Care for a Neogonodactylus wennerae.

[rlf_racing]

I just picked up a one inch wennerae mantis out of a kive rock shippment from florida earlier this week. It is in my 12 gallon jbj nano tank with around 12lbs of florida live rock, a small frogspawn coral, a small decorator crab, 2 small emerald crabs that came in the live rock, and 6 dwarf hermits. What I need help with is what to feed a mantis of this size? What kind of tankmates could I put in the tank with it? It has already found a nice little hole in a rock and set up home. Only problem with that is it covered the top entrance now were I can't see it. But I know that it is its home. It spent almost an entire day getting small pieces of rubble and plant leaves that came on the rock to make its home comfortable. I put some live brine shrimp in the tank to see if it might be hungery but not sure if it caught any. So any help with feeding such a small mantis would greatly helpful.

Rob:confused:

[Pea-brain]

It might be able to handle nass snails. If not don't worry about it too much and just give it some frozen marine meaty foods once every 2-3 days (Ideally 3 rotated with a food supplement like selcon once a week) since it is so small most things will be fine with it and may actually be more dangerous to the mantis than the other way around.

Dan

[DanInSD]

Yep, that should be fine -- might try some frozen mysis as well.

Dan

[rlf_racing]

I tried frozen mysis today, it kept popping its head out looking at the food but not sure if it caught any. I do know I found three tiny crabs in the tank around the live rock that was put in and a small brittle star fish( possibly more). I hear a lot of popping going on in the tank, not sure what is actually going on though. I just not sure if it is eating. Should I try feeding every day until I see it eat? Or should I try like you guys suggested and feed every couple? I do plan on changing a couple pieces of live rock next weekend with more live rovk from Florida at the lfs to see what other little dreatures come on it. I really not worried if the mantis eats any of the small crabs that come on the live rock. Would it also be fine to put any soft corals in the tank with it so the tank has some more life to it? Thinking maybe mushroom corals and button polyps or does anyone have a better suggestion?