mantis photos

[winyfrog1]

sad.

[RigoSharon]

i know..i respect this creature now...if i collect a rock or frag that has it, i put it in a container alive and take it back to the ocean!! no more mantis killing!!

[yote]

Hard to do that here though Rigo.If I lived closer to the ocean,I'd probably do the same thing though.
The way I look at Mantis is,When it comes down to stuff I pay for and a mantis or anything else thats bad for my tank thats hitch hiked in.I'm gonna protect where my money went.
I'm hopeing to keep at least one of my lil devils alive long enough to house him in a predator tank though.

[RigoSharon]

thats true yote..i got you..

[winyfrog1]

Yes, I agree. Protect your main tank first.. But if you have the option to release them or give them away you should. Sometimes you'll find a friend that wants them or your LFS might take them as well.

Although it can be just as bad that when I find a mean hairy crab in my reef he gets fed to my mantis. Puffy likes them too..

[Adrastos]

How expensive are Mantis and what type of environment do they need? I've got a 29 gallon that is sitting empty. I have a 65 watt PC fixture and some filters that are not being used in my back room. These look like they could be very neat to keep!

[winyfrog1]

Originally Posted by Adrastos

How expensive are Mantis and what type of environment do they need? I've got a 29 gallon that is sitting empty. I have a 65 watt PC fixture and some filters that are not being used in my back room. These look like they could be very neat to keep!

You can generally get them from 30-40 dollars in my area. You want to get the Peacock mantis for the best colors. 29 gallon tank is fine and they don't need brights lights, you can keep coral with them but be careful if you need to work in the tank.. As with any saltwater animal they need good clean water with skimmer and good filtration.

What kind of filters do you have?

[Adrastos]

I've got the skimmer and HOB filter I used with my 46 for many years when it was just a fish only tank.

If I set up this tank, I'll have it filled with enough live rock to act as a good filtration in combination with the older filters.

Are there any specific diet requirements for them? I've found a few neat websites about them but I never trust just one or two view points

[RigoSharon]

they are great survivors and hardy ad..they like water currents..i guess it helps them hunt..keep cayvy rocks..they like to hide in the same spot..dayly diet consyst of live hermits and crabs...food must be live..as they love the hunt..avoid copper and high ammonia levels..they also grow fast...keep in mind that it becomes too big..they can break glass and also fingers..so be carefull....really a mantis is hardy to almost any hazzardous condition..so imagine how it will do in a well established one..good luck...

[yote]

I've noticed my lil mantis hunting bristle worms too.My biggest one is only about a 1/4 inch long,but i've seen them attack and kill 2 and 3 inch bristles.When they get a little bigger,i'll drop em in a few live hermits and snails.