Mantis Shrimp!!!

[arlene1995]

Hi!!!
I am planning on setting up a 30g or so Mantis Shrimp tank... I have a few Qs though... If I was to get a Peacock Mantis, would it live in a 30 for life and since it is a glass tank, should I be concerned? One other thing, if I went with the Zebra Mantis (Lysiosquillina maculata) would a 65g+ tank work? I am open to stocklists and tank sizes of what others have as well... Thanks!!!

 

[jellyman1213]

Peacocks can get 8+ inches and can easily crack out a corner of a glass tank. I've seen it happen. A 30g tank would be sufficient but definitely acrylic not glass. I've kept several of these and they are really cool.

 

[arlene1995]

Ok... that's good to know... Thanks!
Would I have to have an acrylic tank even if I went with a

[hr]
type mantis? I have found some spearers that don't get 16" and thought that they'd be pretty cool...

 

[draconis321]

spearers don't have the hammer like apendeges like a pecock so u'd be ok with o1 them in glass tank and about the tank i have a smasher and i just easyer to plexi glass the bottom than getting an acrilic the mantises break glass when there diggin. make sure it has lost of places to hide and rocks it can lift it'll want to build up his cave and plug up it's hole when it "sleeps" or molts. start him of with dead food if you give him live food right off the bat he won't eat anything else later is fine hope this helps good luck

 

[arlene1995]

Thanks!!! I never thought of that... I have TONS of plexiglass here... Hmmm... well, this tank may actually become a reality! Are there any other species that you could recommend other than the Peacock? I am looking to go a little unique... I have seen yellow ones on YouTube...

 

[draconis321]

well since u live in florida you'll have ur pick (that yellow one youtube FYI is a spearer), really in a 30 you can keep any mantis you want the and its easy to tell the diff between a speare and a smasher heres a good web site for looking at different speciecs
http://www.seahorse-nw.com/Mantis_Shrimp.html
the green guy at the begining is a smasher and the zebra is a spearer u can see the diff in there claws
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/
this site should answer ur qustions on taking care of ur first stomapod go to the heading for hobbyists
if i were u id go for peacock u don't want a 2" mantis in a huge tank like that it's a waste of space for somtthing that size and u don't want one that's going to hide all day, peacocks are good be cause of their nice coloration,activity and intelligence plus they have those awsome eyes!
pvc piping makes for good hiding places and it's cheap too for a peacock i wouldn't go for a deep sand bed an inch and a half at the most
by the way are going to make this a reef that would just make this a kik butt tank

 

[arlene1995]

Thanks for the links!! Hmmm... that makes sense. I will probably end up with the Peacock, with the Zebra as a second choice if I found/built a bigger tank.
It'll be a Kick Butt Tank!!!

 

[draconis321]

so ur making it a reefer?!? awsome !!(remeber mantises change color acording to there surrondings) anyway good luck make a build thread i want to follow along with your progress put a lot of pic i hope u enjoy urs. Since i live in canada there are slim pickngs and i got a chiragra and their very reclusive but the timse i do see him he's very nice