Mantis tank

m0nkie · Dec 24, 2023

Setting up a 60gal for mantis shrimp. Simple setup.

Acrylic tank
Aquamaxx skimmer
Kessil 360x led

will add some easy lps coral from my display. Xenia. Kenya, gsp, zoa etc. Maybe some macro algae.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 24, 2023

m0nkie said:
Setting up a 60gal for mantis shrimp. Simple setup

This should be sufficient. Provide more cave like structures for it

m0nkie · Dec 24, 2023

Cool. Im still messing with the rockscape. Ill be adding more rubble rock.

SaltyCabbage · Dec 24, 2023

Looks like fun! What species are you gonna keep?

m0nkie · Dec 24, 2023

Peacock mantis

Stomatopods17 · Dec 26, 2023

Lessen the amount of entrances.

O. scyllarus needs a U-Shaped burrow it can build off of. This is too long and too many entrances for it to close up when it molts, as well as reflecting too much light. More than two entrances can actually kill it or increase shell disease risk, not to mention they'll bury their leftovers/molts deep in there and water can get stagnant.

Something I like to do is rub sand paper around the inside of the tube, gives it more texture otherwise they can't grip and rotate easily in PVC. It sucks to have to undo all that tubing but in the long term its for the best.

You can do on one half side of the tank the U-shaped PVC then structure the rock in a way it can weave around through, it is a pretty active species, but the main burrow itself needs to be easy for it to settle in and close up.

o_scyllarus

This species needs a lot of emphasis on their burrows.

m0nkie · Dec 26, 2023

Thanks. Ill look into redesigning the pvc

m0nkie · Dec 26, 2023

Made it smaller. Roughed the inside up abit. Also cemented some sand on the entrance

m0nkie · Dec 31, 2023

Have it for a few days now. It's hiding in the back all day. I have lights off these days.

I left half a silverside out front. It stayed there for 24hrs and gone this morning.

Ill wait another day and try half clam

m0nkie · Jan 2, 2024

so the mantis got in tank Thur 12/28. it went to the most center bottom of the rockwork. I can see it's tail only if i shine flashlight at it.

Dec 31 I shined some flash light and saw it at same spot.
Jan 1, shined flash light real quick, saw it at same spot.
Jan 2, hasn't moved. the tail is now covered in white. it looks like molting. or it could be dead? I don't know if it can decompose this quickly within a few days?

I'll wait another day or two to see if it's molting or dead?

light has been off this entire time.

TripFamAZ · Jan 3, 2024

m0nkie said:
so the mantis got in tank Thur 12/28. it went to the most center bottom of the rockwork. I can see it's tail only if i shine flashlight at it.

Dec 31 I shined some flash light and saw it at same spot.
Jan 1, shined flash light real quick, saw it at same spot.
Jan 2, hasn't moved. the tail is now covered in white. it looks like molting. or it could be dead? I don't know if it can decompose this quickly within a few days?

I'll wait another day or two to see if it's molting or dead?

light has been off this entire time.

I’ve never seen them turn white during a molt… def keep us updated.

Stomatopods17 · Jan 3, 2024

White sounds like the fuzzy bacteria growth when something dead is left in there, i'd test ammonia or make note of its position and really track when/if it moves for a few hours, even a molting/molted mantis will squirm a bit.

m0nkie · Jan 3, 2024

So the tail was turning white in portions so i assumed it was molting.

Curiousity got the best of me. I took off the top rock so i can get a close peak. It's half molted. Most of the body is off the molt and only the tail is connected. Body still has a shiny green. I put the rock back immediately and covered the tank back up with towel. Which ive been covering for these 2 days

TripFamAZ · Jan 5, 2024

m0nkie said:
So the tail was turning white in portions so i assumed it was molting.

Curiousity got the best of me. I took off the top rock so i can get a close peak. It's half molted. Most of the body is off the molt and only the tail is connected. Body still has a shiny green. I put the rock back immediately and covered the tank back up with towel. Which ive been covering for these 2 days

Any updates?

m0nkie · Jan 11, 2024

I just got back from a trip. Didn't see the mantis. lights has been off the past few days.

I dug around the rock and found some shells. few empty pieces. looks like it's a successful molt. cause i don't see any dead shrimp and there's nothing in tank that can eat a dead shrimp.

the mantis must have gone into the PVC pipes. I have not seen it at the usual hiding spot inside the rocks.

I will feed him some food tomorrow and see if it comes out

m0nkie · Jan 12, 2024

day 12 of still haven't seen my mantis yet..

I put a full silverside cut into 2 chunks into the tank. half piece was gone after a few hours. the other half gone after midnight. still don't see it within the rockwork. hiding inside the pvc pipe.

i noticed a big piece of rock fell and semi covered the pvc pipe entrance.