Found a mantis in my live rock...YAY!!!

Cloudburst2000 · 05/26/2012, 02:45 PM

A few weeks back I ordered the TBS package for my 16g Nuvo aquarium. I ordered 15lbs of rock but it turned out to be way more rock then I needed. I really hoped to get a mantis in the rock but was disappointed after concluding I didn't get one. I heard clicking in the tank from the get-go from more than one rock. After weeks of not seeing a mantis, I assumed they were all tiny pistol shrimps. I saw, at least one, tiny pistol shrimp (about the size of my pinky nail). Like I said, I got way more rock then I needed so I took two of the rocks out of my tank and placed them in my quarantine tank. I didn't want the rocks to die and the quarantine was already set up. I had planned on setting up a small nano eventually for a mantis Wennerae and I would use these two rocks for the small nano. I figured I would have to order the mantis from TBS ($50 shipped to your door). Anyway, today I was looking in the quarantine and saw something lurking on the underside of some live rock. I got a flashlight and illuminated it. I thought it looked like a mantis but didn't want to get my hopes up. I picked the rock up to view the underside and sure enough there was a very small mantis scurrying along the bottom of the rock. It is probably only about an inch in length, maybe smaller.

I currently already have a small nano (6 or 7g, I think) that I broke down a few months back. I have a few questions about making this a suitable tank for a Wennerae. Should I place something like plexiglass along the bottom of the tank just in case to guard against breakage from a mantis. I realize that the Wennerae type are much smaller then the ones noted to have broken tanks, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to be cautious. What type of lighting should I have on the tank? I used a Coralife 8" light fixture that contains a 10,000K CFL bulb and a blue actinic bulb. Would this light work with a mantis also? Under this light, I was able to keep soft corals and some LPS when I had the tank running. Would I be able to keep corals with the mantis? What kind of flow should I have in the tank? Is more or less flow better?

lionbacker54 · 05/26/2012, 06:22 PM

first... congratulations! what a great feeling that must have been.

second, i don't think you need to do anything to mantis-proof your tank. sounds like he's a real little guy, and i doubt he'll get big enough to do any damage to the tank. almost for sure he's an n.wennerae or n.bredini if he came in on richard's rock.

i'd just let him chill out. he's been through a lot in the past week.

Recty · 05/27/2012, 01:37 AM

If a wennerae breaks glass, it was thinner than a paper and already flawed... I wouldnt worry about it in the least. These guys are tiny. I've been hit by my old one multiple times while working in my old 75g reef that had him come in as a hitchiker. It doesnt feel good, but it barely even hurts. I wouldnt worry at all about it breaking any glass.

Cloudburst2000 · 05/27/2012, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lionbacker54

first... congratulations! what a great feeling that must have been.

second, i don't think you need to do anything to mantis-proof your tank. sounds like he's a real little guy, and i doubt he'll get big enough to do any damage to the tank. almost for sure he's an n.wennerae or n.bredini if he came in on richard's rock.

i'd just let him chill out. he's been through a lot in the past week.

Actually, he's apparently been in that tank for almost six weeks. I was very surprised I had not seen him before though I had heard clicking but I do know a small pistol is also in one of the rocks in the quarantine. I saw the pistol out before so I attributed all the clicking to him.

Michigan Mike · 05/29/2012, 05:04 AM

Thats cool . Want one in a 20l. I dunno what yours looks like but some of them are real pretty.

King Venom · 06/02/2012, 08:38 AM

The guy at the shop dad went to for mine said he had 8 baby mantis hitch a ride into his tank in a rock shipment all at once.

Peter T · 06/06/2012, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudburst2000

Actually, he's apparently been in that tank for almost six weeks. I was very surprised I had not seen him before though I had heard clicking but I do know a small pistol is also in one of the rocks in the quarantine. I saw the pistol out before so I attributed all the clicking to him.

They can be very tricky to spot, especially when they are new to the tank. Finally after about 3 months, my G. Smithii is finally coming out and about actively exploring the tank during the days. Before then, I could never find him even actively searching; even when he was out of his burrow. They blend in with their environment so well.

Cloudburst2000 · 06/09/2012, 09:07 AM

Thanks for all the responses. I have only seen him once more since then when I was feeding the tank. I saw him hiding under his rock home and quickly dart out to grab a chunk of meat and then he was gone again.

Would it be safe to chuck some small gorilla crabs in the tank also? I get a handful in my TBS rock. They are in a small QT inside my main tank. I thought maybe I could chuck them in with the mantis and perhaps he could use them for food at some point. Otherwise, since I have no sump, I'll just have to kill the gorillas

I don't mind a matis killing them but I'd prefer not to have to do it myself.

Dana42078 · 06/09/2012, 03:27 PM

How big are the crabs in comparison to your mantis? Gorrila crabs are no punks. If the mantis is bigger than them id say yes. If not i wouldnt rish it. I fed two gorrila crabs to my mantis.

Here is the vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMO2n...2&feature=plcp

Cloudburst2000 · 06/09/2012, 11:04 PM

Most gorillas are smaller then the mantis with one or two being roughly the same size. If the ones about the same size as the mantis aren't safe to be chucked in with the mantis, is there a humane way too 'off' them. I offered them on my local reefing board (in case there were any mantis owners wanting them) but I have had no takers.

