How do you keep the tank clean without a Clean-up Crew

[OdentonClown]

So how do you all keep the tank clean with out a Clean-up Crew? Since the would all get eaten by your mantis. I mean crabs, shrimp and snails are out to the question for long life in with a mantis.

[ritter6788]

Keeping the water parameters in check and having good filtration will keep your tank in far better shape than any amount of CUC. I don't have one snail or hermit in my mantis tank and I have no cyano or algae. I do have an urchin but it only eats coralline algae.

[Koshmar]

What he said ^^^

Also, sometimes you have to be a man (or woman) and manually clean the sand and glass. Just have to use a little caution. Big thing is not to over-feed. Laziness was the main reason my tanks weren't clean though (algae, don't ever put caulerpa mexicana in your tank).

[ritter6788]

I've never been able to find enough snails to keep my glass clean anyway. I have over 100 in my reef tank and I still have to clean the glass every few days. Mag floats are one the best inventions ever.

[OdentonClown]

So How Much do you feed. Has your mantis ever show that he does not like your hand in the tank. Are you using a protein skimmer or some other type of filtration. Sorry for the questions I have a mantis in a large refuge under my tank plumbed in to the rest of my large system but was thinking about doing him his own tank. He it the green type just like the one in Koshmar's avatar. So before I get all gun hoe and do a tank I am trying to do some research. I was looking at setting up a Nano for some corals and was thinking about moving him into there instead of fish. But I also don't want his shell to get shell rot form the light the corals would need. What do you all think about that.

Please more people chime in and not just read and pass by I need some good advise.


Thank You

[ritter6788]

You can run a protein skimmer it aerates the water well. I run a hang on the back filter and powerheads and do water changes every 2 weeks and don't over feed. I use tongs or a feeding stick to feed my mantis. I do put my hand in there but only when I can see where he is and know that he's not coming towards me. As long as you don't have a peacock, chiragra, or one of the ones prone to shell rot lighting shouldn't be a problem. N. wennerae do well in a reef tank setup, if that's what you have.

[Nitrostorm]

You can also try a pair of the largest turbo snails you can find, so long as your not starving your mantis they should go untouched. (should being the key word, every mantis is diffrent)

I have had 2, 2 1/2 - 3 inch diameter turbo snails in with my 4 inch peacock for well over 3 months now with no problems. We only feed her 3 times a week a mix of live snails and frozen krill soaked in vitamins and the only time she even pays any attention at all to the large turbo's is if they meander into her burrow. To be honest, she seems more interested in the cleaning magnet more than the snails and smacks it periodically.

[OdentonClown]

Ok so I ID him on Roy's List he is a N. Wennerae. So inverts are out what about fish in the lower tank like gobys I guess are probably out also. Hi swimming fish would be OK?

[OdentonClown]

What kind of flow do they like. Would they be ok with flow for SPS corals?

[chilyb56]

I've had large turbos with a Wennerae - they were Ok until one of them clogged the return to my external skimmer and almost started an electrical fire. Also my Wennerae didn't go after urchins and coexisted with a brittle star - although he would repeatedly beat on it.

As for fish, I've had a lawnmower blenny and clownfish without issues with a Wennerae and later on a Smithii. I usually restock small snails when the numbers get low.

[Koshmar]

Food: Krill, silversides, mysid shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, clam, squid, ect... Feed 2-3 times a week. For a n wennerae, I would feed half a cube of frozen in each sitting 2-3 times a week with blue leg hermits, ceriths, and small astreas in the tank for rap fitness. One krill in one sitting is also a good portion. Squid gets really messy so I don't recommend it. Turkey Baster is a great feeding apparatus for frozen cube food because you can control the amount easily. Main thing is to make sure that it takes all you give it. They can go weeks without eating.

Tankmates: Starfish can be kept successfully, large turbos will not be taken out easily with wennerae but I bet it could find a way to do it (highly unlikely though) I never had it happen with mine. Damsels, three stripped is the only one Ive had success with. Corals are fine.

Lighting: Simply provide hiding places and shadowy areas and you can grow corals in the no problem. Shell rot is not much of a concern with wennerae.

Flow: Not much of a concern at all. They are very strong swimmers. If you have corals your water should be well aerated anyway.

Tank: Imo ten gallon is good, I gave mine a twenty long and she loved it. Some people say you can put them in a five but meh, I wouldn't.

In short, mantis shrimp are very hardy, you shouldn't have any problems if you keep corals.

[VacavilleFC3S]

my mantis tank is plumbed into my reef system