Suprise!

[Christs_Knight]

This little guy is the best thing i have ever layed eyes on. Hes like a little puppy dog. if you see one, make a new tank for it, dont kill it. You wont regret it.

 

[pseud]

 

[Synirr]

OMG, I LOOOOOVE mantis shrimp. If I were ever to see one in a shop, although I am a strictly freshwater kind of gal, I think I would have to set up a saltwater tank solely to house it. They are wonderfully interesting little things. Did you know they have some of the best eyesight of any aquatic animal? They also have the strongest punch. I've heard that adult mantis shrimp are actually capable shattering glass tanks!
Seems possible, since in the wild they punch through hermit crab shells and such.

 

[prankster705]

Mantid shrimps can withot any special effort split your finger in half or break your leg; did you know that at the strike the water around the club actualy boils for less than a second.

 

[Synirr]

Whoops... I did a little research last night because I'm seeeriously interested in getting a mantis shrimp now, and found out that it's only certain species that can break glass and such... my bad )
It's still true that many of them can hurt you if they feel threatened, though.

Here's a nifty site I found that can help you ID your species, if you don't know already. I want a Haptosquilla hamifera... they're like 1" long!! How freakin' awesome would that be in a nano reef??

 

[Christs_Knight]

Not all mantis shrimp break class.
The well known glass smasher is a peacock mantis.
My little mantis is awsome, already broken 2 hydrometers, little champion!
not all mantis shrimp can break class, you got the spearers and smashers. Spearers cannot break class, but there blades are like switch knifes.
Mod if you read this, i suggest a forum for mantis shrimp. I think they r veiwed as pest if you want a perfect little reef. But in a species tank, they rock! My mantis catches the eye of all people that come round.

 

[qwikimpss]

Look kinda scary personally! If i had that in my tank my hand wouldnt go anywhere near the water!

 

[lljdma06]

Look kinda scary personally! If i had that in my tank my hand wouldnt go anywhere near the water!

They are common in S. FL. I've known them as thumbsplitters. Very cool.

 

[Synirr]

You should totally get one for me lljdma06
I'm seriously gonna obsess over this until I get one now

 

[collared_drifter]

seriously... IMO, mantis shrimp are the only thing that is preventing me from getting a saltwater tank, thats why im getting base rock and not live rock... so there is no chance one could hitch hike its way to my house... if i ever saw one in my tank, i would remove all of the fish, and then poisen the water! i really honestly think they are scary looking things... after all of the mantis shrimp articles ive read... i would never buy one intentionaly... but i have to admit thet are very interesting creatures.... (in the wild that is)

 

[Christs_Knight]

poison the water? how bout i smake your front teeth out?
Dont say that, about ne animal.

 

[Michael Roth]

poison the water? how bout i smake your front teeth out?
Dont say that, about ne animal.

Settle down, big guy. This is a pet forum not a schoolyard.

 

[Synirr]

What's so bad about mantis shrimp? Very few of them can actually punch with the force of a .22 caliber shot!
The only kind of damage they'd do in your tank is cracking open your inverts, and possibly snacking on a fish or two if they could manage it.... not THAT terrible if you notice them early on, and certainly not something that would deter me from buying live rock

 

[qwikimpss]

I've read about their nickname "thumbsplitters" and where they get it from! Thats y I wouldnt put my hand in there!!!

 

[lljdma06]

You should totally get one for me lljdma06
I'm seriously gonna obsess over this until I get one now

I get bettas from ya, but I won't split my thumb for ya!

Seriously, one did a number on my Marine Biology teacher when I was in high school. We had to call an ambulance during a field trip when one fractured his thumb. They are super cool, but pretty intense. If I ever had a saltwater, I wouldn't be too upset if a wussy one snuck in with the live rock. But then I probably wouldn't invest in uber expensive inverts either.