ReneX
08/07/2004, 01:02 PM
One of the toughest things about keeping a mantis in a reef environment is the lack of a cleanup crew. They eat snails. They eat hermits. So algae buildup in a coral and mantis tank can be a problem.
My wennerae has been living in her tank for about two months now and the best solution to an algae free tank is low nutrients, but one biological control does seem to be working for me. Asterina stars, also marketed as mini stars, don't seem to be on her menu, possibly because they move very slowly. She'll eat bristle worms if they're wigging out in the open, but even if knocked off the tank walls and dangled in front of her, my mantis shows little curiosity about them. The worst she did was use a stranded one as burrow material :)
These things were brought up in the past as a possible algae control method but no one seemed to have tried them at the time. They eat film algae and other detritus and will help themselves to dying tissue and carrion as well. Hair algae does not seem to be on the menu. Mine haven't bothered my corals a bit though they get accused of eating SPS sometimes. That probably varies by species and the more colorful ones seem to snack on tissue, but they're about as common as the "dangerous" kinds of bristle worms. I.e., not very. Corals in the tank include: star polyps, mushrooms, ricordea, caulastrea, zoanthids, and clavularia.
The only thing is, for them to have much effect a really high stocking density is needed. I've got more than 20 of them in a three gallon tank. Happily, they also reproduce like mad by division so there's really no need (and little market) for wild-caught ones. These things are usually hitchkikers, though there are a few places that sell them.
Just a heads-up for those of you who don't relish the task of sticking your hand in the tank for cleaning. It's not a perfect solution and the tank is far from spotless, but they help!
My wennerae has been living in her tank for about two months now and the best solution to an algae free tank is low nutrients, but one biological control does seem to be working for me. Asterina stars, also marketed as mini stars, don't seem to be on her menu, possibly because they move very slowly. She'll eat bristle worms if they're wigging out in the open, but even if knocked off the tank walls and dangled in front of her, my mantis shows little curiosity about them. The worst she did was use a stranded one as burrow material :)
These things were brought up in the past as a possible algae control method but no one seemed to have tried them at the time. They eat film algae and other detritus and will help themselves to dying tissue and carrion as well. Hair algae does not seem to be on the menu. Mine haven't bothered my corals a bit though they get accused of eating SPS sometimes. That probably varies by species and the more colorful ones seem to snack on tissue, but they're about as common as the "dangerous" kinds of bristle worms. I.e., not very. Corals in the tank include: star polyps, mushrooms, ricordea, caulastrea, zoanthids, and clavularia.
The only thing is, for them to have much effect a really high stocking density is needed. I've got more than 20 of them in a three gallon tank. Happily, they also reproduce like mad by division so there's really no need (and little market) for wild-caught ones. These things are usually hitchkikers, though there are a few places that sell them.
Just a heads-up for those of you who don't relish the task of sticking your hand in the tank for cleaning. It's not a perfect solution and the tank is far from spotless, but they help!