# Mantis Shrimp



## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I dono if this is the right section but its the saltwater forum so yea...and i did a search.

So i was interested in getting a Mantis Shrimp, how big of a tank would it need? Ive never done a Salt water tank before but i have done a brackish and kept the correct salinity and wat not.

I read that it does need an acrylic tank rather than a glass tank.

How big do they get?


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Honestly, it depends on the species as to how big they get, but you wouldn't run into one that needs more than a 20 (and I'd say most could be kept in a 10 or smaller). For specifics and places where you can get a hold of them, you might consider looking at RC's Mantis forum. I know we don't usually refer people away from here, but check it out (and make sure to bring all of the information that you find back...)


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I googled RC's Mantis forum and i got robitc forums....can u link me to the forum ur talkin about?

and thanx for the help!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Sorry: www.reefcentral.com is what I meant! I don't remember the subforum name.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

ok, searched that site, and turns out im lookin for a N. Wennerae mantis which can fit in tanks from 5-10 gallons minimum.

Sweet.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

found this really informative site on mantis, great info

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/cr....html#directory


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Is that Dr. Roy's site? He's awesome...the best mantis guy out there.


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## nataz (Mar 31, 2006)

I think the use of a acrylic tank over the glass is because they have the power to shatter glass and slice chunks of your finger and they are super fast when they strike.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

nismo driver said:


> found this really informative site on mantis, great info
> 
> http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/cr....html#directory


Awsome! im gonna call two (non-chain) LFS's around my area to see wat they can get in for me.

Thanx alot nismo and Childawg.


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Sounds good...glad we could help!

And, of course, you'll have pics when you get one, right?


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

ChilDawg said:


> Sounds good...glad we could help!
> 
> And, of course, you'll have pics when you get one, right?


i always do dont i









now i gotta read up on how to setup a salt water tank correctly...


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

I would imagine a mantis tank does not have to be as serious as a reef tank, a 10 or 20 gallon tank should run fine with a proper depth sand bed as the species would require. For this purpose the shrimp will be burrowing in the so I don't think you would have the same concerns with too deep or too shallow of a sand bed as reef tanks have to be cognizant of. then some rubble rock to create some structure and add to the bio filtration.

it seems a lot of people choose to put macro algae in their mantis tanks, not sure if this of the biotope effect or just to get the benefit of the nutrient consumption and to add some diversity to what are other wise barren tanks.

for the lighting you really don't need much even if you do have macro it still does not need anywhere near the intensity of a reef.

filtration and water movement you should be fine with a regular HOB filter like an aqua clear with maybe some activated carbon, maybe an HOB skimmer but you could do with out that if you do semi regular water changes and use RO/DI water. water movement you would just need enough to prevent sediment build up on the sand bed since you wont be able to have a cleaner crew.

it could be a very basic simple set up.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Indeed simple... heres a SWEET article about mantis shrimp i came across while trying to find out if they really can break glass:
clicky
"The speed of the strike (up to 50 mph, or 23 m/s) creates cavitation bubbles between the shrimp's hammer-like heel and the struck snail. The bubbles collapse, and generate heat, light, and sound. The shell shatters with a flash too-fast-to-see, and a bang."

Another thing i came across:
"They have the most advanced eyes of any animal, and have 16 different types of photo receptors (compared to our 3). They have binocular vision in each eye, so they have excellent depth perception with only one eye. They can see 4 different colors of UV light, and can also see polarized light. Some species, such as Odontodactylus havanensis, actually communicate to each other using signals of polarized light."

"Their strike is so fast that they vaporize the water at the point of impact, causing a small implosion. This makes their strike even more destructive, and stuns their prey. Mantis shrimp are also one of the only predators of the blue-ring octopus. They smash the octopus until the venom glands burst, and after the venom dissipates in the water, they eat the octopus."

Pretty amazing


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Skunkbudfour20 said:


> Indeed simple... heres a SWEET article about mantis shrimp i came across while trying to find out if they really can break glass:
> clicky
> "The speed of the strike (up to 50 mph, or 23 m/s) creates cavitation bubbles between the shrimp's hammer-like heel and the struck snail. The bubbles collapse, and generate heat, light, and sound. The shell shatters with a flash too-fast-to-see, and a bang."
> 
> ...


They forgot the part about part where they can self destruct via nuclear device when they are critially injured or captured.. oh wait thats the preditor. but seriously mantis shrimp are pretty amazing. the spearers scare me. no doubt it would suck to have a smasher destroy your finger but to have a spearer stab your finger with that same force would be really nasty.


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

one of the reasosn u will see a lot of people keep macros in a mantis tank is in lieu of having a skimmer macro algae is great for reducing nitrates mantis shrimp do need fairly good water conditions

my personal preference for mantis is dsb minimal rock some pvc tube buried under the rock for hiding and good mechanical filtration as well as a good amount of macros keep some snails in your filter so that u can give one to the mantis every so often to beat on 15 gallon long is what i think is the best size


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

OK guys, this is very late, i know that but i finally found a LFS with a N. Wennerae Mantis Shrimp.

