woooo hoooo Peacock Mantis is mine!

jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
I have been on the hunt for a peacock mantis for about 2 months now, to no previous avail.
Then 2 weeks ago, I get three offers for found mantis from various live rock. A black, a purple, and a red.
While these were not peacocks I was still interested. The black ended up going to a local. The purple ended up being .5" and going to a LFS for trade. And the red, man oh man I wanted the red one, it went to the highest/best bidder...not me as the winner lived down the road.
So as karma would have it, my blenny dies a few days ago (sad Ernie was fun), I lose all my bids for a mantis (for a different tank), and then this morning a LFS owner to whom I had mentioned that I was searching for a mantis, made an order without telling me.
It arrived today and I pick up tomarrow!
I will provide pics as soon as I have some.
Yahhhhhhhhhoooo for me!
Ray Boemler
www.peanutbutterjellyfish.com
 
jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
After looking at the images I realized that my bottom looks somewhat eerie...it is 4" of live sand, and 3" of rocks, broken shells, and pieces of sand dollars (80% sand dollars pieces).
These sand dollar pieces give a sort of "bone yard" look that is quite fitting to the subject I think.
To be truthful this mantis has been gentle, calm, and just focused on the escavating efforts. There dozens of small, medium, and large shrimps/crabs/suf minnows...and none have been touched.
The mantis arrived yesterday at the LFS and I was given notice that 3 people were coming in for it...funny huh? I mentioned that I wanted one, they ordered it without telling me, and then threaten me with promt timing or they would sell it under me. Anyway I picked it up and brought it home, did the water exchange to the travel bucket to acclimate. An hour later, pour and slide into the tank.
So my little bundle of horrific joy has not been offered food for at least two days. But to its credit, looking great and quite active.
Well that is day one.
Ray
 
innsmouth

innsmouth

Member
Nice one Ray, glad you finally scored. She looks great. How big do you estimate? Oh and the inverts will slowly start to disappear unless you spot feed daily. She might not mess with the fish though. Good luck.
 
jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
Well I had decided on a name before I had the beastie. I suspected from the first glance that it was a female. The subtle coloration, and there was a certain something that said female to me.
I had tried my best to view the last set of legs and saw no male appendages, so my best guess is female. But in a classic Lovecraftian twist I am going to continue to call her Howard; just odd enough to raise the question of why.
Anyhow she has been quite gentle and passive, and this morning I found out why; she had molted overnight. Yaaaaaahhh! Scared the crap out of me when I first she her this morning. Her head upsidedown compared to her tail, it was an impossible angle even for a mantis...I though she commited suicide!
But after taking a breath and thinking it through, I sighted the hollow within the "tail" and it made sense, whew.
She is quite pretty and has made her self a nice dugout and mound to hang out in.
I caught myself absorbed, staring at her yesterday for over an hour like it was a minute. This promises to be a very positive investment.
:D
Ray
 
bona42na

bona42na

Member
Good luck and great shots Ray. Im looking for one myself now and my Nanocube is cycled and ready for bloodshed. Any clues where to get one would be appreciated. My LFS isnt getting it done for me. If you have one to go or know about one please contact me at paweeky@bloomberg.net Thanks Peter
 
jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
This guy is catching one in his tank right now. A peacock mantis like mine, which is nearly full grown and is 5-6", would suffer in a nano. But a small hitchhiker type would do well in your small tank.
There is this idea that they will kill everything instantly, this is not the case. They do not murder, they kill to eat. Just like a dragon wrasse, a lion fish, or many other hunter types.
Anyway there is a guy in the reef keepers section trying to catch one. Pay for overnight shipping and I am sure it is yours.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/116581/mantis-shrimp
Good luck
Ray
 
innsmouth

innsmouth

Member
I agree the Nanocube is right out. I had to put mine there while waiting for a frend to pick her up and she was completely miserable. I would say nothing less than 30 gallons for a peacock. BTW Ray, I knew mine was a female and still my wife and I consistently called her "he".
 
jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
Curious, I have plenty of food items in the tank with my mantis, she just molted the other day, and she is very active...but is not eating as of yet.
This would be day 4 that I know of.
Sigh
I disarmed a 3-4" crab today, just in case she had not hardened enough, and it leaped off the 3rd story balcony while I was pulling its claws off. Well it met quick end to a slow day on the sidewalk below.
I introduced the crab by hand...ready to pull out if need be, and nothing, no interest at all.
I introduced mated pair a blue pistol shrimp, 1.5" and 1", and they walked on her to get to the blue coral and proceeded to escavate a new home.
Is there something I can add to the water to increase appetite?
Very curious
Ray
 
innsmouth

innsmouth

Member
Snoopy used to get spooked a bit by the feeding stick so maybe your hand in the tank was it. She also didn't eat for almost 9 days when she molted. Have you tried shrimp or squid on a stick? Dance it around in front of her cave. That never failed for me. Good luck.
 
jawfishray

jawfishray

Member
Well after much waiting and observation, my little girl has eaten! Yaaaaahhhhhh.
She changed her housing spot twice and moved back up front, whew, she was hidden during her second move. Now she has redug out the hole of doom and moved at least 7" of rock and sand up along teh glass; which I moved to allow for better viewing.
At this point I increased the number of juvi blue crabs, 3/4" sargasso crabs, hermits (sm) for cleanup, and a half dozen whelks. There are already a doen sm/med/lrg shrimps scooting about. All of these in there with the hope to wet her appetite. Nothing was disappearing.
I added 3 pistol shrimp, knowning that they are territorial, hoping that their little quarrels would excite her. No one fought, they just picked corners, and went on with the routine.
So while cleaning up the other fuge, I caught a handful of 3'4 - 1" crabs poked my feeding pick into their little bodies and offered them one at a time to Lovely (Hoard P Lovecraft is "her" name, so I have shortened it to How Lovely or Lovely).
She came out looked once, and calmly removed the crab and proceeded to consume it.
:D
I gave her two more, she came up and gave them a couple of low powered pops and ate them also.
So I am quite relieved. She has molted, rebuilt her home, and has eaten...all is good with the world.
Ray
 
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