Getting my mantis today!!!

[john76]

I did a trade with a fellow rc memeber for a red mantis. Every other time I thermos traded usps regular mail within the state, the package gets delivered overnight(saves $$$ in shipping). The box was just delivered to my wifes office a day late (48hrs). I figured it would be dead but she just called me and said it's there. I told her to open it up and she said it's still alive(yay). She's gonna go home on her lunch break and acclimate it.

I'll post pics tonight when I get home. I set up a ten gallon AGA with a 5 gallon macro fuge for it.

[H2OLUVSME]

wheres the pics?????

:D


LT

[sbwood007]

Can't wait to see the pics:)

[john76]

not as easy as I thought to get a pic.....

The guy I traded with sent me this one though.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/48599mantis-med.jpg

[john76]

So far he's taken out five black nassarius snails and seems content. I also saw him eating what appeared to be a bristle worm.

[H2OLUVSME]

kewl keep us posted. im setting up a 10 also for a mantis. would you post a pic of your setup? these are very interesting creatures. i cant wait to get one myself :D.

LT

[john76]

Here's some setup pics

The rocks were leftover peices from a trade I just did, they were sitting in my sump which is why they are bleached out. I've probably got like 15lbs in the tank and 7lbs in the fuge. The substrate is about 1" aragonite. I put down the eggcrate first and then arranged the rocks.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_3.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_2.JPG

Here it is with the substrate in and the black background on.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_4.JPG

Here it is full of water from my 75gallon and with a 55watt pc light just sitting on the top. I need to build a hood.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_1.JPG

Here's a shot of the fuge. There are a couple of strands of teacup and prolifera macro in there. As well as stoamtella varias and strombus grazers.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_fuge_1.JPG

And here's the powerhead setup

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_powerheads.JPG

Here's the first victim

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_dead_nassarius.JPG

Here's the best shot I coould get of my new mantis

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_pic.JPG

I'm also gonna be adding a bunch of mushroom and zoo frags to this tank. And maybe a couple large mexican turbos. I doubt he'd do any harm to them since it seemed like it took him forever to open up these little nassarius obsoletus snails.

[H2OLUVSME]

hes a cool lookin guy!

thanks for the pics of the setup.

[H2OLUVSME]

i have a ten gallon cycling and awaiting a mantis. i plan on getting a neogonodactylus wennerae.

is this a good first mantis?

is 10 the "right" size? - loaded question:)

how much substrate do i need?
im using arag-alive and currently have 20 pounds.

the rock i have are two medium rocks (6 lbs & 4 lbs).

i currently am only lighting with a standard flourescent, but plan on adding PC to keep zoas and shrooms.
has anyone had a problem with this?

would i be able to put him in a reef tank. i know this is not common, but i have a 20 with a 3 1/2" sand bed, 30 lbs of rock, shrooms, and one zoa rock. the guy im getting him from may send it to me before the 10 cycles. in that tank i also have a green clown goby and peppermint shrimp. i guess these would be food or transported to my 29 at home.

thanks for any insight.

LT

[sbwood007]

Cool pics, thanks

[slylie]

awesome pics. :)

[H2OLUVSME]

sorry bout that up there meant to post new thread :lol: oops

LT

[john76]

Good news and bad news.....


The good news is that I got a better pic of him....

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis.JPG



Here's the bad news.....

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_tank_cracked.JPG


And here's a cool pic of a snail that escaped his clutches

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17227mantis_hole_in_snail.JPG

[H2OLUVSME]

dang!

[slylie]

dammn.. that is bad news :(

[john76]

Well, at least he's gonna get a bigger home.... I never really liked how thin the glass on the ten gallon was anyway. I'm probably gonna get a twenty long to replace it.

Beats the heck out of me how it cracked. The stand is a TV stand and is as level as it gets. I have had the tank sitting in my attic for a while but the crack wasn't there when I set this up. And unless this guy is a good swimmer or can walk on walls I don't see him getting up to the top corner.:confused:

[ReneX]

That's frightening. How big is that wennerae?

[john76]

2.5" maybe 3".... I really doubt he is anywhere near strong enough to do it.

[antigood007]

The glass on a 10 gallon is awfully thin and I wouldnt put it past the mantis to crack it. Perhaps he was attacking a snail and hit the tank. I have a 2" mantis that hits the tank when hes ready to be fed and thats why I went the way of acrylic. Hope that helps.

BTW, H2OLUVSME..

I prefer to have 4-5" dsb for my mantis tanks for them to make their burrows out of. In the 29 the peppermint would most definatly become dinner and the goby is a coin toss. Also, try getting a bunch of corral rubble for him, its fun to watch him collect pieces for his burrow. Keeping shrooms and zoos will be fine under pc lighting and the 10 will be adequate but the 29 would make a great home for him. Hope this helps.

-Phil

[H2OLUVSME]

thanks Phil :D

LT