Alexraptor
12/04/2011, 11:29 AM
Hi, I'm new here.
Ive been keeping saltwater for almost 7 years now, and as of yesterday I am the unexpected owner of a small Mantis Shrimp.
I had just dumped in a new piece of live rock I bought at the LFS and noticed a pair of ominous eyes staring at me.
Fortuantely he had not moved so I managed to pull out the rock with him in it and dump him in an empty but cycled saltwater tank.
Thanks to Roy's List I have identified him as a medium sized "Gonodactylaceus falcatus", his color pattern being spot on.
He's a pretty cool creature and I intend on keeping him.
He has already accepted a piece of shrimp tail with little hesitation, allthough curiously he just eagerly dragged it into the burrow and has spent the hours since just sitting with his eyes out of the opening rather than eating.
Since he is a smasher it is my understanding that he needs live shelled food to exercise his raptorials so that he does not loose them.
I would like a little greater understanding in detail about this, as where I live and my financial situation would make very regular feedings of hermits or snails difficult and costly.
So what exactly is it in the exercise that they need? Is the the impact and effort from hitting a hard shell? or is it simply "using" them that gives the needed excercise regardless of soft body or shell?
Are there any substitutes ones can use to encourage the activity and make sure he does exercise the raptorials enough?
In a nutshell, I would like to know about everything I can do to avoid having him loose their appendages.
Thanks :)
Ive been keeping saltwater for almost 7 years now, and as of yesterday I am the unexpected owner of a small Mantis Shrimp.
I had just dumped in a new piece of live rock I bought at the LFS and noticed a pair of ominous eyes staring at me.
Fortuantely he had not moved so I managed to pull out the rock with him in it and dump him in an empty but cycled saltwater tank.
Thanks to Roy's List I have identified him as a medium sized "Gonodactylaceus falcatus", his color pattern being spot on.
He's a pretty cool creature and I intend on keeping him.
He has already accepted a piece of shrimp tail with little hesitation, allthough curiously he just eagerly dragged it into the burrow and has spent the hours since just sitting with his eyes out of the opening rather than eating.
Since he is a smasher it is my understanding that he needs live shelled food to exercise his raptorials so that he does not loose them.
I would like a little greater understanding in detail about this, as where I live and my financial situation would make very regular feedings of hermits or snails difficult and costly.
So what exactly is it in the exercise that they need? Is the the impact and effort from hitting a hard shell? or is it simply "using" them that gives the needed excercise regardless of soft body or shell?
Are there any substitutes ones can use to encourage the activity and make sure he does exercise the raptorials enough?
In a nutshell, I would like to know about everything I can do to avoid having him loose their appendages.
Thanks :)