mantis shrimp maybe

[dadonoflaw]

i am very seriously thinking of getting one but would like to know what i am getting into. what is a minimum lighting requirement? it is a 20 gal long so what is a good species for this size tank? can i use water from my reef after a water change? the tank will have no sump.

[lionbacker54]

i am in the same boat as you. i have set up a tank, and am waiting for a mantis shrimp to become available at stomatopod.com. i'm looking for n.wennerae, but have heard that 20 gallon longs are good for p.ciliata. it is a spearer type that likes to roam, so a big footprint like your tank would be good from what i've read. no real experience, just someone getting ready for the addiction.

[sabazerehi]

lighting doesn't matter when it comes to mantis shrimp, except that you don't want them too strong like halides or anything. otherwise, the lighting just depends on the kind of corals you want to keep, if you even want to keep corals. i personally have a peacock mantis shrimp, in a 24g, they're absolutely my favorite, colorful and active, really fun to watch. you could probably do a small one in a 20l, since the length is more important than the height. you want to make sure you have good filtration, a good skimmer would be great, mantis are messy eaters and sensitive. you want your parameters to be in check. i dunno about using water from you reef tank, i would use newly mixed salt water because i would assume you'd just be putting all those nitrates and everything you're removing from the reef into the mantis tank. hope that helps you get started. and you shouldn't need a sump with a good skimmer anyways (to be honest mine's is in a nano cube with no skimmer, just carbon and lots of live rock and so far so good!) good luck!! they're definitely an amazing species and to be able to have one as a pet is as cool as can be.

[dadonoflaw]

well i have a 65 watt pc fixture that i will probably use. i want the tank to be somewhat less maintenance. i will not neglect the tank but i want to not have to do a whole lot. what are some hardier species for a 20 gal?

[lionbacker54]

well, they say that n.wennerae is a very hardy species. this is because it lives in shallow waters in florida, where water conditions constantly change. one experience poster, pea-brain, once stated that a nuclear bomb could go off and the wennerae wouldn't notice.

i am new to the hobby, so like you i am looking for a hardy species. i don't want to kill anything b/c of my inexperience. you can get one from tampa bay saltwater (ww.tbsaltwater.com) for $50 delivered.

[dadonoflaw]

well for me its more so that i want to not have to be as vigilant as i am with my 180 reef. sps require alot of attention so i didnt want to do this if it needed alot of extra equipment or maintenance time. i want to be able to watch him. thanx guys

[Koshmar]

Very easy, low maintence, my G. chiragra is the first marine animal I have ever cared for. No past experience. Mine's doing great. I also have a 20L. I have mine divided for a juvenile N. wennerae, (15 g for the chiragra and 5 g for the juvenile). Most are very hardy. My filtration is overkill though, sump for a 55 gallon. P. ciliata sounds like a good choice for a 20 L. An N. wennerae would seem small in that tank though, of course this can be a good thing if you want to keep other things in with in. Just read up and you'll be fine.