Peacock mantis!

[sheeb]

New mantis shrimp! In a 20 gal right now and pretty sure It’s a peacock. Any advice on feeding? I have 2 emerald crabs In there right now and he has no interest in eating them along with a hermit.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Did you do research on keeping a mantis prior to bringing it home?

 

[sheeb]

obviously yes. I also have a piece of frozen inside of a shell. No interest in anything

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

try clams,, if you have high power lighting turn it down a notch

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Awesome! Mantis shrimps are so much fun to keep. Its hard to tell with the lighting but I think it might be a purple spot mantis (Gonodactylus smithii). Does he look like this and have the purple circles on his claws? Theyre often misidentified as peacocks. If so hes the same as mine, and he can also be kept in the 20g for the remainder of his life. They dont get much bigger than 3in

 

[sheeb]

Awesome! Mantis shrimps are so much fun to keep. Its hard to tell with the lighting but I think it might be a purple spot mantis (Gonodactylus smithii). Does he look like this and have the purple circles on his claws? Theyre often misidentified as peacocks. If so hes the same as mine, and he can also be kept in the 20g for the remainder of his life. They dont get much bigger than 3in

Yeah, looks like mine. I thought if they had that spot near the eye they were a peacock? At least that’s what the store told me lol could be very wrong but yeah looks like yours! Any advice on it? Worried about the ammonia and params later down the road if it’s starts punching things to death. What do you have set up?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nice specimen.
provide cave structures and feed:
Shrimp
All shelled such as snails, shrimp, mollusks, mussel, clam and crabs.
Also certain worms and even small fish which I dont recommend

 

[sheeb]

Nice specimen.
provide cave structures and feed:
Shrimp
All shelled such as snails, shrimp, mollusks, mussel, clam and crabs.
Also certain worms and even small fish which I dont recommend

Got all the caves in the world in there. Want to add a little pvc pipe as well, probably should’ve done that first & have crabs in there. Maybe just not hungry but I’ll go check on him

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Yeah, looks like mine. I thought if they had that spot near the eye they were a peacock? At least that’s what the store told me lol could be very wrong but yeah looks like yours! Any advice on it? Worried about the ammonia and params later down the road if it’s starts punching things to death. What do you have set up?

That pictures off google but mine looks just like it. Mines in an 11g cube. Theyre fairly easy to keep, but its important to monitor nurtients cause they do eat quite a bit. You should still have a cycled tank before adding one. If its not id pick up some bottled nitrifying bacteria. Dont put your hand in the tank. Tongs are your best friends for feedings. I recommend giving live food once or twice every couple weeks. It gives them a reason to use their smashers, and its just fun to watch. When not feeding live theyll eat pretty much anything meaty. Sometimes ill give him emerald crabs, clams, snails and hermits for live foods,and for frozen krill, shrimp, mussles, even mysis shrimp, silversides etc. Mines not picky at all.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Got all the caves in the world in there. Want to add a little pvc pipe as well, probably should’ve done that first & have crabs in there. Maybe just not hungry but I’ll go check on him

they hunt mainly in evening/night. You'' hear the clicking sounds as it hunts and breaks shells. Salinity 1.024-1.025 and temp 76-78

 

[BanjoBandito]

Very cool! Always wanted one.

 

[sheeb]

That pictures off google but mine looks just like it. Mines in an 11g cube. Theyre fairly easy to keep, but its important to monitor nurtients cause they do eat quite a bit. You should still have a cycled tank before adding one. If its not id pick up some bottled nitrifying bacteria. Dont put your hand in the tank. Tongs are your best friends for feedings. I recommend giving live food once or twice every couple weeks. It gives them a reason to use their smashers, and its just fun to watch. When not feeding live theyll eat pretty much anything meaty. Sometimes ill give him emerald crabs, clams, snails and hermits for live foods,and for frozen krill, shrimp, mussles, even mysis shrimp, silversides etc. Mines not picky at all.

Cool. I stuck my hand in there earlier being very careful lol had a glove on to not contaminate it or anything. Also added a pvc tube but it’s clear. Does that matter?

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Cool. I stuck my hand in there earlier being very careful lol had a glove on to not contaminate it or anything. Also added a pvc tube but it’s clear. Does that matter?

I only mean not to stick your hand in there cause a mantis will attack you and they can do some damage haha the pvc tube should be fine. He'll probably just make a burrow if you have rock and gravel in there and you wont see him much outside of feedings and at night

 

[sheeb]

I only mean not to stick your hand in there cause a mantis will attack you and they can do some damage haha the pvc tube should be fine. He'll probably just make a burrow if you have rock and gravel in there and you wont see him much outside of feedings and at night

Yeah haha never sticking my hand in there again. Wanted to perfect my rock work and homeboy was looking at my finger like food

 

[sheeb]

I only mean not to stick your hand in there cause a mantis will attack you and they can do some damage haha the pvc tube should be fine. He'll probably just make a burrow if you have rock and gravel in there and you wont see him much outside of feedings and at night

Tried everything. I did frozen, crabs, a peppermint shrimp, and trying clams right now. Nothing yet. is it just not hungry?

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Tried everything. I did frozen, crabs, a peppermint shrimp, and trying clams right now. Nothing yet. is it just not hungry?

If its only been a few days i wouldnt worry. Just leave a couple live snails and hermits in there for him so if he gets hungry he can eat when hes ready.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tried everything. I did frozen, crabs, a peppermint shrimp, and trying clams right now. Nothing yet. is it just not hungry?

Assure salinity (1.023) and water temp not elevated . It does require Calcium level of 400 range and sand bed of at least 2" to borrow in.

 

[sheeb]

Assure salinity (1.023) and water temp not elevated . It does require Calcium level of 400 range and sand bed of at least 2" to borrow in.

Salinity is at a 1.026. Has a nice burrow under a rock. I tried feeding it a little bit of frozen shrimp which he ate partially but, it took a while. He kept picking it up and throwing it out of his cave. These guys are interesting lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Salinity is at a 1.026. Has a nice burrow under a rock. I tried feeding it a little bit of frozen shrimp which he ate partially but, it took a while. He kept picking it up and throwing it out of his cave. These guys are interesting lol

salinity may be a little elevated. 1.023-1.024 is their range

 

[sheeb]

salinity may be a little elevated. 1.023-1.024 is their range

Will change it over the next couple of days. Don’t want to do too much of a swing and shock it or something. But is that normal behavior for them? To pick food up and just throw it?