New to fishkeeping, got a Peacock Mantis Shrimp on the way :)

[wwarby]

Just wanted to say hello to the community here

I've had a long fascination with mantis shrimps and finally decided to buy one last week. I'm completely new to the hobby unless you count a goldfish about 30 years ago, but I've been researching like mad and my knowledge is building up quickly. I've ordered a Juwel Rio 240 tank (about 52 gallons) which is arriving in a couple of days and a bunch of 50mm (2 inch) black PVC waste pipe with various bends so that I can make him a really nice home. The aquarium store (Abyss Aquatics in Manchester UK) is holding the shrimp for me until I'm fully ready for it - I've got a call with them today to order all the equipment, rocks and so on. I think I'm going to be putting in a good quality external filter and getting an RO unit to make my own RO water. Any suggestions for my equipment shopping list would be welcome. I'll post some photos of my setup as I put it together - I'm sure it's going to be a steep learning curve but I'm up for the challenge.

 

[Hadla]

Congrats! Imo you should be good to go! I remember getting my first mantis, roger in my pic, and would sit watching him! Such a character Do you have a picture of it? I’m just curious if it is a peacock since most wholesalers just label any colorful mantis as one I finally found a small peacock yesterday at my lfs and am so excited to have another after a few years of looking!

 

[wwarby]

Thanks @Hadla! And congrats on your new mantis shrimp too!

The aquarium website has a picture which is definitely a peacock, but I'm guessing it's a stock photo rather than my specific one: https://www.abyssaquatics.co.uk/product/peacock-mantis-shrimp. They seem really knowledgeable, it's a very highly regarded stockist from what I can tell so I'll be quite disappointed if it turns out to be anything other than a peacock because I very specifically want that species

I'm setting up the tank right next to my desk where I work from home - I'm not sure I'll get a lot of work done in the first few days after it arrives

I'm hoping he might tolerate a couple of tank mates if I feed him well, as it's quite a big tank. A lot of people say the mantis shrimp will just kill everything and anything you put in there, but I know from watching videos like those posted by @OneInchPunch that's not strictly true, though obviously anything I put in there is subject to at least some risk of murder.

So excited about setting it all up - the sooner I get the tank prepared the sooner I can get the shrimp delivered. Can't wait!

 

[Hadla]

It all depends on the individual… just don’t put anything you really like with him til you know how he is with sharing his home! Mine is going into my 75 in a few days. Hoping to put my chocolate chip star and a fish or two with him. Just make sure he can completely block off his cave so nothing can bother him when he needs to molt!

 

[wwarby]

Yeah definitely. I'm going to make him a great home and give him plenty of bits of rock and shell etc. so that he can block the cave entrance. As for the tank mates, yeah I might start with just a cheap fish, see if he's happy with that. I'm still too inexperienced at the moment to know which species can coexist in terms of water temperature and conditions etc and I haven't spent any time looking at other livestock besides the mantis shrimp yet, so won't rush into anything too quickly on that front

 

[wwarby]

Just ordered all my equipment, rocks, substrate etc.

The budget I had in mind when I decided to buy the mantis shrimp was ludicrously out of step with reality, although I've definitely bought a few things I could have gotten away without (as the guy in the shop told me). I'd rather buy quality now though rather than buying twice later. Here's what I've bought:

• Juwel Rio 240 tank (52 gallon)
• 3D faux granite tank background
• Fluval Sea Marine 3.0 LED 59W strip light
• Eheim Pro 4 600 external filter
• Vortech MP10 QD propeller pump
• TMC Vecton 600 UV steriliser
• D-D 125+ GPD R.O. Unit + Booster Pump + Resin Pod
• JBL Proaquatest Lab Marin testing kit
• Xodis Digital Salinity Meter
• Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt 25kg
• JBL Denitrol bacteria starter
• Seachem Gray Cost 3.5kg substrate x 7
• Digital thermometer
• Analog thermometer
• 8 inch coarse net
• Glass cleaner fluid (for tank exterior)
• Tongs
• Algae scraper
• Algae scrubber
• Various Aqua One faux rock ornaments
• Selection of 50mm black PVC piping and bends to create a cave

I'm going for kind of a dark volcanic look which I hope won't turn out to be an expensive mistake, and I've gone for a setup that should enable me to grow some easy soft corals, which I'll aim to start introducing a few weeks down the road.

