Egg Crate (or other lining)?

Hilary · 05/04/2012, 02:59 PM

So I've read over and over that it's mostly urban legend that a mantis - especially a smaller one - can crack glass. But then I read through build threads and see a lot of tanks with egg crate or some other sort of liner being used across the bottom, and I read about clever Rocky's escape. I'd rather not add something to the tank that is just going to trap detritis, but also don't want to tear things apart once the tank is set up to fix it. What do folks here do - liner or no liner? If you do, do you wish you hadn't? Or if not, do you wish you had? (I looked and didn't see a thread about this - if there is one just please point me in the right direction.)

Jon E Busch · 05/04/2012, 03:07 PM

A thick sandbed +3" and rubble is all you need in my experience... They are capable of cracking glass but dont... They Just crack fingers and fingernails and rocks and snails and....etc!

Kharn · 05/04/2012, 04:31 PM

Your getting a G.graphurus Hilary not that I want to dis-credit Jon E Busch or anything but I would highly recommend you place eggcrate along the bottom of the tank, Rocky is a G.graphurus and he obliterated his container, Maximus is a freakishly large G.graphurus and he damaged the brace of an empty aquarium when I picked him up from his original owner (the owner put Maximus in a small clear container then placed the container on one of his empty tanks braces that runs along the center, 2-3 hits and he chipped it).

Think about it this way, what harm could it do, this is a cheap item and it will give peace of mind, so why NOT do it ?

Gonodactylus · 05/04/2012, 05:39 PM

My large old tanks are littered with eggcrate fragments that stomatopods broke apart. If you really want to be safe, I would use 1/8th inch plexiglass cut to fit the bottom of the tank. If you don't want to use that much, just cut 2 or 3 inch strips to line the bottom seams.

Roy

Dana42078 · 05/04/2012, 07:57 PM

+1 Roy. I superglued a piece of plexiglass to the bottom of my tank. And im really glad i did because my GT has gotten down to it and when he hits snails and hermits its beyond loud and im sure if i didnt do it, id have water everywhere and a dead mantis.

Hilary · 05/04/2012, 08:31 PM

Thanks all! So just the bottom - no worries about the sides?

gpx1200 · 05/04/2012, 08:36 PM

my female g.t has been going around banging on the glass sides of her 72 bowfront for almost a weak and it's driving me nuts, i'm going to put a 6 inch high strip of plexi around the sides and back of the tank this weakend.

Dana42078 · 05/04/2012, 09:36 PM

funny you say that....today i had a minor scare with my GT. Ill try and load the video.

Dana42078 · 05/04/2012, 09:44 PM

Mind you ive never seen him act this way. He was steady trying to get him for like 20 min while i kept tryin to watch he would see me move and dart back into his burrow. And repeat. This isnt no small mantis and its only a 20g tall from petco. When he strikes, i like to compare the sound of a grown man T'ing off a golf ball.

05/04/2012, 02:59 PM	#1
Hilary Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Arlington, Virginia Posts: 30	Egg Crate (or other lining)? So I've read over and over that it's mostly urban legend that a mantis - especially a smaller one - can crack glass. But then I read through build threads and see a lot of tanks with egg crate or some other sort of liner being used across the bottom, and I read about clever Rocky's escape. I'd rather not add something to the tank that is just going to trap detritis, but also don't want to tear things apart once the tank is set up to fix it. What do folks here do - liner or no liner? If you do, do you wish you hadn't? Or if not, do you wish you had? (I looked and didn't see a thread about this - if there is one just please point me in the right direction.) __________________ Hilary Current Tank Info: 90g reef, 50g semi-aggressive, 29g mantis, 24g reef, 24g seahorse, 10g temperate, 6g/5g/3g pico reefs

05/04/2012, 04:31 PM	#3
Kharn MANTISMAN Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Gonodak Posts: 4,003	Your getting a G.graphurus Hilary not that I want to dis-credit Jon E Busch or anything but I would highly recommend you place eggcrate along the bottom of the tank, Rocky is a G.graphurus and he obliterated his container, Maximus is a freakishly large G.graphurus and he damaged the brace of an empty aquarium when I picked him up from his original owner (the owner put Maximus in a small clear container then placed the container on one of his empty tanks braces that runs along the center, 2-3 hits and he chipped it). Think about it this way, what harm could it do, this is a cheap item and it will give peace of mind, so why NOT do it ? __________________ The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in their control and not the other way around, nature has an order, a power to restore balance...I believe he is that power.

05/04/2012, 08:31 PM	#6
Hilary Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Arlington, Virginia Posts: 30	Thanks all! So just the bottom - no worries about the sides? __________________ Hilary Current Tank Info: 90g reef, 50g semi-aggressive, 29g mantis, 24g reef, 24g seahorse, 10g temperate, 6g/5g/3g pico reefs

05/04/2012, 03:07 PM	#2
Jon E Busch Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Deep East Texas Posts: 68	A thick sandbed +3" and rubble is all you need in my experience... They are capable of cracking glass but dont... They Just crack fingers and fingernails and rocks and snails and....etc!

05/04/2012, 05:39 PM	#4
Gonodactylus Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Berkeley, CA, USA Posts: 5,024	My large old tanks are littered with eggcrate fragments that stomatopods broke apart. If you really want to be safe, I would use 1/8th inch plexiglass cut to fit the bottom of the tank. If you don't want to use that much, just cut 2 or 3 inch strips to line the bottom seams. Roy

05/04/2012, 07:57 PM	#5
Dana42078 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Racine Wisconsin Posts: 607	+1 Roy. I superglued a piece of plexiglass to the bottom of my tank. And im really glad i did because my GT has gotten down to it and when he hits snails and hermits its beyond loud and im sure if i didnt do it, id have water everywhere and a dead mantis.

05/04/2012, 08:36 PM	#7
gpx1200 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: spencer mass Posts: 552	my female g.t has been going around banging on the glass sides of her 72 bowfront for almost a weak and it's driving me nuts, i'm going to put a 6 inch high strip of plexi around the sides and back of the tank this weakend.

05/04/2012, 09:36 PM	#8
Dana42078 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Racine Wisconsin Posts: 607	funny you say that....today i had a minor scare with my GT. Ill try and load the video.

05/04/2012, 09:44 PM	#9
Dana42078 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Racine Wisconsin Posts: 607	Mind you ive never seen him act this way. He was steady trying to get him for like 20 min while i kept tryin to watch he would see me move and dart back into his burrow. And repeat. This isnt no small mantis and its only a 20g tall from petco. When he strikes, i like to compare the sound of a grown man T'ing off a golf ball.