G. chiragra?

[Rob_Zamites]

Just picked this gorgeous specimen up from Preuss Pets in Lansing -- (s)he will be getting homed in my soon to arrive 22 gallon CADlights tank. I'm thinking its a Gonodactylus chiragra. Here's a couple of pictures I snapped right after getting back to the office:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i177/probrewer/9g%20LED%20Reef/Picture027.jpg
Posing for the camera! This mantis shrimp is about 3"-3.25" long, and is extremely feisty -- (s)he popped those rapts agains the container several times while acclimating, and it was LOUD.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i177/probrewer/9g%20LED%20Reef/Picture028.jpg
A great top down shot, awesome detail of the uropods and telson. I'll be cross posting these elsewhere to hopefully get a positive ID.

I didn't dare put this one in the 9 gallon with Bella, as I'm sure one of them would have ended up dead in no time at all -- and since I'm partial to Bella at this point I wouldn't risk it! :inlove: :

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i177/probrewer/9g%20LED%20Reef/Picture002.jpg

Ken at OceanReeflection said my CAD 22 shipped last night, and my last check showed it had departed PA early this morning. Hopefully it will get delivered tomorrow at work and I can start setting things up :)

[avel]

Hey I just got the same one it looks like. Have you checked out Roy's list?

I think its a Gonodactylaceus graphurus based on the orange spots.

[Giga]

Nice femal Gonodactylus chiragra, good find!

avel-the top and bottom pictures are different mantis

[justinl]

It looks like G. chiragra to me. should have white meral spots.

Bella is a sweet mantis too!

[Rob_Zamites]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13523417#post13523417 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by avel
Hey I just got the same one it looks like. Have you checked out Roy's list?

I think its a Gonodactylaceus graphurus based on the orange spots.

Bella's actually a G. glabrous, she's the one in the bottom photo and she's my "baby" -- very active and recognizes me as the "bringer of num-nums" LOL

Giga, I was pretty sure the new mantis was a G. chiragra, but how do you distinguish that its a female without seeing the underside?

[avel]

oohh, I need to be more observant next time.

[TrappedMetal]

Good luck with the Chiragra. Hopefully you may see it once or twice a month!!

[Rob_Zamites]

Still no delivery of the CADlights 22 -- I wonder if I could at least keep the two mantis shrimps in the 9 gallon until Tuesday or so? (Actually, it would be more of 'which mantis shrimp would be dead when you come back to work')

[TrappedMetal]

They actually lessen their blows with each other, according to a video i saw featuring NONE OTHER than our resident expert Dr. Roy Caldwell. However as the chiragra would be trying to find a burrow id say the galbrous would be evicted and injured. Pop it in a box in there or something with a pipe or a small pepsi bottle for now. Do NOT underestimate the power of a large chiragra.

[justinl]

pound for pound, G. chiragra are the hardest hitting stomatopod around. your glabrous would be killed imo and if you value bella, I would not chance it. If you can fashion a partition or covered holding pen, that would be fine. nothing fancy, just something sturdy enough to hold up against a chiragra. a standard penpal for example would be a little on the thin side, but would *probably* work short term.

In fact, forget the above, just get a clean 5g salt buckets, rinse it out, throw in a small powerhead or airstone, chuck in a small plastic heater (like a visi-therm stealth) and voila, temporary hold for the chiragra. throw in a piece of rock too if you like. no feeding.

[Rob_Zamites]

I found a little plastic pet carrier (perforated - I actually borrowed it from my LFS), and have the chiragra in that, suspended in the 9 gallon. If I transfer the rock, water, etc. to the 22, add more LR and water and introduce the pair, do you thing they'll stake out their own territories?
My alternate plan was to set up an eggcrate divider to split the tank in halves and keep a mantis in each half. I'm open to suggestions!
Dr. Roy, any input?

[justinl]

A 22g is too small for two mantids to set up their own territories far enough from each other. Eggcrate holes are large so make sure that both mantids are too big to pass through; there's no point in a divider if they can through it.

[VacavilleFC3S]

ya 22 is definately too small for 2 mantis,

[Rob_Zamites]

Well, reading many of the older threads here, Dr. Roy has stated that you can *sometimes* keep two gonodactylids together in the same tank if they're of differing sizes and there's plenty of rock with varied sized holes in that rock. Also, they (Dr. Roy, et. al.) use eggcrate as dividers -- although I think Bella would be able to fit through the gaps :P

[Gonodactylus]

It is a female G. chiragra. It cannot coexist with a G. glabrous and be careful, I have had them break out of "pet carriers".

Roy

[Rob_Zamites]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13543458#post13543458 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gonodactylus
It is a female G. chiragra. It cannot coexist with a G. glabrous and be careful, I have had them break out of "pet carriers".

Roy

Alrighty then. That's what I get for trying to be a "mantis rescue" :)

[justinl]

Sorry if i wasn't clear. I know eggcrate can be used as a divider, but only if neither mantis can pass through and if neither mantis can break through it (the stuff isn't that strong).

While a 22g is big enough to house them both, they do need a divider. The only cases where one might house greater than one mantis in a single tank together is when the tank is big enough (at least maybe 40g?) and the mantids are not big hitters. for example, O. scyllarus would be a terrible choice with anyone else, but a few N. wennerae should be just fine. Dunno if involving two different species as opposed to conspecifics would help or harm the situation; probably just depends which ones you choose.

[Gonodactylus]

Decent sized G. chiragra can easily smash through egg crate if motivated to do so. Another stomatopod on the other side is usually sufficient motivation.

Years ago Instant Ocean used to sell a 35 gal refrigerated aquarium that had compressed plastic undergravel filter. It was white, quite porous and really tough. I salvaged all that I could as our units went down and have used them for years as dividers. I have never had even the largest O. scyllarus break through one. Sure wish I could find a source of that stuff.

Roy

[Rob_Zamites]

Problem solved: I'm keeping the 9 set up for Bella (it's her Palace, after all), and just started cycling the 22 gallon CAD for the G. chiragra :) Two tanks, two mantis shrimp, no fights!

[TrappedMetal]

you will regret that....you will never see a chiragra in a 22g. get her a 10 gallon or less!

[Rob_Zamites]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13547735#post13547735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TrappedMetal
you will regret that....you will never see a chiragra in a 22g. get her a 10 gallon or less!
Even with just a modicum of LR?

[TrappedMetal]

You will see this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/TrappedMetal/newmaculata143.jpg

Im sure others who keep chiragra will also vouch for this..At first my small male would leave his burrow to get a crab, as long as it was within a few inches....now he rarely comes out at all unless i REALLY push his food times, after a week and a half of no food he would venture out so you could see his body and actually attack the crab, but thats it.

[Rob_Zamites]

Heh, no worries -- just knowing she's in there suffices for me. After all, it is about meeting her needs and providing her as close to a natural habitat as I can, and letting her do her thing. If I wanted a mantis display, I'd keep her in a plain box of water. :)