If anyone spots anything missing on my shopping list or you think I've made any really bad decisions in there, by all means let me know. I'm being guided to a large extent here by salespeople and as trustworthy as they seem, their incentives will obviously be aligned towards selling me more rather than less stuff. I'm not massively price conscious though - the main thing is that I want a good quality, reliable setup that looks nice.

I'm gonna have so much fun when all this stuff arrives on Friday!

 

[nmotz]

You have really nice equipment and chose a great volume for your first tank. Here are a few things which can help simplify the process in the first year.

-Try to avoid too much equipment. Sometimes it’s tempting to want to clean the water of every last harmful microbe but this usually isn’t necessary. The UV sterilizer for example is a great tool for when shell rot strikes, otherwise you just don’t need it. In terms of water cleanliness, the number one and number two concerns are keeping nitrates low and keeping contaminants out of the water. Nitrate control is done via water changes, macroalgae growth, and/or a protein skimmer. Contaminant control is about preventing any harsh cleaning sprays or even candles away from the tank or running activated carbon. Water acts as a sink for pollutants and Peacocks are sensitive to that. It’s not a huge risk but people have lost Peacocks because some chemical contaminant entered the tank.

-IMO, you just don’t need fancy salt. One of the best coral farmers in the world, Jason Fox, uses ordinary instant ocean, not even the reef crystals variety. Cheap salt is just as good as expensive stuff, good husbandry is far more important.

- I run a canister filter too and I like it a lot. Tons of room for biospheres and other filtration media. I run a filter bag of activated carbon which I change once/month. But one thing about canister filters is that they get pretty dirty and have to be cleaned regularly. If you don’t, your nitrates will start increasing and that can cause shell rot. I recommend doing regular testing. If you cant keep your nitrates less than 10ppm then add some macroalgae. There are some attractive ornamental varieties which you might be able to order. They are easy to grow.

Best of luck and welcome to the hobby. It’s a lot of fun!

 

[wwarby]

Hi @nmotz, thanks so much for the really helpful advice!

I wasn't aware the salt I'd chosen was fancy. The aquarium store I'm using carries various alternatives to the one I've chosen but they're all around the same price - I've just looked up the Instant Ocean stuff you mentioned though and that is cheaper for sure. I'll probably leave that in the order for now but go for the cheaper stuff next time - it's a good tip

With regards to the UV steriliser, my understanding is that I have two competing demands with regards to lighting - more light can be a cause of shell rot but is necessary for coral growth (I definitely want some soft corals if possible). I thought the UV steriliser might be a good hedge against shell rot, but if you think it's unnecessary at this stage I'm inclined to take that at face value and return it.

The reason I avoided a protein skimmer is down to noise - my tank is going next to my desk where I sit all day to work at a computer, which is also only about 10ft from my living room (it's open plan) so whilst I'm not expecting the system to be silent, I do want it to be as quiet as possible and I heard the protein skimmer is likely to frustrate that goal. Would be grateful for your thoughts on that. I'll obviously test regularly for nitrates though, and do water changes, and if I ultimately just have to have a protein skimmer then I'll get one.

I'm definitely interested in putting some macroalgae in the tank, especially if that's going to help with nitrates but also just to get a bit of colour in there, so this is definitely something I'll look into, thanks

I've gone for quite a high capacity cannister filter because I'm going to be using ceramic rock rather than live rock, so I won't get natural filtration from the rocks. I'll have a read up on filter bags later today (my understanding of what goes into a filter system is still pretty poor at this point).

