Sand for a N. wennerae

[Maaka]

I'm sure it is on here somewhere but I could not find it.

But I was just wondering if a N. wennerae needs/likes the sugar sized argonite sand or the bigger sand.

I thought I read somewhere that some mantis use the bigger grains to wedge the tunnel together, and some use mucus to hold the smaller grains together. Is this right?

I figure I might as well do it right since I have the opportunity too.

[Kharn]

I'm sure it is on here somewhere but I could not find it.

But I was just wondering if a N. wennerae needs/likes the sugar sized argonite sand or the bigger sand.

I thought I read somewhere that some mantis use the bigger grains to wedge the tunnel together, and some use mucus to hold the smaller grains together. Is this right?

I figure I might as well do it right since I have the opportunity too.

As far as I am concerned its simplified like this...(there are exceptions)

Spearers need sand to build burrows because they produce mucus.

Smashers use rubble to create burrows (they cannot produce the mucus to bind like spearers) and so, stack rock continuously.

Now in your case you have a little smasher so sand isn't going to give it homes since the sand is to small to stack or build with, my smashers that are of similar sized to N.wennerae have a substrate about the size of rice maybe a little large and substrate about as large as themselves to (50/50 mix), this gives them huge choice.

[Maaka]

Ok cool, thank you for clearing that up for me. :)

[Kharn]

Ok cool, thank you for clearing that up for me. :)

N.wennerae is a great species which I assume you no doubt know, likely from just knowing the species name already.

Unfortunately we don't get them down ='[ but what we DO get down here, sometimes you DON'T get them up there :p

[Maaka]

Well I'm hoping I can get one. The more I learn about them the more I want one. lol

[Trump]

I am using sand from Myrtle Beach in mine and is neat to watch him move it. He grabs a large mound of sand and builds it up then starts stacking the LR rubble around it. I have heard that your chances of getting a wenneree from TBS is better than 50/50 with a LR order so that might be a route to try.

[Maaka]

Yeah that was where I was looking into getting one from. I was probably just going to order one and have it shipped to my house. it is only 50$ which I don't think is bad and it will save me about a 1.5 hour drive to the airport to pick up the shipment.

Trump- how big is the sand from there is it sugar sized or is it the larger particle sand?

[Trump]

It is the finer sand. Florida sand I would say is even finer but this is at least the play sand size. I would be more worried about to big than to small from what I have read due to the sensitivity of the guys under belly I may be wrong but so far he seems happy and is very active. He left the initial home he discovered and moved back to the sand bed beneath a live rock

[Maaka]

Ok cool. thank you for the info :)

[Maaka]

Maybe I won't have to start a new thread but what about the lighting for a N. wennerae, I know peacocks don't like the light and it can even be bad for them. is it the same for the N. wennerae?

[StephLionfish]

Reef lighting doesn't bother wenneraes. Under higher spectrum lighting they'll turn green, and under lower spectrum they'll turn red.

[Trump]

As stated above the animals that live up higher are green *more light and the lower ones tend to be red *less light. I have two of em now one of each the green is really bright but the red is neat as he has almost pink knuckles. The green one I got from a LFS frag tank so big light in small area with few hiding spots. Iam putting him in my fuge with 4 3w crees so Ill see if he changes back. The red one is in a 14g bio that is currently being lit by a Marineland Double Bright led set up. Here is hopeing he doesnt go green:bounce3:

[Maaka]

OK cool. I have a left over 24 inch t5 fixture i was hoping to use. But I didn't want to hurt him. Thank you :)