Mantis Question

[ryan]

1- Would a 5 gallon tank be big enough for a Peacock Mantis? (Only fish in tank)
2- If so I am planning on putting 2-3" of live sand and about 4-5 lbs of live rock. Could I grow any kind of small coral like mushrooms or polyps on the rock, or would the mantis destroy it?
3- Would I be able to keep a max. of 2 Mantis in that tank or will they kill eachother?
4- Would a little power filter be fine for that tank or would I need some other sort of filtration? I know they kill everything, and the potential for a lot of waste would be present.
5- I think thats everything any other input on what you think about a set-up like this would be appreciated.

 

[aw2eod]

1. No, a 5gal. would not be big enough. Peacocks will reach 6" in length and they're the ones that are capable of breaking glass (only when they're large). A 20gal. would be minimum.
2. 3" - 4" would be better, if you can. The reason they're known to break glass is because when they burrow and the sand isnt deep enough, they reach the bottom of the tank and smack it, trying to burrow deeper. A piece of PVC, buried at an angle in the sand, and covered with live rock is a perfect burrow for them.
Zoos and mushrooms would be ok, but keep in mind that Mantis do not like bright light, so you're gonna have to find a happy medium with keeping the zoos/mushrooms alive and keeping the light dim enough for the mantis.
3. Mantis will kill each, unless the tank is large. My girlfriend had three, 2" - 3" Mantis living together in a 75gal. and they were fine. That's also with probably 100lb of live rock and a full blown reef setup.
4. A single power filter (Whisper, Aqua Clear, etc.) would be fine but keep in mind that they're very messy eaters. They may be small, but they put out a large bio load.

 

[ryan]

What about the other types of Mantis shrimp? Ive heard of a lime mantis, and have seen some other ones that are not as colorful as the peacock, but I dont know what they are. Would these work in a smaller tank?

 

[aw2eod]

There are hundreds of different species.
Just google Mantis Shrimp and you'll find all the info you need.