min requirements for mantis?

austinpetemo

AC Members
Sep 25, 2007
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Newton Falls, OH
omg i really want to get a mantis shrimp. i know that there is alot of equiptment needed for a marine tank. but is it all necessary if i just have a shrimp in the tank by itself?
 
Since a mantis shrimp is a sea animal, I would say you need all the equipment just as you would if you had fish or any other sea creature.
 
Tank size will really depend on the species. Some of the peacock types only get 6" or so, but L. maculata will get something like 24" or larger. You will probably want a sand bed of some sort, a bunch of liverock, just standard fluorescent lighting will work if you're not going to do any corals. You'll probably want a skimmer of some sort since they eat a lot of meaty foods, I would imagine they can mess the tank up pretty quick, especially with no cleanup crew (they'd be eaten), and a heater.
 
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