WTF!!! Is this normal?

MadSi

New member
Hi,

Had my mantis for a few weeks now in a 30gall tank setup for the purpose. I'm also 90% through designing the new home for it when I decided to check on him & was nowhere to be seen. In fact that was three weeks ago, not a scrap or sign of him & nothing seen since - even after removing all the rockwork & inspecting every hole nothing so I presumed it had popped it's cloggs. At this point, the weather was freezing outside & the heater really struggled to cope - dropped from 82 to 70 overnight so I presumed this is what had killed him.

Got the new tank up and running & transferred the rock/sand over. Then had a call from someone who had just caught a luminous green 1" mantis & would I like it - too bloody right I would so off I treked to pick it up. Soon got it in the tank & instantly hid in the rocks.

Over the next few days I start adding the softies to the new mantis tank - still not seen the new arrival but the solitary snail & hermit are happy enough.

Today added some more softies & all was well, built a new home for the mantis should he ever pop out - as I added the skimmer, a bloody massive monster with it's appendages fully out greeted me - my original mantis has miraculously re-appeared, after three weeks of no sign!!!

He was obviously hungry so promply prepped some sandeel & he took it away to strip bare!!! Seeing him quite a bit now but I am puzzled as to why hes not been visible for so long.

Any ideas???

Si
 
LOL! I didn't see mine for 2 months after I put him in. I wasn't sure if he was alive or not. Now I see him all the time. Don't know where or why he was hiding!
 
Cheers Debi,

Wierd isnt it!!! Mines a big bugger (approx 2.5") so unless he is a contortionist, I can't think how the hell hes kept hidden from me for so long.

Glad hes out again now though :)

Si
 
I'm sorry to read this post! I KNOW I had another (in my case unwanted) mantis in my 150 gallon tank a couple months ago. Since none of my fish have disappeared for over a month, and I haven't seen signs of it lately, I thought it had probably died. Sounds like it could reappear some day soon...
 
Hee hee hee! Yeah you never know about the little buggers. I looked for him every day. Had hermits, snails and fish in there. They never disappeared. Then one day I heard a crack after dropping shrimp pellets in. There he was. It's been so cool ever since!:D Of course he has his own tank.
1202mantishanging-vi.jpg
 
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