Just Bought a Mantis Shrimp

[RobD23]

It's a 3 inch pink, brown and white Mantis Shrimp. Fed him 12 ghost shrimp last night they were gone by the morning. Any suggestions on keeping these cool critters... I know he is a smasher not a piercer because every once and a while he smashes the 10 gal plastic container he's in in the tank..

[Danyal]

even spearers will smash into a tank, in fact they're more likely to becuase they dig a lot deeper burrows in the sand. suggestion? get him out of the plastic container and into a tank w/ a couple inches of sand and some rock, don't put it under very intense lights and try to get a good id, that'll help you figure out what specific needs it has. heres a great site- http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

[RobD23]

well he has to break through the plastic before he can break through the tank...i have an undulated trigger around 4.5 inchs outside the plastic container just waiting for an oppurtunity to eat the mantis...not sure how that one would go down. Thanks by the way for that site it's really helpful.

[spotfin]

Why did you get the mantis if you have an undulated trigger?

[RobD23]

Why did you get the mantis if you have an undulated trigger?

the mantis is in a 10 gal plastic tank inside my large glass tank which contains my undulated trigger...


Mantis shrimp are the worlds coolest creatures by the way... Yesterday I fed mine a fiddler crab... it ate the whole thing shell and all.. But it first killed the crab with one smack to the body, putting a hole right through it.

[spotfin]

The mantis would do better in a tank of its own.

[ewurm]

Post some pics! I think that tank is doomed if it really is a smasher.

[BIGgourami]

yeah one of them is going to break that container, then you'll have one dead mantis.

[RobD23]

yeah one of them is going to break that container, then you'll have one dead mantis.

if i was a bad person i'd test out that claim of yours by freeing the mantis.... I really don't think the undulated could survive one smack from the mantis.

[BIGgourami]

how tiny do you think a trigger has to be that you think it can't take a 3'' mantis?!?!!

that poor thing is trigger bait

[RobD23]

have you ever seen a mantis shrimp snap a crab in half.... They are called thumb splitters for a reason... They are incredibly fast so when the trigger barrels in head first, he'd take a nice face splitting smack before he could even open his mouth.

[BIGgourami]

hey you know what skutes are?

[likestofish]

triggers have scutes??? but i think they would do lots of damage to each other, but i think the trigger is the likely winner.

[Mantis411]

with the whole who would kill who argument aside, the mantis should have a tank of its own, its not like they are keep, a cheep filter and light will work fine, they are called the cockroaches of the sea for a reason

[princess]

i've read alot about mantis shrimp and they are really pretty! :D piccy pic pics

[Ice001520]

Lets see some pics!

[Fish Eat Fish]

Mantis Shrimp are the best! I would get him his own tank though..I mean how much does a ten gallon tank cost?? not much and then you dont have an ugly plastic tank in your nice tank!

[bigspizz]

Mantis Shrimp are the best! I would get him his own tank though..I mean how much does a ten gallon tank cost?? not much and then you dont have an ugly plastic tank in your nice tank!










I want a mantis BAD!!!....




PS Your avatar is dank!!!!1

[Fish Eat Fish]

I want a mantis BAD!!!....




PS Your avatar is dank!!!!1

ha ha thanks man! :headbang2

Mantis rock!

[RobD23]

Just took some pics of Cookie Monster..

[ski's_reef]

Looks like a female Gonodactylus chiragra but I could be wrong. Have you seen the meral spots?

Ski

[RobD23]

they photo didn't bring out all the pink...but u might be right