So im setting up a tank for it before i buy it but wanted to go over some things and wanted to ask if i was missing anything.

So im gettn the tank, of course either a 5 or a 10.

a filter for a 10 gallon that has all three stages of filtration

a 25watt heater

Instant Ocean Sea Salt - 10 Gallon Mix

I already have a hydrometer to check the salinity (used to have a brackish tank).

and a pound or crushed coral/etc.

am i missing anything?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Well....for what it is worth...I would go with live sand instead of crushed coral...and some live rock. I would also get a small powerhead to circulate the water around the tank. For the tank....I would pick up a ten gallon that is all inclusive with the filter in the back...then remove all the sponges and fill it up with live rock rubble....leaving enough room to put the heater. Those tanks are pretty cheap and they are much cleaner looking then if you need to have a filter hanging off the back and a heater in the tank.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Grosse Gurke said:


> Well....for what it is worth...I would go with live sand instead of crushed coral...and some live rock. I would also get a small powerhead to circulate the water around the tank. For the tank....I would pick up a ten gallon that is all inclusive with the filter in the back...then remove all the sponges and fill it up with live rock rubble....leaving enough room to put the heater. Those tanks are pretty cheap and they are much cleaner looking then if you need to have a filter hanging off the back and a heater in the tank.


You have a picture of the tank ur talkn about? I think i know wat u mean...one of those "ready to go" kits rite?

anyway, can u show me a pic?


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Dawgz said:


> Well....for what it is worth...I would go with live sand instead of crushed coral...and some live rock. I would also get a small powerhead to circulate the water around the tank. For the tank....I would pick up a ten gallon that is all inclusive with the filter in the back...then remove all the sponges and fill it up with live rock rubble....leaving enough room to put the heater. Those tanks are pretty cheap and they are much cleaner looking then if you need to have a filter hanging off the back and a heater in the tank.


You have a picture of the tank ur talkn about? I think i know wat u mean...one of those "ready to go" kits rite?

anyway, can u show me a pic?
[/quote]

i think he was talking about a bio cube i would go with a atleast a 10 more volume will give you better stability and the mantis would be more entertaining chasing prey with that little bit of space


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

so i wanna get the salinity to 32ppt rite?


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

So the tank is in, and i think i added WAY too much salt, the salinity reading is at 1.028. I think ill just let it run thru the night and then read what it is tomorrow, then take out water and add just distilled water to make up for it and try to get it at 1.024?


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Also, i was reading that when mantis DO break thru the tanks, its usually because they are burrowing (bottom). so i was wondering if i should add maybe .25" layer of slate rock on the bottom before i put the live sand? WOuld the slaterock hurt anything as far as water params? would it make the water too soft?

Also, i shouldnt even have to worry about the thing breaking thru the glass, cause its only gettn to like 2.5-3" max.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I dont know really anything about the shrimp...so I dont know about them breaking tanks. I have heard about it...but dont know how often it happens. As far as salinity...yeah...letting the salt fully desolve...test it again...and then just take some out and add some fresh water until you get in that 1023-1025 range. At least that is where I keep mine.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Sand takes FOREVER to settle. and damn...live rock costs alot, i cant imagine the cost for a 100+ gallon reef!

i got like a few pounds of live rock, a good amount of live sand, and 3 blue legged hermies. (baught 2 but one hitched a ride on a live rock).


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

so the sand settled in the morning, i re-arranged the rocks to how i like it and the sand kicked up agian (which was a given). But all in all, it looks pretty nice. Now i have FOUR hermit crabs in there (small) and a Starfish. I need to get a pic of him so maybe u guys can tell me if its a sand sifting star or a normal star; So i can figure out if i should sell/trade it or keep it.

some pics


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

nismo driver said:


> I would imagine a mantis tank does not have to be as serious as a reef tank, a 10 or 20 gallon tank should run fine with a proper depth sand bed as the species would require. For this purpose the shrimp will be burrowing in the so I don't think you would have the same concerns with too deep or too shallow of a sand bed as reef tanks have to be cognizant of. then some rubble rock to create some structure and add to the bio filtration.
> 
> it seems a lot of people choose to put macro algae in their mantis tanks, not sure if this of the biotope effect or just to get the benefit of the nutrient consumption and to add some diversity to what are other wise barren tanks.
> 
> ...


Could you just use distilled water??


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I used Distilled.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Here's the starfish, does anyone know what type it is? will it hurt my sand bed? i heard Sand Sifting Stars were bad news for the bacteria.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

The amount of life in this tank is retarded, im finding 2X more creatures in there than i had paid for.

