Mantis and sexies

Keoki18 · 03/16/2016, 09:55 AM

Hey everyone,

So I am setting up a new exhibit and figured I'd setup another mantis system. The problem is that I have to incorporate some sort symbiotic relationship theme to this enclosure. I have been having difficulty thinking of what symbiotic relationship I could show that the mantis wont eat. This may be a stretch, but what about some very small sexy shrimps with the mantis? do you think he would whack them right away if they were hosting in a few anemones and mushroom corals?

Let me know your thoughts if you think of something else.

Thanks!

nmotz · 03/16/2016, 10:43 AM

I think the mantis would definitely try to eat them, but if the anemone were large enough they might be kept safe. Interesting idea, but as with anything else you will never be able to predict exactly what will happen. My guess is that eventually the mantis would kill the sexies.

Keoki18 · 03/17/2016, 06:03 AM

I figured as much. My hope was that if I kept it well fed, and the sexies were small enough, it wouldn't bother wasting its time hunting them down. Smashers are inquisitive though, so it may just smash them for the hell of it.

Any other ideas?

EI Gringo · 03/17/2016, 06:26 AM

If you're looking at getting a peacock mantis then I suspect it to be possible, any other species other than a very large smasher and I wouldn't risk it, for example a chiragra or a smithii would probably kill the shrimps

nmotz · 03/17/2016, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keoki18

I figured as much. My hope was that if I kept it well fed, and the sexies were small enough, it wouldn't bother wasting its time hunting them down. Smashers are inquisitive though, so it may just smash them for the hell of it.

Any other ideas?

With a Peacock or other large smasher, you're going to have problems with shrimps and crabs in the tank. I had a 3" Fire shrimp in my Peacock tank that lived for about 6 months, and one day I came home and there were pieces of him drifting in the water. I looked in the Peacock's burrow and he was in there munching on my Fire Shrimp. Mantis shrimp are not kind neighbors.

Whenever I put a bunch of snails or crabs in the tank, my Peacock rushes out and grabs one right away. He then eats almost continuously until they are all dead. Mine is kinda mean now that he's getting a little bigger. He was nice at first, but that changed after his last molt.

Hadla · 03/19/2016, 01:49 AM

Those last two lines sound like Roger... :/ must be a peacock thing

EI Gringo · 03/19/2016, 02:43 AM

My Glabrous went from psycho Killing machine to extremely timid after a molt, funny how that happens

Keoki18 · 03/21/2016, 09:36 AM

Thank you for all the information. I think I will try a small colony (maybe 4 shrimp) and see how it goes. Worst thing that will happen is that the Mantis will get a treat.

EI Gringo · 03/21/2016, 11:45 AM

An expensive treat for sure... What mantis actually is it?

Keoki18 · 03/23/2016, 08:00 AM

Peacock Mantis (Odontodactylus scyllarus)

icewater · 03/29/2016, 04:21 PM

Yea I own a Chiragra and it literally will hunt down and smash anything possible. Maybe mine just has a large interest in inverts because that is only what I feed him. I prefer him having only live food than frozen or dried. I have even had a small chromi go missing. Soo I wouldn't get anything that you don't mind losing. Mantis Shrimp like hunting and like beating things up.

EI Gringo · 03/31/2016, 12:09 AM

Interesting really because I have a female chiragra and a female ternatensis which I got at about the same time at the same size. To this day, over a year and a half on, my Tina my Ternatensis is still a psycho Killing machine but Kira my chiragra is now very passive,I'm looking at getting a Clown pair and maybe a small anemone to put in there with her. My Glabrous and Ciliata have also become very tame in the same way, I believe this to be the long turn effect of cohabitation and hand feeding, remember all of my mantis were kept for about a year side by side in a divided tank. Tina is just plain nasty though, she doesn't like anyone or anything, I tried a mollie in with her ages ago and she battered it to death and left it because she wasn't hungry :L

icewater · 04/01/2016, 11:02 AM

Wow. I have been trying to hand food more, such as handing him a hermit crab or a ghost shrimp and the more I have done this the tamer he got. But as soon as I stopped for about a week he went back to being an agressive little smasher. Mantis Shrimp continue to amaze me more and more.

EI Gringo · 04/01/2016, 11:45 AM

Here's a picture of my set up so far for a peacock when I get one in the next few weeks
I will also get a red tail filefish before I get the peacock

Keoki18 · 04/04/2016, 12:30 PM

I have not kept any of the other species you have mentioned above. Only O. scyllarus. The two peacocks that I had in the past did very well in full anemones tanks with a few xenia and leathers. There were a few fish that they never bothered, but they always took down snails and hermits. Maybe having the anemones for the shrimp to hide in will help? I have yet to pull the trigger on this, but I will let you know when I do.

