[Dawgz]

CLUSTER ONE, on 30 December 2010 - 08:09 PM, said:

Mines only like an inch and a half and seems to be growing so slow. I don't even know if it's molted yet and ive had it for like a year. Im assuming it has as its closed its burrow a couple times but i havnt noticed any significant increase in size. It hides in its burrow almost always and i havnt seen him out of his burrow for months (since i moved him tanks). I know he's still fine as he pops his head out of his burrow but will dart back in if i go close. He eats from chopsticks but always has at least 1/4 of his body in the burrow so he can retreat. I beleive i took some pics in my sw reef thrend a bit back and i havn't even seen him out fully to take pics. I've probably had him around a year.


Mantis shrimp can be with coral colonies usually but especially smashers will move small rocks and possibly frags around. If you have kept frags you know they can die easy if they get knocked over and you don't notice for a bit so if you keep them with any coral you want it to be well established so they can't move it. I wouldn't do lps or sps though i don't think they would bother it. Soft corals on large rocks should be fine.

RedneckR0nin, on 30 December 2010 - 03:46 PM, said:

You have any preventive measures on the bottom of your tank as are these not the little suckas that will pucnh a hole through the bottom??

Small ones can't but for big ones acrylic tanks are recomended. Some people will put a acrylic sheet under their substrate though a mantis shrimp shouldn't be able to break an appropriatly sized tank. Mines in a 10g sump. For their size they do have pletny of power. Mine has hollowed out a solid rock for his burrow.

so he's afraid of u huh?

Mine likes to roam around the tank often, maybe ur feeding him too often, have u tried hermit crabs for him to venture out and capture?

[CLUSTER ONE]

I havnt even seen him roaming at night so to me it seems hes always in his burrow I feed him periodically but mostly he gets whatever flows through the refugium from a feeding in the main tank so more or less he survives on what he can find. He's had hermits before but ive nver seen him actually eat them but he takes food from the chopsticks. Im thinking mayby moving this guy to the return pump chamber aand getting another mantis for the refuge part of the sump as this guy doesnt seem to use any space.

[Dawgz]

what mantis are u looking for?

If i was to get another one, id get a peacock mantis!

[CLUSTER ONE]

I don't have the tank size for a peacock. Ideally something like a smithii but if not any small spearer would be cool. It all depends on what i can get though as im sure you know they arn't the easiest to find. A store near me often has zebras and peacocks but Id need a smaller species so its more take what i can get then anything else.



I'd do another Wennerae if I cant find anything else. I'd probably prefer a slighlty larger one this time. A ciliata spearer would be cool if i could find a small one.

[Dawgz]

CLUSTER ONE, on 31 December 2010 - 12:49 PM, said:

I don't have the tank size for a peacock. Ideally something like a smithii but if not any small spearer would be cool. It all depends on what i can get though as im sure you know they arn't the easiest to find. A store near me often has zebras and peacocks but Id need a smaller species so its more take what i can get then anything else.



I'd do another Wennerae if I cant find anything else. I'd probably prefer a slighlty larger one this time. A ciliata spearer would be cool if i could find a small one.

yea, a spearer would be awesome to have as well, would be cool to see their attack habbits.

I have my tank close to my computer desk, i often catch the Mantis just staring in my direction from its tank, and then when i get up itll dart to the nearest rock and then poke back out to see whats up.

[CLUSTER ONE]

Mine does the same though he pokes his head in and out of his rock. Im not even sure how big his burrow is as theres a couple rocks piled up for his home. I always see him poking out of the same crevice but i dont know if he's hollowed out any of the other rocks. If I can find another small mantis I will probably get it and move this guy to the return chamber with his favourite rocks

[Dawgz]

CLUSTER ONE, on 31 December 2010 - 02:54 PM, said:

Mine does the same though he pokes his head in and out of his rock. Im not even sure how big his burrow is as theres a couple rocks piled up for his home. I always see him poking out of the same crevice but i dont know if he's hollowed out any of the other rocks. If I can find another small mantis I will probably get it and move this guy to the return chamber with his favourite rocks

Lol, ur gonna have fun trying to catch him when ur ready for his move.

[CLUSTER ONE]

Dawgz, on 31 December 2010 - 03:51 PM, said:

CLUSTER ONE, on 31 December 2010 - 02:54 PM, said:

Mine does the same though he pokes his head in and out of his rock. Im not even sure how big his burrow is as theres a couple rocks piled up for his home. I always see him poking out of the same crevice but i dont know if he's hollowed out any of the other rocks. If I can find another small mantis I will probably get it and move this guy to the return chamber with his favourite rocks

Lol, ur gonna have fun trying to catch him when ur ready for his move.

The good thing is I can count on him being in his burrow. I caught him in a 15g tank by just taking out his whole rock that he's usually in which is mayby a round 3" diameter rock. Either way this will be a ton easier then trying to catch some damsels. Their so quick and hard to catch since they are fast, have great agility and can easily weive through small cracks in the rock work

[His Majesty]

great looking mantis. they are neat creatures