I just found another baby star fish as well as some other animal with 4 legs that LOOKS like a starfish, but its also a baby (its red). (i just googled it and found out its called a brittle star)


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Dawgz said:


> The amount of life in this tank is retarded, im finding 2X more creatures in there than i had paid for.
> 
> I just found another baby star fish as well as some other animal with 4 legs that LOOKS like a starfish, but its also a baby (its red). (i just googled it and found out its called a brittle star)


You don't want that fat legged one...appears to be from the class Asteroidea. The brittle star (an ophiuroid = class ophiuroidea) has the guys you need, but I'm not sure what genus or species is best. If it stays small, it is probably what they sell as micro sea stars. The asteroids are highly predatory while the ophiuriods are mostly detritivores. The ophiuriods have the skinny, snake-like legs.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

so i should get rid of that yellow one?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Dawgz said:


> so i should get rid of that yellow one?


I would. He won't be able to hurt the shrimp at this size (if ever), but it will snack on anything else it can find in your tank that can't get away from it.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

hmm, that starfish looks to be a baby Choclate chip starfish.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Dawgz said:


> hmm, that starfish looks to be a baby Choclate chip starfish.


Not from what I see...if it is it will definitely get too big for your tank.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

He's in! also, i got some Rubble for the filter's compartment.



















Ghost shrimp wondered too close to his "place"


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Sweet man! was thinking about getting one myself


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Skunkbudfour20 said:


> Sweet man! was thinking about getting one myself


a LFS near me has one for 6 bux! same size but purple (dono the species).


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

i dont really think you need to be concerned about hitch hikers being good or bad tehe mantis could very likely kill them anyway. bad hitch hikers are a problem when you trying to keep good things like fish or corals that might at risk with the manits pretty much everything else in the tank is at risk.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I was talking to a friend of mine who has a 55gallon saltwater tank, and he said he'd surely take both of the starfish. So ill do that.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

Mantis Construction!


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

does anyone know what would be a good powerhead for a 6 gallon?

a 66gph

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl36...uapumppowerhead

or a 120gph?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl36...uapumppowerhead


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Dawgz said:


> does anyone know what would be a good powerhead for a 6 gallon?
> 
> a 66gph
> 
> ...


I have 2 MaxiJet600s on a Ocean Pulse Duo wave-maker in my 10gallon... keeps things moving nicely








I would say atleast the 120gph one...


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I got a soft coral, ill post another pic when it opens up, but got the frag for 5 bux, so i couldnt say no!










Does anyone know what that white sack thing is on the left bottom?


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

That white thing is a sponge of some sorts i would guess... let it grow! i have tons of them in my tank that grew out to be pretty cool... some white like yours, some green, orange red etc...


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I just realized i have no clue what to do with this frag, do i just leave it on the plug forever?


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Until it encrusts the plug... yes


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

thanx for the tips thus far!


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

I dono if its the mantis or the hermits, but everytime i come back to the tank, the frag is off the rock i want it on and in the sand, face up. So i got tired of that and just dug the plug into the sand bed next to a small rock....i doubt there would be a problem with that?


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Dawgz said:


> I dono if its the mantis or the hermits, but everytime i come back to the tank, the frag is off the rock i want it on and in the sand, face up. So i got tired of that and just dug the plug into the sand bed next to a small rock....i doubt there would be a problem with that?


as lolng as it is getting some light and water flow it should be fine, looks like green star polyps, they grow like weeds under the right conditions. it actually bothers me to see it for sale considering how fast and easy it grows, people throw the stuff away when they cant give it away.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

nismo driver said:


> I dono if its the mantis or the hermits, but everytime i come back to the tank, the frag is off the rock i want it on and in the sand, face up. So i got tired of that and just dug the plug into the sand bed next to a small rock....i doubt there would be a problem with that?


as lolng as it is getting some light and water flow it should be fine, looks like green star polyps, they grow like weeds under the right conditions. it actually bothers me to see it for sale considering how fast and easy it grows, people throw the stuff away when they cant give it away.
[/quote]

LOL, o well, it looked good to me! I baught it from Hanover Pet, down on rt 10.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

haha damn guys, watch this video of me feeding the Mantis a piece of krill on a chopstick!


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

That is one crazy-ass crustacean!


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

thanx, i got the idea real quick when we got chinese for lunch @ work today, thought id grab a few chop sticks haha


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

have you fed it a live crab yet? just from a quick search freds in south amboy would probably be the closest but that still atleast an hour round trip. it would definately be cheaper then a pet shop just call and make sure they have medium to small fiddlers or asian crabs.


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## Dawgz (Aug 18, 2005)

not a crab, but he has taken out a ghost shrimp when he was first put in the tank, and recently, he took out a hermit crab. He's gettn there.


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

hes slowly turning into a killing machine.. bwhaaahaha


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