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that I won't get this 100% right on the first try. Hopefully I won't get anything so badly wrong that my mantis shrimp dies, but I'll rely on help from this community and my aquarium shop to make changes to my setup if things start going wrong. I'm really looking forward to the challenge

 

[sheeb]

Just wanted to say hello to the community here

I've had a long fascination with mantis shrimps and finally decided to buy one last week. I'm completely new to the hobby unless you count a goldfish about 30 years ago, but I've been researching like mad and my knowledge is building up quickly. I've ordered a Juwel Rio 240 tank (about 52 gallons) which is arriving in a couple of days and a bunch of 50mm (2 inch) black PVC waste pipe with various bends so that I can make him a really nice home. The aquarium store (Abyss Aquatics in Manchester UK) is holding the shrimp for me until I'm fully ready for it - I've got a call with them today to order all the equipment, rocks and so on. I think I'm going to be putting in a good quality external filter and getting an RO unit to make my own RO water. Any suggestions for my equipment shopping list would be welcome. I'll post some photos of my setup as I put it together - I'm sure it's going to be a steep learning curve but I'm up for the challenge.

peacocks are awesome. I currently have one myself and couldn't be happier! he's about 6 inches big and eats like crazy. its in a 20 gal right now... I need to upgrade & its coming soon. But, you'll be very happy with it!

 

[sheeb]

Just wanted to say hello to the community here

I've had a long fascination with mantis shrimps and finally decided to buy one last week. I'm completely new to the hobby unless you count a goldfish about 30 years ago, but I've been researching like mad and my knowledge is building up quickly. I've ordered a Juwel Rio 240 tank (about 52 gallons) which is arriving in a couple of days and a bunch of 50mm (2 inch) black PVC waste pipe with various bends so that I can make him a really nice home. The aquarium store (Abyss Aquatics in Manchester UK) is holding the shrimp for me until I'm fully ready for it - I've got a call with them today to order all the equipment, rocks and so on. I think I'm going to be putting in a good quality external filter and getting an RO unit to make my own RO water. Any suggestions for my equipment shopping list would be welcome. I'll post some photos of my setup as I put it together - I'm sure it's going to be a steep learning curve but I'm up for the challenge.

Here’s an old pic of him!

 

[wwarby]

Awesome

I've only ever seen a peacock mantis shrimp a couple of times in real life, at a public aquarium years ago. I saw a different species (maybe a zebra?) on a scuba dive in Costa Rica once. I can see this turning into a broader hobby for sure, but it never would have occurred to me to get a fish tank for any other reason than to keep a mantis shrimp - my interest is very focused on them specifically.

 

[sheeb]

Awesome

I've only ever seen a peacock mantis shrimp a couple of times in real life, at a public aquarium years ago. I saw a different species (maybe a zebra?) on a scuba dive in Costa Rica once. I can see this turning into a broader hobby for sure, but it never would have occurred to me to get a fish tank for any other reason than to keep a mantis shrimp - my interest is very focused on them specifically.

Very hardy shrimp! Have a skimmer, return pump, media and a little wave maker in there. Nothing less and seems to work great. Doesn’t have to be the whole thing with these guys, careful on the light, regular water changes, and making sure it’s fed, pretty easy and fun!

 

[Hadla]

Yep, I was the same haha! Was drawn to them in 2014, and have had various ones since! Although now that I got into octopuses, I’m sad to say they’re second now haha

 

[paul01609]

If your close to the coast collect your own sea water helps with the costs a bit.
that’s what I do

 

[wwarby]

If your close to the coast collect your own sea water helps with the costs a bit.
that’s what I do

I’m not unfortunately - I’m at least 60 miles from the coast and with the price of petrol in the U.K. at the moment I practically need a second mortgage of my house to fill my car up

I’ve ordered an RO unit though so I’ll make my own. Still need to pay for salt of course, but at least I won’t be hauling water from a local fish store every week.

