View Full Version : new mantis tank.
joander123
01-01-2008, 6:29 PM
Ok, im gonna go for it this time. I've decided to make a 20g mantis tank.
species will be Pseudosquilla ciliata, a smaller spearer species. Thought it would be cool to get a spearer since a lot of people get smashers instead.
Bob helped me out on the specific species, and its good because thats the type i had in mind already.
Set-up will be...
20g tank
20 lbs of LR
20-30 lbs of black reef sand
PC lighting (probably 96 watt quad bulb)
maxi-jet 1200 (1 or 2?)
HOB aqua clear filter, for LR rubble and flow.
Do i need a skimmer???
Stocking will look like...
1 Pseudosquilla ciliata mantis shrimp
assorted hermit crabs
assorted snails (im thinking astrea, or mexicans?)
assorted soft corals (zoas, shrooms, leathers)
Not sure how soon this is going to happen, as i think im going to use the 20g i currently have set up as a QT for my new PBT... but its definitely going to happen.
Grins
01-01-2008, 10:11 PM
Bob is the mantis reef expert around here.
joander123
01-02-2008, 5:46 AM
Yup, hes already given me some advice and help.
BeelzeBob
01-02-2008, 10:27 AM
az far az skimmaz go, look into the new Rio nano skimmer. ive heard good things, and around $30-40 bucks, its worth an experiment
joander123
01-20-2008, 12:24 PM
ok, update time.
Some things have changed through research and the tank set-up is underway.
Right now tank looks like...
20 gallon tank
Maxi-jet 1200
HOB aquaclear filter
200 watt vistherm stealth
I'm going to try the Current USA SubCurrent Internal Filter
it was recommended to me by people on RC, they said it works quite well on smaller tanks.
Stocking has changed a little too... i'm not going to go with a ciliata any more, im going to try a Odontodactylus latirostris shrimp. They are suppose to be a little bit harder to keep, but i really like them and i think i'm up for the challenge.
Andrew_Murphy
01-20-2008, 8:53 PM
Is the Odontodactylus latirostris just a peacock mantis?
bdavis27701
01-20-2008, 9:04 PM
Is the Odontodactylus latirostris just a peacock mantis?
No its not a Peacock. Here is a good reference for manits shrimp
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/
bdavis27701
01-20-2008, 9:06 PM
Most of the Gonodactylellus species do well in a smaller tank too.
Andrew_Murphy
01-20-2008, 9:11 PM
No its not a Peacock. Here is a good reference for manits shrimp
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/
Ah okay when i googled the species name i got a few pics of peacocks. thanks for clarifying.
bdavis27701
01-20-2008, 9:14 PM
If you want a colorful one try a Neogonodactylus curacaoensis or Gonodactylaceus ternatensis. Both will work in your tank.
As far as water flow, I would go with one MJ powerhead to start. They don't like the water flowblasting them in their caves or burrows.
bdavis27701
01-20-2008, 9:18 PM
Ah okay when i googled the species name i got a few pics of peacocks. thanks for clarifying.
I have a peacock mantis and its one of the coolest mantis shrimps to have. They are very active and do not hide when they see movement like alot of the others do.
Andrew_Murphy
01-20-2008, 9:23 PM
I have a peacock mantis and its one of the coolest mantis shrimps to have. They are very active and do not hide when they see movement like alot of the others do.
Yeah constantly have them at the store I work at. They are such intelligent and personable animals.
joander123
01-20-2008, 9:45 PM
the reason i look into the O. latirostris or O. Havanensis is because Dr. Roy Caldwell himself said that to him they are the most interesting and interactive mantis shrimp in his laboratory. This being said, they are much rarer, so they are harder to obtain, and they need very pristine water conditions with high oxygen levels. They have been known to die in a simple sand storm...
What size is your tank Andrew? Although both of the species listed by B davis are
OK, i wouldnt recommend either of the 2 personally. One tends to be quite shy and they are both harder to keep in means of water quality.
If you have a smaller tank, i would recommend a N. Wennarae or a G. Smithii. If your tank is a little larger, a Peacock would work well, or maybe a P Ciliata if you are interested in a spearer (this spearer stays small, and could be kept in a smaller tank along the lines of 20 gallons as well.)
joander123
03-01-2008, 1:24 PM
Ok, update... its been a while.
I didn't end up getting a mantis until just today. Its not a latirostris like i had originally wanted, but it was also free. I'm pretty sure what i got was a G. Smithii. Still a great species none the less, and actually the same species that belezebob has.
I'm acclimating him now, i'll try to take some nice pictures of him later.
Not the exact species i was looking for, but a beautiful manits, and the price was certainly right (free).
joander123
03-02-2008, 10:30 AM
heres a quick picture of the little bugger... best i could get to this point, he's to busy constructing to come out and socialize with me...
Catpicklesdog
03-02-2008, 10:58 AM
He's a cutie. I'm half tempted to get one myself!!
joander123
03-02-2008, 11:37 AM
they are really cool, and a lot of times you can get lucky like i did and not even have to pay for them. If i ordered this guy online and got him shipped to my house he probably would have cost around 80-90 bucks, but i got him for free because someone thought he was a "pest".
Sweet deal.
I'm gonna try to get some pictures up later..
BeelzeBob
03-02-2008, 11:40 AM
NICE DUDE!
thats most def a gonodactylus, id bet smithii, but cant be sure w/o seeing the merel spot.
when i first got Bane, he went nuts after a couple days hollowing out a piece of LR into his lil mini mantis apartment.
AWESOME!!!
joander123
03-02-2008, 11:56 AM
meral spot is purple, which pretty much narrows it down to a smithii. Red knobs on end of tail pretty much makes it a positive ID according to the UCMPberkley site.
Yeah mine did the same thing, i really just have a little cove of LR and he dug tunnels in under the LR so he goes all over the place. He also seemed to be chipping away at a piece of live rock all night... like hollowing it out so it was nice and roomy for him. =).
Awesome creatures.
I just fed him a frozen krill, the one little krill was kind of large, so i figured thats pretty much good for 1 day right?
He's also got a few hermits in there he can pick off when he gets hungry too.. what do you think?
Catpicklesdog
03-02-2008, 12:58 PM
Go on then - what's their minimum tank size requirements??
joander123
03-02-2008, 1:43 PM
well it depends on the species you want. This one probably needs a minimum of 10 gallons... i have it it in a 20 though, and Bob has it in an 18.
There are smaller and larger species too, it really depends on what you want, some can get as large as 15" others can stay as small as 2".
Catpicklesdog
03-02-2008, 3:06 PM
Still require bigger than what I have going spare - which is a 4gal. I've got it in case I ever catch my Bangaiis, stick them in the 34 and any babies in the 4gal. I think 4 tanks would be pushing it in my house!!!!
joander123
03-02-2008, 3:06 PM
heh i thought 3 was pushing it... now i have 7.
Catpicklesdog
03-02-2008, 3:15 PM
Your sig also states that you have a 110 currently empty................
............. I'll pay the postage!!!!!!:grinyes:
joander123
03-02-2008, 3:34 PM
haha.. not for sale =)
i think its going to be a future FW fish tank, just dont know what quite yet.
Catpicklesdog
03-02-2008, 4:11 PM
haha.. not for sale =)
i think its going to be a future FW fish tank, just dont know what quite yet.
:banhim::grinyes:
joander123
03-02-2008, 4:13 PM
haha i play both sides =)
Mgamer20o0
03-06-2008, 10:17 PM
neat little guy