New Mantis Shrimp

[CraigUK]

Hi folks,

I am the proud owner of a new Mantis shrimp, from research on this site Im guessing he is a Gonodactylus Smithi (Due to the dark Meral spots).

At the moment he is around 2" in length.

I have him housed in a 20G along with a mix of turbos/nassarius and Cerith snails. The tank contains alot of softies, a single yellow dwarf goby and a single peppermint shrimp.

I have a few questions from my short time as a Mantis keeper -

1 - He seems to sleep for around 16 hours per day (He closes his hole up at 7pm and doesn't seem to appear again until around 11am) are all mantis this lazy, is this normal?

2- If prepared food is readily available (ie frozen shrimp) will he take this over hunting down the snails?

3 - Is it a matter of time before the peppermint shrimp becomes his next meal (the peppermint is a little larger than the mantis)?

4 - Again for the dwarf goby...is it a matter of time before he goes the same way?

Many Thanks,
Craig.

:)

[njmar1]

1. Yes, they can be
2. Mine prefers me feeding it shrimp
3. If it gets hungry YES
4. Most likely too- I have a damsel and he does okay, but in general anything that stays on the bottom is a traget for the shrimp, esp as it gets larger. My 1" is not a threat but my 3" N. wennerae would probably eat shrmip and fish it could access.

[CraigUK]

Thanks njmar1,

Response much appreciated.

:rollface:

Cheers,
Craig.

[MJI]

Hi Craig, I'm in the UK too and have kept G Smithii before (hitchiker into your main tank by any chance?).

1) This is pretty normal I think, Mantis tends to hunt at first and last light and hole up during the day.

2) As said, mantis will be lazy and take free dead food rather than exerting themselves. I have never saw Smithii take anything bigger than a neritha snail - I wouldn't worry about turbos (just in my experience that is)

3) Don't think Your Smithii could take down a peppermint, although he may have a good go.

4) Smithii is a smasher, and a small one too. He may have a go at the goby if he gets close enough, but i doubt it would intentionally hunt it down. I kept small grammas with mine with no probs.

HTH