03/16/2016, 09:55 AM	#1
Keoki18 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Plainfield IL Posts: 314	Mantis and sexies Hey everyone, So I am setting up a new exhibit and figured I'd setup another mantis system. The problem is that I have to incorporate some sort symbiotic relationship theme to this enclosure. I have been having difficulty thinking of what symbiotic relationship I could show that the mantis wont eat. This may be a stretch, but what about some very small sexy shrimps with the mantis? do you think he would whack them right away if they were hosting in a few anemones and mushroom corals? Let me know your thoughts if you think of something else. Thanks!

03/16/2016, 10:43 AM	#2
nmotz Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: FL, USA Posts: 1,433	I think the mantis would definitely try to eat them, but if the anemone were large enough they might be kept safe. Interesting idea, but as with anything else you will never be able to predict exactly what will happen. My guess is that eventually the mantis would kill the sexies. __________________ Mantis shrimp are the best! Current Tank Info: 20L Peacock mantis shrimp tank

03/19/2016, 01:49 AM	#6
Hadla Mantis Whisperer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 574	Those last two lines sound like Roger... :/ must be a peacock thing __________________ Aquarium count: 7 salt: 2x10g, 29 biocube, 30g, 55g, 75g, 225g, and one fresh 20g planted tank! Puffer, octopus, and mantis shrimp fanatic!

03/17/2016, 06:03 AM	#3
Keoki18 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Plainfield IL Posts: 314	I figured as much. My hope was that if I kept it well fed, and the sexies were small enough, it wouldn't bother wasting its time hunting them down. Smashers are inquisitive though, so it may just smash them for the hell of it. Any other ideas?

03/17/2016, 06:26 AM	#4
EI Gringo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Derbyshire, England Posts: 525	If you're looking at getting a peacock mantis then I suspect it to be possible, any other species other than a very large smasher and I wouldn't risk it, for example a chiragra or a smithii would probably kill the shrimps

03/19/2016, 02:43 AM	#7
EI Gringo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Derbyshire, England Posts: 525	My Glabrous went from psycho Killing machine to extremely timid after a molt, funny how that happens

03/21/2016, 09:36 AM	#8
Keoki18 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Plainfield IL Posts: 314	Thank you for all the information. I think I will try a small colony (maybe 4 shrimp) and see how it goes. Worst thing that will happen is that the Mantis will get a treat.

03/21/2016, 11:45 AM	#9
EI Gringo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Derbyshire, England Posts: 525	An expensive treat for sure... What mantis actually is it?

03/23/2016, 08:00 AM	#10
Keoki18 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Plainfield IL Posts: 314	Peacock Mantis (Odontodactylus scyllarus)

03/29/2016, 04:21 PM	#11
icewater Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 24	Yea I own a Chiragra and it literally will hunt down and smash anything possible. Maybe mine just has a large interest in inverts because that is only what I feed him. I prefer him having only live food than frozen or dried. I have even had a small chromi go missing. Soo I wouldn't get anything that you don't mind losing. Mantis Shrimp like hunting and like beating things up.

03/31/2016, 12:09 AM	#12
EI Gringo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Derbyshire, England Posts: 525	Interesting really because I have a female chiragra and a female ternatensis which I got at about the same time at the same size. To this day, over a year and a half on, my Tina my Ternatensis is still a psycho Killing machine but Kira my chiragra is now very passive,I'm looking at getting a Clown pair and maybe a small anemone to put in there with her. My Glabrous and Ciliata have also become very tame in the same way, I believe this to be the long turn effect of cohabitation and hand feeding, remember all of my mantis were kept for about a year side by side in a divided tank. Tina is just plain nasty though, she doesn't like anyone or anything, I tried a mollie in with her ages ago and she battered it to death and left it because she wasn't hungry :L

04/01/2016, 11:02 AM	#13
icewater Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 24	Wow. I have been trying to hand food more, such as handing him a hermit crab or a ghost shrimp and the more I have done this the tamer he got. But as soon as I stopped for about a week he went back to being an agressive little smasher. Mantis Shrimp continue to amaze me more and more.

04/04/2016, 12:30 PM	#15
Keoki18 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Plainfield IL Posts: 314	I have not kept any of the other species you have mentioned above. Only O. scyllarus. The two peacocks that I had in the past did very well in full anemones tanks with a few xenia and leathers. There were a few fish that they never bothered, but they always took down snails and hermits. Maybe having the anemones for the shrimp to hide in will help? I have yet to pull the trigger on this, but I will let you know when I do.