Mantis Shrimp

[GrayScale]

So i've actually been doing some research on mantis shrimp and now understand peoples obsessions with them! Some view them as pests while others as pets. Mostly due to there aggressive behavior towards other tank mates. Lets face it, these stomatopods are beautiful and seem pretty interesting. So now I ask the question, how would you set up your very own species only mantis shrimp tank and which species would you choose?

The main reason I ask is because, well, I want one and I would like some ideas. Below is how I would do it:

12g tank with diy acrylic divider to hide heater and possibly a compartment for a fuge.
A minimum of a 3" sand bed.
2x single strip t5 lights. 1 white and 1 actinic(doing this so they can be on seperate timers)
And the obvious live rock and powerheads
Possibly some non-photosynthetic corals or some easy to keep lower light corals.
And obviously the shrimp. My choice would be an o. havenensis, n. wennerae, g. smithii, or n. oerstedii.

So a little about the mantis shrimp for those that haven't thought too much about them. There is also a pinned article about the peacock mantis shrimp in MARC. The mantis shrimp is a biurnal(active at night and day) creature that is not technically a shrimp but they are a stomatopod that closely resembles shrimp, lobsters, and other crustaceans. They appear to be quite hardy and easy to maintain and they are burrowers. Their eyes can be sensitive to high volume light changes, but if you have a consistant light schedule, with even high lights, there eyes can adjust for hunting. There are two types, smashers and spearers. Smashers have club like appendages to smash open shells of there prey or to smash up softer live rock so they can burrow in it. I was watching some videos on youtube and it was really quite fascinating. Spearers have spear like apendages for spearing fish and other soft invertebrates that might come along.

So again I shall close by asking, how would you set up your mantis tank?

 

[lljdma06]

If it were me? I'd do a mantis tank as a biotope tank. If it was one of those small florida mantids, you can do a pico with rock rubble, some tough corals and macro algae.

For the peacock, I'd do something bigger, like a 15g long or a 20g long, with some tough corals, as it will do rearranging and indo pacific macro algae. I'd make the tank very colorful if I can.

They are extraordinarily beautiful and intelligent animals. I've always wanted one, observing them at lfs is fascinating. They are very clever.

They don't harm coral, but their "aquascaping" does displace things, so corals have to be securely attached. If you have a rock bass that's sitting on the top of the glass bottom, you'll have a bass that the mantis really can't do much about. If you then use epoxy to secure rocks together to form a cave structure, you can probably put corals on those stable rocks. They need sand for burrowing too, so a good-sized bed. Think of it a bit like a pistol shrimp, but on crack. Similar habits, but to the tenth power and it doesn't need a symbiont. One of the most effective predators on the reef.

They can be messy.

I've seen some lovely mantis shrimp reefs. stunning tanks. Why? you wanting one?

L

 

[GrayScale]

Haha, very much so! I will be moving out sometime next month to a place I KNOW I will be at for at least a year, so I will be able to set up my 55g. Once thats set up and I get it cycling. I might just have to start a nano tank for a mantis.

Only problem is, I can't find 12g tanks ANYWHERE!!! The only 12g is the JBJ nano cube, which is a complete set up. I'm pretty picky about my equipment so I want to piece it out.

 

[MBOU]

I had a mantis!! They are the best ever!!

I kept a 'pest' species and he was epic! I would start off keeping a 'pest' species before anything like a peacock, little bit more leaway and forgiving and smaller and far FAR cheaper!

Mr Googles aka googliewooglies LOL was a "Gonodactylaceus falcatus", lime green, about 1" - 1.5" and I got him out of liverock (slid him off desk into my hands literally as my boss's hammer came down and nearly got my finger!).

He lived in a Fluval Edge tank, fed from long tweezers or hand, came out during the day.. lived with hermits, turbo snails, corals and as a 3 week temp housing whilst i moved house.. a pair of clowns too.

He also learned to jump through a bubble wand for food!... very easy, he didnt need to be taught... it even got to the point he would swim up to the top to get through hoop if he thought it got him food!

Best critter in the world... I adored him, broke my heart to let him go but now he has 150L sump to himself (moved 3 times since, i couldnt keep doing it to him...)




EDIT: Best website for basic easy info:

http/www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/index.html#directory

 

[GrayScale]

Yall are killin me! Lol. I like the idea of the smaller species, slightly less destructive, smaller tank. The Gonodactylaceus falcatus is amazing looking and may actually go for that.

Might go a 10g route and do the diy hob filter/refugium conversion to house the heater and some chaeto. Might also look into doing a biotope type tank for it! Ugh, now ya got me wayy more excited than I should be.

 

[wildechild_01]

haha great, just while i was trying to decide what to do for my next tank... nano with something uncommon or pico with just some sexy shrimps or something like that and then Bam... Mantis Shrimp get thrown into the mix

 

[GrayScale]

Haha, now you know how I feel when I first thought about it. Pretty exciting, especially when you watch videos on youtube of them chasing a laser pointer around the tank.

I may start collecting some supplies before I move just to piece it out. I'm putting a parts list together right now.

For something like this for a 10g, I'm thinking it's going to be about $300-$350 before LR and sand. That's not on the cheaper side either. I think I've decided on getting the AquaClear 70 and trying to get some egg crate or screen to section it off again so I can place a mini skimmer, heater as well as some chaeto. Maybe switch out the impeller for a 20 or 30 model to reduce the flow.

I kinda wanna start a journal but I don't have anything yet and it'll for sure be a couple months before I can fill it. Gotta move first.

 

[lljdma06]

I had a mantis!! They are the best ever!!

I kept a 'pest' species and he was epic! I would start off keeping a 'pest' species before anything like a peacock, little bit more leaway and forgiving and smaller and far FAR cheaper!

Mr Googles aka googliewooglies LOL was a "Gonodactylaceus falcatus", lime green, about 1" - 1.5" and I got him out of liverock (slid him off desk into my hands literally as my boss's hammer came down and nearly got my finger!).

He lived in a Fluval Edge tank, fed from long tweezers or hand, came out during the day.. lived with hermits, turbo snails, corals and as a 3 week temp housing whilst i moved house.. a pair of clowns too.

He also learned to jump through a bubble wand for food!... very easy, he didnt need to be taught... it even got to the point he would swim up to the top to get through hoop if he thought it got him food!

Best critter in the world... I adored him, broke my heart to let him go but now he has 150L sump to himself (moved 3 times since, i couldnt keep doing it to him...)




EDIT: Best website for basic easy info:

http/www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/index.html#directory

Yeah, peacocks are the Park Avenue of the mantis shrimp. Very fancy. But they're not that expensive. I agree, though a pest species is better to start off with. I'd love to have a 20g devoted to one though, or an ADA 63l, would be sweet too. With nps securely anchored to the rocks.

Ah, must win the lottery, guys.

 

[MBOU]

Around here you will find Peacocks for about £50 (roughly $76 USD)