Hey all, I'm planning on having a mantis as my college dorm pet. I'm not sure what kind I'll be able to come across, but I'm gonna have a chat with the LFS and figure something out. I'm hoping this will be a relatively cheap endeavor, since all I need to buy is food, sand, and live rock if everything I already have is okay (tank, filter, heater, salt, water conditioner, light)
I have a 8 or 10 gallon acrylic hexagon tank with a top, which is my limit for the dorm, unfortunately. Can I use a hang-on Whisper filter that I used to use for my old danios? Ive been told mantises only require the most basic of basic filtration, and some people don't even use any beyond a weekly water change. I also have a small heater I used for the danios, should I do something do it to avoid the mantis breaking it? Ive been told they sometimes attack lights, but if I recall correctly, it doesnt have one.
Since this is only for the mantis (maybe I'll throw in the occasional damsel to brighten it up until it gets eaten), Ive read I can just use conditioned tap water left to sit for 24 hours with a salinity of around 1.022. I'll feed it meaty foods like shrimp and whatnot, frozen of course, but exactly what depends on its size, which I'm hoping is between 4 and 8 inches.
Most of what I've read (recently anyway, I was crazy about these a few years ago and read mountains of stuff) is from this website, which seems to be very reliable.
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/care/maintain.htm
Am I missing anything terribly important here, or am I misinformed on anything? I know that wasn't exactly comprehensive, but I do plan on doing quite a bit more research before I buy it around July-August. From what I've heard, these things are practically bulletproof, and that all of the complicated crap with water chemistry and chemical levels associated with reef tanks and such can practically be thrown out the window (that stuff bores me to tears), as long as the tank is quote "clean".
I have a 8 or 10 gallon acrylic hexagon tank with a top, which is my limit for the dorm, unfortunately. Can I use a hang-on Whisper filter that I used to use for my old danios? Ive been told mantises only require the most basic of basic filtration, and some people don't even use any beyond a weekly water change. I also have a small heater I used for the danios, should I do something do it to avoid the mantis breaking it? Ive been told they sometimes attack lights, but if I recall correctly, it doesnt have one.
Since this is only for the mantis (maybe I'll throw in the occasional damsel to brighten it up until it gets eaten), Ive read I can just use conditioned tap water left to sit for 24 hours with a salinity of around 1.022. I'll feed it meaty foods like shrimp and whatnot, frozen of course, but exactly what depends on its size, which I'm hoping is between 4 and 8 inches.
Most of what I've read (recently anyway, I was crazy about these a few years ago and read mountains of stuff) is from this website, which seems to be very reliable.
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/care/maintain.htm
Am I missing anything terribly important here, or am I misinformed on anything? I know that wasn't exactly comprehensive, but I do plan on doing quite a bit more research before I buy it around July-August. From what I've heard, these things are practically bulletproof, and that all of the complicated crap with water chemistry and chemical levels associated with reef tanks and such can practically be thrown out the window (that stuff bores me to tears), as long as the tank is quote "clean".