Cloudburst2000 · 06/15/2012, 05:04 AM

Haven't seen the mantis for over a week *pout* though I still hear him clicking away

Anyhoo, when I get his new home set up which will be in the next month or so, I don't really want to transfer the rock he has picked as his abode. It's not the most attractive rock. I also want to cycle the new tank before I put him in (obviously). So he will have to come out of his chosen rock. What is a good way to get a mantis out of a rock without causing any type of injury?

05/26/2012, 02:45 PM	#1
Cloudburst2000 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1,345	Found a mantis in my live rock...YAY!!! A few weeks back I ordered the TBS package for my 16g Nuvo aquarium. I ordered 15lbs of rock but it turned out to be way more rock then I needed. I really hoped to get a mantis in the rock but was disappointed after concluding I didn't get one. I heard clicking in the tank from the get-go from more than one rock. After weeks of not seeing a mantis, I assumed they were all tiny pistol shrimps. I saw, at least one, tiny pistol shrimp (about the size of my pinky nail). Like I said, I got way more rock then I needed so I took two of the rocks out of my tank and placed them in my quarantine tank. I didn't want the rocks to die and the quarantine was already set up. I had planned on setting up a small nano eventually for a mantis Wennerae and I would use these two rocks for the small nano. I figured I would have to order the mantis from TBS ($50 shipped to your door). Anyway, today I was looking in the quarantine and saw something lurking on the underside of some live rock. I got a flashlight and illuminated it. I thought it looked like a mantis but didn't want to get my hopes up. I picked the rock up to view the underside and sure enough there was a very small mantis scurrying along the bottom of the rock. It is probably only about an inch in length, maybe smaller. I currently already have a small nano (6 or 7g, I think) that I broke down a few months back. I have a few questions about making this a suitable tank for a Wennerae. Should I place something like plexiglass along the bottom of the tank just in case to guard against breakage from a mantis. I realize that the Wennerae type are much smaller then the ones noted to have broken tanks, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to be cautious. What type of lighting should I have on the tank? I used a Coralife 8" light fixture that contains a 10,000K CFL bulb and a blue actinic bulb. Would this light work with a mantis also? Under this light, I was able to keep soft corals and some LPS when I had the tank running. Would I be able to keep corals with the mantis? What kind of flow should I have in the tank? Is more or less flow better?

06/02/2012, 08:38 AM	#6
King Venom Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 81	The guy at the shop dad went to for mine said he had 8 baby mantis hitch a ride into his tank in a rock shipment all at once. __________________ Spearfishing - Safe - Selective - Sustainable - Seafood.

05/26/2012, 06:22 PM	#2
lionbacker54 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: toledo, OH Posts: 846	first... congratulations! what a great feeling that must have been. second, i don't think you need to do anything to mantis-proof your tank. sounds like he's a real little guy, and i doubt he'll get big enough to do any damage to the tank. almost for sure he's an n.wennerae or n.bredini if he came in on richard's rock. i'd just let him chill out. he's been through a lot in the past week.

05/27/2012, 01:37 AM	#3
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,556	If a wennerae breaks glass, it was thinner than a paper and already flawed... I wouldnt worry about it in the least. These guys are tiny. I've been hit by my old one multiple times while working in my old 75g reef that had him come in as a hitchiker. It doesnt feel good, but it barely even hurts. I wouldnt worry at all about it breaking any glass.

05/29/2012, 05:04 AM	#5
Michigan Mike Freedom costs a buckofive Join Date: May 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,598	Thats cool . Want one in a 20l. I dunno what yours looks like but some of them are real pretty.

06/09/2012, 09:07 AM	#8
Cloudburst2000 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1,345	Thanks for all the responses. I have only seen him once more since then when I was feeding the tank. I saw him hiding under his rock home and quickly dart out to grab a chunk of meat and then he was gone again. Would it be safe to chuck some small gorilla crabs in the tank also? I get a handful in my TBS rock. They are in a small QT inside my main tank. I thought maybe I could chuck them in with the mantis and perhaps he could use them for food at some point. Otherwise, since I have no sump, I'll just have to kill the gorillas I don't mind a matis killing them but I'd prefer not to have to do it myself.

06/09/2012, 03:27 PM	#9
Dana42078 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Racine Wisconsin Posts: 603	How big are the crabs in comparison to your mantis? Gorrila crabs are no punks. If the mantis is bigger than them id say yes. If not i wouldnt rish it. I fed two gorrila crabs to my mantis. Here is the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMO2n...2&feature=plcp

06/09/2012, 11:04 PM	#10
Cloudburst2000 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1,345	Most gorillas are smaller then the mantis with one or two being roughly the same size. If the ones about the same size as the mantis aren't safe to be chucked in with the mantis, is there a humane way too 'off' them. I offered them on my local reefing board (in case there were any mantis owners wanting them) but I have had no takers.

06/15/2012, 05:04 AM	#11
Cloudburst2000 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1,345	Haven't seen the mantis for over a week pout though I still hear him clicking away Anyhoo, when I get his new home set up which will be in the next month or so, I don't really want to transfer the rock he has picked as his abode. It's not the most attractive rock. I also want to cycle the new tank before I put him in (obviously). So he will have to come out of his chosen rock. What is a good way to get a mantis out of a rock without causing any type of injury?