Setting up a new 29g

[HaylonxHavok]

I'm thinking about setting up a new 29g tank. My centerpiece animal I think will be an O. Scyllarus mantis shrimp. I also want to have some corals and maybe cheap fish depending on my shrimps personality but I'm a little stuck deciding for sure.

my current tank is a biocube 29 with a few fish and tons of crabs. I've taken care of it pretty well and haven't had any large scale issues so far so I feel like I'm ready to get a 2nd tank.

My concerns are:

1) Personality - if its hyper aggressive and reclusive whats the point in having it?

2) Tank maintenance - how difficult will it be to clean the tank if it won't let me have a CUC

3) Aesthetics - I want the tank to be nice looking, with some corals, maybe some macro algae and some cheaper fish (damsels).

4) Cost - if I want corals I need decent lights, and I have no idea where to start. I prefer LED's but they can be expensive and figuring out which ones I need is a bit daunting.

5) Actual setup - I want the tank to look nice and plan to build a stand for it myself with room inside for a 10g sump/refugium. Can I get the base tank cycling and such and add the sump on later? Or would that mess up the cycle?

I am also thinking about getting G. Smithii instead since I figure if it's smaller it would be easier to give it large roommates. I personally like the idea of it being a bit bigger though. Both species are supposed to be very interactive and from the videos I've seen they tend to be almost friendly with their owners. I could also have a very large CUC and replace as necessary. I've seen a lot of O. Scyllarus tanks and G. Smithii tanks with coral and other fish in them that appear to be fine together but I'm unsure.

Also, nmotz, I have watched all your videos and found them to be super informative as well. They are actually the whole reason I joined this forum.

[nmotz]

Welcome to the mantis shrimp forum! I'm glad my videos were helpful for you.

Some thoughts for you to consider...

1) Personality does vary widely. It also changes before/after a molt. One piece of advice I'll give you is to wait at least a month to allow the animal time to acclimate to its new surroundings. My current Peacock was very reclusive for just over 3 weeks then all of a sudden began to explore the tank and become more interactive.

2) CUCs are not the most important factor in keeping a tank clean of algae, water quality is. Having said that, in a 29G if you do have bad algae problems, I recommend one golfball sized turbo snail. It'll be able to withstand most attacks by a Peacock mantis. A good algae scraper and good water quality should be able to deal with the rest.

3) I recommend soft corals as they are less demanding in terms of flow/lighting and water quality. Many nice options out there. Do be careful about the fish though. You may or may not be able to keep fish in a Peacock tank. Some succeed, some don't.

4) I have two AI Primes and like them, although in general I wouldn't recommend LEDs for a mantis shrimp tank. But smaller sized LEDs are probably the best fit for a cube tank like yours. This is a good option:

https://www.amazon.com/OceanRevive%C2%AE-Arctic-T247-Spectrum-Dimmable-Aquarium/dp/B00YOYD3K2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474576562&sr=8-1&keywords=ocean+revive

5) Best advice is to set everything up together. Adding a sump with more LR might cause a mini-cycle that could affect water chemistry. While we're talking about tanks and such, I would recommend a tank that has a larger footprint than a 29G cube. For any other mantis, a 29G cube is great, but Peacocks are highly mobile and are generally more fun to observe in a larger environment. (I wish I had a bigger tank now) Additionally, water quality is more difficult to maintain in a smaller tank and Peacocks are more sensitive to water quality than other mantis shrimp. I would recommend a 40B or something similar, especially if your Peacock is full grown. Remember they can get up to very near 7" long!

Another option is to get an O. Havanesis. Kpaquatics has a large one right now! They're a great company and an O. Havanensis would be perfect for a 29G cube. You would need high flow, and preferably a small protein skimmer to oxygenate the water/enhance water quality. They are highly interactive, basically a small Peacock.

Best of luck to you, let us know if you have more questions!

[HaylonxHavok]

Thanks for the reply! the tank I'm going to use for the mantis is a standard 29g tank, my biocube is currently a small mixed reef tank that I will be keeping separately. the biggest reason I wanted to use the standard 29g is because I already have one laying around, will this be alright?

An AI prime is what I was looking at, I'm going to get the tank cycling before I buy it so I can save up for it. The one you recommended is the same price as a prime but I will keep it in mind.
I am debating on just getting a HOB skimmer and refugium instead of a sump, I haven't decided for sure yet. I plan to do my regular biweekly 5g water changes and I will definitely have a skimmer on the tank. from what I've read their shell rot can be prevented by adequate hiding places and very good water quality.

[nmotz]

Thanks for the reply! the tank I'm going to use for the mantis is a standard 29g tank, my biocube is currently a small mixed reef tank that I will be keeping separately. the biggest reason I wanted to use the standard 29g is because I already have one laying around, will this be alright?

An AI prime is what I was looking at, I'm going to get the tank cycling before I buy it so I can save up for it. The one you recommended is the same price as a prime but I will keep it in mind.
I am debating on just getting a HOB skimmer and refugium instead of a sump, I haven't decided for sure yet. I plan to do my regular biweekly 5g water changes and I will definitely have a skimmer on the tank. from what I've read their shell rot can be prevented by adequate hiding places and very good water quality.

What are the tank's dimensions? You can have success with a 29 gallon for sure, but an adult Peacock might feel fairly cramped in a tank that size, plus water chemistry will be harder to keep stable. I've seen a lot of people run 29 gallon tanks with a Peacock though. But I always say that I wish I would've got a bigger tank. Someday I would like to have a 4 or maybe 5 foot long custom made Peacock tank. It's great watching them run around the tank looking for food.

HOB skimmers work almost as good as in-sump skimmers these days. They really help keep water quality better and in my opinion they're important to have on a Peacock tank. Other mantis shrimp can get by in much dirtier water.

Just be advised that the light spread for an AI Prime is probably only 18" x 18" despite what is advertised. But it's a great light for the money.

[HaylonxHavok]

the footprint for it is 30.25 inches by 12.5 inches, and its 18.75 inches tall

[grayshen]

A 29 gallon is too small for a peacock. It will put stress on the animal, and she may die during a molt. O. Havanesis would be best for you; they are a shallow water species native to Florida, so they are easier to find. They are very interactive, so you are only missing out on size and color. I am still waiting for a peacock, and it has been harder for me being in Florida.