My First Mantis!

tizapolgar

Zymurgist
So, After placing some new LR into my 25g last night, I saw a little shrimpy critter crawl under a rock. Whoa! I pulled it out, and sure enough - a mantis shrimp on the rock!

I named him Monty, and have placed him in a small 2g hex with an aptasia-ridden piece of live rock. I don't know if he'll make it - he had a pretty traumatic fall to the kitchen floor as I moved the rock.

After the stories I've heard about struggles with catching mantis shrimp, I can't believe I got so lucky as to just pluck out a small rock and catch him on the first try. Any ideas for how to care for the little guy? I kind of like him...so long as he's not in my reef!

I'll try to get pictures up later, but right now my internet connection is fighting with me...
 
Congrats! He doesn't need any special lighting, he'll be happy with some rocks to hide in. You can feed him chunks of meat (silversides, squid, scallops, etc) and he'll be happy.
 
Thanks biff -

right now he's just chilling in the leaky little hex on our kitchen table - but, if he makes it for more than a few days i might put him in his own 10g, since I have the supplies sitting around and since I wont actually have to go buy anything :)
 
Well, unfortunately Monty the Mantis was found dead late this morning, having shuffled loose of this mortal coil of unknown causes.

But, it probably has something to do with being dropped first onto the kitchen floor and subsequently put unacclimated (he didn't come with any water...) into an emergency tank that was likely a bit too cold.

He has been photographed and frozen for posterity, residing now in a tupperware in the heavenly space between the Totino's frozen pizzas and Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra ice-cream. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than that.
 
tizapolgar said:
Well, unfortunately Monty the Mantis was found dead late this morning, having shuffled loose of this mortal coil of unknown causes.

But, it probably has something to do with being dropped first onto the kitchen floor and subsequently put unacclimated (he didn't come with any water...) into an emergency tank that was likely a bit too cold.

He has been photographed and frozen for posterity, residing now in a tupperware in the heavenly space between the Totino's frozen pizzas and Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra ice-cream. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than that.

ummmmm.your making me hungry.

Believe me it was for the best.They make an annoying popping sound with their pinchers just like them pistol shrimps.You can hear then all the way into the next town.
 
Back
Top