My Mantis Evo

[Roid Reefs]

So, I have had a Fluval evo 13.5 setup and for about 3 months now. I had a pistol shrimp/goby in here. I took them out yesterday and in to the 75 they went, as the opportunity arose for me to take a hitchhiking P. Ciliata off of a local reefer. He is less than an inch long. The tank is teeming with pods, and he is eating frozen Mysis. I have about a 1.5" sand bed, and a decent rock structure. So ill get started with my plans from here, what I think I know (by all means, correct me if im wrong) along with some questions I have that you all may answer.

He is eating Mysis, which I feed to my 75 3x a week. From what ive read, taking a few at each feeding and giving them to this guy should be more than sufficient feeding wise. I may start to get some scallops and cut a small sliver off for him once a week for variety and feed the rest to the other tank.

Ive read somewhere this species does not build a burrow like typical spearers as they do not produce sufficient mucus, so im going to provide little pieces of crushed coral, and different sized rubble rocks, as well as try to make a small cave structure to help him out.

I have hermits and snails in the tank, are these on the menu for spearers? I know the saying is don't have them in there with a mantis if you don't want them on the menu, but Im just curious.

Does anyone have any info on how fast this species grows?

Is the stock lighting in an evo too strong for this species in terms of shell rot? or are they not susceptible to this?

I plan on doing 2.5 gal water changes a week to keep with water parameters, as well as planting some macro algae. Trying to get my hands on some dragons breath and other slow growing decorative macro to help with water parameters.

 

[Roid Reefs]

Oh, and the water is cloudy from me catching the shrimp/goby and rearranging the rock a bit.

 

[Doctor Faust]

Fluval is just fine with stock everything + protein skimmer, especially for that tiny thing lol. Growing depends on feeding. Had he stayed a "hitchhiker", he may have reached 3 inches in a year, maybe more maybe less. As a "pet", and especially with regular feedings, he can reach about 3 inches, more or less, in about 3-4 months. They are all different, in my experience at least.

As to CUC, small hermits are in way more danger than the snails.

Even spearers can punch with their "elbow" and it's often powerful enough for most jobs that similar sized smashers would do.

What I've noticed is that with heavier/more frequent feeding, you require larger water changes (say 4-5 gallons), and so each water change replenishes calcium, magnesium, trace.. so they grow faster, and can molt properly with all the calcium and all. In most tanks where you don't dose, clean water or infrequent water changes result in more depleted calcium levels (many other reasons that I wouldn't even be able to cite), and they have more problems with molt, don't molt as often, etc.

 

[Roid Reefs]

Fluval is just fine with stock everything + protein skimmer, especially for that tiny thing lol. Growing depends on feeding. Had he stayed a "hitchhiker", he may have reached 3 inches in a year, maybe more maybe less. As a "pet", and especially with regular feedings, he can reach about 3 inches, more or less, in about 3-4 months. They are all different, in my experience at least.

As to CUC, small hermits are in way more danger than the snails.

Even spearers can punch with their "elbow" and it's often powerful enough for most jobs that similar sized smashers would do.

What I've noticed is that with heavier/more frequent feeding, you require larger water changes (say 4-5 gallons), and so each water change replenishes calcium, magnesium, trace.. so they grow faster, and can molt properly with all the calcium and all. In most tanks where you don't dose, clean water or infrequent water changes result in more depleted calcium levels (many other reasons that I wouldn't even be able to cite), and they have more problems with molt, don't molt as often, etc.

He is a tiny little thing! I don't see how anyone can call that thing a monster pest!
Thank you for the info. I may try to do 2.5 gallons twice a week to help keep levels stable over time. It will also give me more time looking at the tank. lol.

As for hermits, ill leave them in there. Have no use for them anywhere else. Ill probably pull most of the trochus snails out just in case as they are a little more valuable. Ill just throw baby trochus snails in as they reproduce.

 

[CAMAKAZY]

Im no expert but it looks like a smasher to me. Hes very cool looking anyway.

 

[ReefSlice]

That 100% looks like a wennerae (smasher) to me. Common on Florida rock. They love snails, hermits and crabs.

 

[Roid Reefs]

I’m no expert either, I was told he was a Ciliata because of the eyes having the checkerboard. How can I tell the difference of the two?
If he is, then He will be fine and happy in this tank as well. I will find out as it gets a little bigger and I can get a better look at it.

 

[CAMAKAZY]

Look at roy caldwells page on stomatopods. Its at the top of the mantis forum. It shows pics of a wide variety of mantis. Also great for all things mantis. Hes the godfather of mantis.

