Couple Mantis Shrimp Questions

tygger · 11/23/2004, 02:54 PM

Just wondering how many mantis shrimp could be kept in a single tank. I dont know anything about mantis shrimps and just tyring to figure out if they are peaceful towards each other?

If I get them as hitchhikers, I'll probably put them in a 10g tank. Would a 5g tank be too small?

Also, what do you feed them?

sdm · 11/23/2004, 03:00 PM

1) not unless it's a VERY large tank.
2) not unless it's a G.chigira, O.scyllarus, or one of those other big types.
3) I feed mine frozen (vitamin enriched, of course) brineshrimp, and whatever hermit/snail he takes down. When he get's larger, I'm going to feed him either raw shrimp, freeze-dried krill, snails, hermits, or a mix of them.

sdm · 11/23/2004, 03:01 PM

Whoops, in #1 I mean no more than 1.

tygger · 11/23/2004, 08:22 PM

Thanks! Would a 5g tank be too small for one mantis?

sdm · 11/23/2004, 08:28 PM

As I said before: not unless it is a large species. many people have 'em in 2.5 gallon tanks. I prefer larger tanks, as they provide more room to decorate and a more stable environment. But that's just me.

Ms. K · 11/24/2004, 12:40 PM

I keep my G. ternatensis (?) in a 10 gallon. I couldn't fathom keeping him in anything smaller, though I'm sure he'd be ok. I like for him to have room to swim, play, and explore. Plus, I can keep a watch on water parameters fairly well.

tygger · 11/24/2004, 02:08 PM

Are they hardy critters? Thanks everyone!

Uriel · 11/24/2004, 06:35 PM

They are very hadry creatures, although susceptible to some agents (don't wax the floor near their tanks).

My G. Viridis is about 2" long, and he lives in a rather crowded 6 gallon tank along with some small hermits, a mithrax crab and a quickly depleting snail population (I bought hm a dozen 2 days ago, and he is on his 3rd...he must have heard that it's Thanksgiving time!).

I plan on moving him into a chamber on my Mantis Hotel (divided 4 section 54 gallon) soon. He seems to to be ok in the 6 gallon, but this species doesn't get bigger than 2 and a half inches or so. His new digs will be 8-10 gallons.

As for two mantis in one tank...I think that the little dark form that I briefly saw shoot out of a piece of LR was a little baby mantis.

I just popped him into the tank, as he is only about a half inch long (it may not be a Mantis, but it sure looked like one in the brief few seconds before it shot back into the LR...).
I doubt that the Baron von Munchausen (G. Viridis) will bother him much, since he is busy smashing snails and the new LR is across the tank.

-Ron

tygger · 11/24/2004, 09:41 PM

Glad to hear that they are hardy.

If I put one in my fuge, would it eat my pods? Also, do they eat dry food?

Thanks

11/24/2004, 12:40 PM	#6
Ms. K Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 216	I keep my G. ternatensis (?) in a 10 gallon. I couldn't fathom keeping him in anything smaller, though I'm sure he'd be ok. I like for him to have room to swim, play, and explore. Plus, I can keep a watch on water parameters fairly well. __________________ Ms. K "We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depths of our answers" - Carl Sagan Current Tank Info: 30g mantis tank;125 gallon reef with 58 gallon fuge, pair false percs, bangaii card, coral beauty, black and white perc, royal gramma, mandarin dragonette, dragon goby, sunrise dottyback, bicolor blenny, softies, candy cane, frogspawn, etc.

11/23/2004, 02:54 PM	#1
tygger Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,619	Couple Mantis Shrimp Questions Just wondering how many mantis shrimp could be kept in a single tank. I dont know anything about mantis shrimps and just tyring to figure out if they are peaceful towards each other? If I get them as hitchhikers, I'll probably put them in a 10g tank. Would a 5g tank be too small? Also, what do you feed them?

11/23/2004, 03:00 PM	#2
sdm Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 597	1) not unless it's a VERY large tank. 2) not unless it's a G.chigira, O.scyllarus, or one of those other big types. 3) I feed mine frozen (vitamin enriched, of course) brineshrimp, and whatever hermit/snail he takes down. When he get's larger, I'm going to feed him either raw shrimp, freeze-dried krill, snails, hermits, or a mix of them.

11/23/2004, 03:01 PM	#3
sdm Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 597	Whoops, in #1 I mean no more than 1.

11/23/2004, 08:22 PM	#4
tygger Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,619	Thanks! Would a 5g tank be too small for one mantis?

11/23/2004, 08:28 PM	#5
sdm Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 597	As I said before: not unless it is a large species. many people have 'em in 2.5 gallon tanks. I prefer larger tanks, as they provide more room to decorate and a more stable environment. But that's just me.

11/24/2004, 02:08 PM	#7
tygger Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,619	Are they hardy critters? Thanks everyone!

11/24/2004, 06:35 PM	#8
Uriel Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Francisco Posts: 712	They are very hadry creatures, although susceptible to some agents (don't wax the floor near their tanks). My G. Viridis is about 2" long, and he lives in a rather crowded 6 gallon tank along with some small hermits, a mithrax crab and a quickly depleting snail population (I bought hm a dozen 2 days ago, and he is on his 3rd...he must have heard that it's Thanksgiving time!). I plan on moving him into a chamber on my Mantis Hotel (divided 4 section 54 gallon) soon. He seems to to be ok in the 6 gallon, but this species doesn't get bigger than 2 and a half inches or so. His new digs will be 8-10 gallons. As for two mantis in one tank...I think that the little dark form that I briefly saw shoot out of a piece of LR was a little baby mantis. I just popped him into the tank, as he is only about a half inch long (it may not be a Mantis, but it sure looked like one in the brief few seconds before it shot back into the LR...). I doubt that the Baron von Munchausen (G. Viridis) will bother him much, since he is busy smashing snails and the new LR is across the tank. -Ron

11/24/2004, 09:41 PM	#9
tygger Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,619	Glad to hear that they are hardy. If I put one in my fuge, would it eat my pods? Also, do they eat dry food? Thanks