Mantis Shrimp: likelihood of a tank break

[Lionfish Lair]

I fed everything Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You feed him to much and he'll take it in his hole and bury it. A tank can get real nasty, really fast. I'm going to find a pic of the tunnel I made for him. Super easy and it will keep them as dark as they need to be, while molting and what not.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

"I like my dark cave!"

 

[ScottsTanks]

Thanks for the feeding tip and piping is very clever. What diameter is it?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

YW. It's either 1-1/4 or 1-1/2".... I think 1-1/2".

 

[ScottsTanks]

LL, how big did your mantis get?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

- Our Gonodactylus chiragra was about 4". He liked to hide a lot. I wouldn't recommend one of these. They also pack a big whallop and are one of the strongest. He may be awake in the day, but he still won't want to play. They can open the largest turbo snail you can put in there. The is no chance of a CUC

- The Peacock about about 5-6". They may be common, but they are extraordinary. If you wanted a basher, this would be the one. This guy honestly holds everything someone would want in a mantis. Some people don't have the tank size, so they have to get a smaller shrimp, or plan to upgrade or give them away in time. We started "bringing" Christmas to him. We were unwrapping presents across the room and he had his face pressed against the glass so hard. He was honestly very pleased when we brought it all over to him and continued. They love color and sparklies. Ours did not touch turbo snails or urchins.

- We had a couple of the Pseudosquilla ciliata. Loved this one too and they were about 3" each. They're a spearer, if you are looking to keep a CUC. Highly interactive. Awake in the day. Will curiously come see you when you come near, after they get used to you. If you ever have one of these, be sure to put some adult live brine shrimp in there someday. The most entertainment I had in a long time.


You want one that is interactive. You want one that is beautiful (albeit, that's in the eye of the beholder). You want one that's awake in the day. You want one that is hardy. Those are the things to look for.

 

[ScottsTanks]

You had mentioned tank size for the O. scyllarus, will a 40b be adequate in size for a single specimen?

 

[Shep]

all this talk is making me want to start a tank for one.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Dooooo ittttttttt!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You had mentioned tank size for the O. scyllarus, will a 40b be adequate in size for a single specimen?

It will be beautiful for one. a 40 breeder is about as perfect as it can get. You will get AMAZING tunnels with that much room. Give him lots of rubble and shells to built his kingdom.

 

[Shep]

Dooooo ittttttttt!

I do have a 40b just sitting around

 

[ScottsTanks]

I do have a 40b just sitting around

That's what started this, I had a 40b sitting in storage along with a 70lb bucket of salt.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I do have a 40b just sitting around

See? It was meant to be. Their tank is a lot easier to maintain.

Yup, I'm like the devil that sits on someone's shoulder.

 

[ScottsTanks]

It will be beautiful for one. a 40 breeder is about as perfect as it can get. You will get AMAZING tunnels with that much room. Give him lots of rubble and shells to built his kingdom.

I've got about 40lbs of aragonite and 20lbs of crushed coral. Should I grab another bag of crushed coral?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

That sounds like plenty. In this pic, you can see how much we had in there. Don't put it all in there. He's going to be moving that stuff around, like a plow in a snowstorm and you may want to add in particular places.

The coralline in this tank always made pictures look so messy.

 

[ScottsTanks]

I like that you were able to keep him with zoas

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I tried a few corals. If he could pick it up, he decorated his own house with it. With the leather he'd be trying to pull it into the cave like a Christmas tree coming through a doorway.

 

[treemanone2003]

LL, I've learned SO MUCH MORE in the last two days from your posts than I've learned in the 8 months that I've been attached to Google researching them. Having one is definitely in my future after reading how highly you speak of them.

Thanks for sharing. (And don't stop, lol)

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You're welcome. I look forward to your tank build. LOL!

 

[ScottsTanks]

here's the build so far. Need to buy some filter media before I fill it this week.