 

[Roid Reefs]

Looked at the pictures on that site. Looks more like a p. Ciliata than a n. wennerae to me from there. I still could be wrong though. When/ if it grows a bit I’ll be able to tell.
From the description it has the checkerboard eyes.

 

[Doctor Faust]

He is a tiny little thing! I don't see how anyone can call that thing a monster pest!
Thank you for the info. I may try to do 2.5 gallons twice a week to help keep levels stable over time. It will also give me more time looking at the tank. lol.

As for hermits, ill leave them in there. Have no use for them anywhere else. Ill probably pull most of the trochus snails out just in case as they are a little more valuable. Ill just throw baby trochus snails in as they reproduce.

It's not a ciliata, those are spearers. My ciliata is at least twice the size of that, and the raptorial appendages look slimmer than your guy packs. That's a smasher.

Trochus are fine with it, it's not big enough to smash their shells. Might just move them around and play knock them lol. But again, it's up to you to not take a chance, as these creatures are so different from individual to individual.

 

[Roid Reefs]

It's not a ciliata, those are spearers. My ciliata is at least twice the size of that, and the raptorial appendages look slimmer than your guy packs. That's a smasher.

Trochus are fine with it, it's not big enough to smash their shells. Might just move them around and play knock them lol. But again, it's up to you to not take a chance, as these creatures are so different from individual to individual.

Well thank you for the explanation. I guess I will see as he grows to max size to help me determine the species. Hopefully it is a wennerae so it stays small! Lol. I’ll prob pull the trochus and put some Ceriths since they are cheaper just to be safe.

 

[Roid Reefs]

So just an update. I cannot get a good picture of him, partly due to not trying and also not a good camera. iPhone 6 has a little trouble sometimes.
But just an update. the little guy has made tunnels through my rockwork. I have heard constant popping and will see small clouds of dust coming from the rock work.
He has about doubled in size now, probably close to 1-1/2 inches. Also, the hermits / even a large one that Im not sure what kind it was (much bigger than the shrimp) have all since been emptied from their shells, but all 10 of the trochus snails in the tank are still remaining.
So if that helps the wennerae vs ciliate debate please let me know. lol

 

[Bhor217]

So just an update. I cannot get a good picture of him, partly due to not trying and also not a good camera. iPhone 6 has a little trouble sometimes.
But just an update. the little guy has made tunnels through my rockwork. I have heard constant popping and will see small clouds of dust coming from the rock work.
He has about doubled in size now, probably close to 1-1/2 inches. Also, the hermits / even a large one that Im not sure what kind it was (much bigger than the shrimp) have all since been emptied from their shells, but all 10 of the trochus snails in the tank are still remaining.
So if that helps the wennerae vs ciliate debate please let me know. lol

The constant popping to me is a dead giveaway of your Mantis' hammer appendages hitting against rock, chipping away to make it comfortable. While I have only had a Peacock Mantis (smasher) from what I understand, Spearers appendages do not move nearly fast enough to chip away at rock. They move at a fraction of a speed as smashers, and rely on the spears on their appendage rather than the brute force of smashing appendages.

Spearers usually prefer fish, whereas smashers prefer inverts. Obviously both can go the other way, but they have evolved tools to match their food desires. The fact your Mantis has made quick work of the Hermits makes me lean towards smasher.

These guys are fascinating! Enjoy your time, I love watching my dude rearrange the LR rubble, and he is the delight to everyone that comes over.

 

[USMCHerkNav]

So just an update. I cannot get a good picture of him, partly due to not trying and also not a good camera. iPhone 6 has a little trouble sometimes.
But just an update. the little guy has made tunnels through my rockwork. I have heard constant popping and will see small clouds of dust coming from the rock work.
He has about doubled in size now, probably close to 1-1/2 inches. Also, the hermits / even a large one that Im not sure what kind it was (much bigger than the shrimp) have all since been emptied from their shells, but all 10 of the trochus snails in the tank are still remaining.
So if that helps the wennerae vs ciliate debate please let me know. lol

You could always put your finger in its burrow and see if you get stabbed or clubbed...

 

[Roid Reefs]

You could always put your finger in its burrow and see if you get stabbed or clubbed...

10 bucks says I bleed!

 

[Hadla]

If you can get a look at his eyes, that’ll confirm if he’s a ciliata or not! He’s so tiny and cute, whatever he is! looks like he has smashers to me as well