Has anyone done a mantis shrimp tank? Id like to start one other then basics what do i need?
I have done several
What type of mantis are you looking to get?
A clown mantis. I want to keep it small and simple
Acrylic tank is best cause they will break a glass tank if they get big enough. You will need just a filter and places for it to hide and a sandy bottom.
Mantis shrimp are a blast but they can be delicate, molting is a very hard time for them. My peacock died while trying to molt. I have a small Caribbean species smasher in my sump
Why is molting hard on them and can i be any help?
Molting leaves them vulnerable to all kinds of things and I think they have a hard time just gettin through it.
They need a deep sandbed - several inches at least, and a good mix of rubble and rock.
One of my best friends had a peacock for a while and after it was established, he added all kinds of corals. It was very cool. They’re super smart and fun to watch. You’ll find they’ll watch you as much as you watch them. My friend would buy prawns and the occasional damsel to feed it as well as snails.
It was a blast to watch it go after prawns, they didn’t stand a chance.
[quote=“Sneeyatch, post:6, topic:6876”]
Molting leaves them vulnerable to all kinds of things and I think they have a hard time just gettin through it.
They need a deep sandbed - several inches at least, and a good mix of rubble and rock.
One of my best friends had a peacock for a while and after it was established, he added all kinds of corals. It was very cool. They’re super smart and fun to watch. You’ll find they’ll watch you as much as you watch them. My friend would buy prawns and the occasional damsel to feed it as well as snails.
It was a blast to watch it go after prawns, they didn’t stand a chance.[/quote]
Yes to all above , the molt is difficult and stressful for them to get out of the old shell.
I was feeding mine fresh water red crabs and ghost shrimp. Mine were the point where I could feed them frozen krill on a long wooden cooking stir.
I never did fish , alway had the smashers not spearers
Ill be honest. Im doing this shrimp for the “cool factor” are the spearers better then the smashers?
Smashers will hide in any little structure and a little sand, enough for digging, eat crabs shrimp clams any clean up crew. I’ve heard them getting small fish but never seen them.
A spearer needs to burrow in the sand and needs alot deeper sand bed and eat mainly fish. Both are equally fun to watch but the spearers ar so fast you rarely get to saver the moment since it happens so quick. Smashers will beat a clam or a crab till it gets it open or the crab stops moving.
I 'like the smashers just do to watching them chase everything around the trank. Most of the smasher are pretty colorful spearers are not as colorfull, zebra mantis which is a spearer is pretty neat.
We have mantis shrimp around hear but there all spearers, if you google it they are even in the chesapeak bay.