.5" and only has taken down hermits in shells 1/5 and 1/2 his size. He bothered the blue-leg 'cause it stopped and "sat down to eat", as you might say, in front of his hole. I think he most likely is still settling in. (the 'hermit attack' was on his third day-yesterday.)
I read somewhere that once accostomed to certain foods they can take up to two weeks to switch back. So it looks like a little tough love is in order. If he doesn't start taking them soon I'll start with mysis again, but until then those hermits are gonna start looking mighty tasty to him.
sdm
Premium Member
Do you feed him through a straw/eyedropper/syringe/etc.(prepared/frozen) often? BTW, I dunno if a mantis is 'all settled in' once they find and make a burrow...I just dicovered an extensive network of burrows made by phil (hence the delay in replying) I was actually considering adding more rock to make him less shy,(hermits are almost always in easy striking distance, but he only gets em at about 7:45-right after 'lights on') but now I cant, for fear of collapsing one with him in it. He might be just taking awhile to settle in and feel secure...otherwise, I dunno....
Dexter1334
Premium Member
My N. Wennerae love frozen shrimp from the grocery. I drop a scrap in front of them and they come right out and grab it. They also like the pelleted formula two. They share their tank with a couple of emerald crabs, and a couple of snails who they have ignored so far. I had one green and one red who had fry. The green got cooked when it ate my glass heater, and I eventually added another red. The two reds hate each other and attack on sight so I have to provide lots of room and hiding places. Anyway mine have been eating shrimp for 8 months and are doing quite well.
oddball_from_ac
New member
as for appendage loss im fairly certain its al
l species and just take one of those chop sticks ya get from chinese take out and have it attck it by annoying him by putting it in front of its burrow(not saying annoy it by smacking em in the head) that should till the time it starts smacking food keep the smashers in shape
l species and just take one of those chop sticks ya get from chinese take out and have it attck it by annoying him by putting it in front of its burrow(not saying annoy it by smacking em in the head) that should till the time it starts smacking food keep the smashers in shape
oddball_from_ac
New member
woops i sound a little scatter brain there lol
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