 

[wwarby]

Yep, I was the same haha! Was drawn to them in 2014, and have had various ones since! Although now that I got into octopuses, I’m sad to say they’re second now haha

Having an octopus sounds awesome! I bet they’re hard to come by - I’ve never seen one for sale in the U.K.

 

[nmotz]

Hi @nmotz, thanks so much for the really helpful advice!

I wasn't aware the salt I'd chosen was fancy. The aquarium store I'm using carries various alternatives to the one I've chosen but they're all around the same price - I've just looked up the Instant Ocean stuff you mentioned though and that is cheaper for sure. I'll probably leave that in the order for now but go for the cheaper stuff next time - it's a good tip

With regards to the UV steriliser, my understanding is that I have two competing demands with regards to lighting - more light can be a cause of shell rot but is necessary for coral growth (I definitely want some soft corals if possible). I thought the UV steriliser might be a good hedge against shell rot, but if you think it's unnecessary at this stage I'm inclined to take that at face value and return it.

The reason I avoided a protein skimmer is down to noise - my tank is going next to my desk where I sit all day to work at a computer, which is also only about 10ft from my living room (it's open plan) so whilst I'm not expecting the system to be silent, I do want it to be as quiet as possible and I heard the protein skimmer is likely to frustrate that goal. Would be grateful for your thoughts on that. I'll obviously test regularly for nitrates though, and do water changes, and if I ultimately just have to have a protein skimmer then I'll get one.

I'm definitely interested in putting some macroalgae in the tank, especially if that's going to help with nitrates but also just to get a bit of colour in there, so this is definitely something I'll look into, thanks

I've gone for quite a high capacity cannister filter because I'm going to be using ceramic rock rather than live rock, so I won't get natural filtration from the rocks. I'll have a read up on filter bags later today (my understanding of what goes into a filter system is still pretty poor at this point).

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that I won't get this 100% right on the first try. Hopefully I won't get anything so badly wrong that my mantis shrimp dies, but I'll rely on help from this community and my aquarium shop to make changes to my setup if things start going wrong. I'm really looking forward to the challenge

Good call on the skimmer, some models are a bit noisy and you don’t absolutely need one. You just need a way to keep nitrates low and skimmers are one way of doing that. Water changes, IMO, are a lot of work and don’t ultimately deal with the source of nitrates - dissolving left over food and waste. Neither does macroalgae but the benefit is that macro requires a lot less routine maintenance. I recommend only doing 10% water changes weekly otherwise it can really burn you out.

If you control nitrates well, you won’t need UV. It’s a nice emergency option but there are other ways to contain shell rot. One thing that’ll help is soaking freeze dried shrimp or krill in Selcon, a vitamin additive.

A filter bag is a small bag with a drawstring and you can put different filtering agents or media inside it and drop the bag into one of the baskets inside your canister filter. This ensures that tank water circulates through it. Activated carbon is great because it chemically purifies water. It will adsorb - chemically bond to - contaminants in the water which may come from the air in the room, from the salt mix you use, etc. It will help reduce odors too. I put about 3 tablespoons (~15 grams) of carbon in the bag each time.

You’ll do fine in this hobby as long as you’re willing to learn. I’ve kept mantis shrimp on and off since 2012 and every new tank teaches me another lesson.

My current tank is one of my most successful and it’s because I didn’t overthink things. I kept it simple, understanding the chemistry problems and just being a bit more relaxed with everything. My Peacock got shell rot initially because of high nitrates but I just treated with Selcon and he molted the diseased shell off and hasn’t had a problem since.

 

[Squidward]

Sadly mines never comes out of his cave unless it's feeding time. And as soon as he grabs his half clam, he darts back into his home. I've had mines over a year now. Trying to sell it. I got bored of mines.

 

[nmotz]

Sadly mines never comes out of his cave unless it's feeding time. And as soon as he grabs his half clam, he darts back into his home. I've had mines over a year now. Trying to sell it. I got bored of mines.

Do you have a Peacock?

 

[Squidward]

Do you have a Peacock?

Yes sir