Tank Journal Archive

[josh]

Introduction:

Reefing Since:2011

System Objectives: to watch the awesomeness of the mantis shrimps

Type of reef: mantis tank

Display System:

Initial Fill Date: 22/7/2012

Display Lighting: t5s

Hood or Rimless: hood

Filtration:all in one unit

Support systems:

NSW or ASW: nsw

Evaporation Top Up:by hand

hear is spike:D

 

[chimaera]

Looking good! Spike is a nice mantis.

 

[josh]

Looking good! Spike is a nice mantis.

thxs hes a P.ciliata as far as i know :)

 

[Kharn]

Certainly is a P.ciliata really nice mantis!

One thing that I like about them (besides there tough nature) is that after a molt they can be ANY color, something crazy as I think firebird linked in my thread of a pure yellow or "banana" P.ciliata which is actually a common color for them.

 

[josh]

Certainly is a P.ciliata really nice mantis!

One thing that I like about them (besides there tough nature) is that after a molt they can be ANY color, something crazy as I think firebird linked in my thread of a pure yellow or "banana" P.ciliata which is actually a common color for them.

hell yer how offten do they molt??:)

 

[Kharn]

depends on how often it can eat really ... lol :D

 

[josh]

depends on how often it can eat really ... lol :D

lol ok ill start feeding him more offten :)

 

[Kharn]

I would give it a longer PVC pipe to hide in, once it can hide and knows it can hide, it will come out more often to forage, until that point its to paranoid in looking for a place to hide....

A PVC pipe a little longer then the animal itself, width wise you already know =) (little wider then animal itself).

 

[Salty]

FWIW try adding several hiding spots so Spike will choose which he feels more comfortable in. Normally make for a more relaxed environment.

 

[josh]

ok kool i will put some more pvc pipes in there and longer bits too lol

 

[josh]

ok guys for the last hour spike has been like this whats the good with him ???

every time i put my hand in the tank he trys to attack me ? i hope hes not sick:(
Kharn any thoughts?

 

[Kharn]

He is afraid by the looks of things...

That is the stomatopod defense position, did you put some longer PVC in the tank so it can hide itself completely ?

It is likely scared that it cannot hide, put some longer PVC in there make it nearly as long as the tank if you want, the sooner it can feel secure, the sooner it will come out more and be "Normal"

EDIT: The single most important aspect is the cavity/burrow, I really think what you have is too small even though I know you want it to build around it hence making it larger but it needs to hide, rite now.

 

[Kharn]

turn the lights off too until then, it helps (even though the lights aren't doing it harm it should help calm it down).

 

[Kharn]

My bet is that as soon as you put in a longer PVC pipe just wide enough for the spearer to fit....it will shoot rite in and start to settle down / feel more confident.

 

[Kharn]

Post pics once you have put a longer PVC pipe in there!!!!!!!!

I had many stomatopods (cruely :() stuffed into a tiny sump...there was 6!!!!!!! in it, each in tiny plastic clear containers 200mmLx150mmWx150mmH with Maximus & Minnie being in there rocks and free to roam (what space there was to roam...next to NONE), there was only a single piece of PVC pipe in each plastic container and every mantis lived NO deaths, there was constant sparring (but they could never hit each other due to the plastic containers) and the containers themselves are all damaged/chipped one has a large hole which Rocky smashed out (fit 10c coin through).

Point is, they were in SHOCKING conditions...which only shows just how TOUGH these guys are....(I even had a slightly more delicate species in there a G.falcatus, Shockwave and even he to this day is thriving (more so now obviously)).

 

[Kharn]

Am I gonna have to keep writing something until I see a pic ? You got us all on the fritz now!

Even The Leviathan breached the surface to await the reply of your pictures (him having full view of my PC and always watching)!

Do not displease The Leviathan! lol

PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[josh]

i have put longer pvc in there and im about to take some pics :) thanks for all the info Kharn you make me feel so much better:D

 

[Kharn]

well your getting NSW for a water source...so its better then mine...I have also started to top my tanks up with tap water every 2nd week (previously in my old tank I topped up with tap water every week after the cycle was done). So I am not thinking it has anything to do with water parameters (I do not even have heaters on my tanks...they have never been phased (none of my species)) to go with the fact that your using NSW well the species alone is very tough...its often marketed as a spearer that is a smasher at heart...they aren't "typical" spearers...they are abnormally interactive (spearers normally do NOT interact) and there relatively aggressive (all stomatopods are aggressive but its the spearers that retreat first, less keen to fight)...this species is not among them and acts more like a smasher, another reason which makes it attractive for the aquarium, due to that nature alone makes it a species often seen out of its cavity searching the tank (rather then other spearers that will sit in there cavity 24/7 waiting for things to come to THEM, like all mine). Finally one of the best things about this species (to go with the above) is as I have stated previously...the coloration is simply amazing, it can vary rapidly and extremely (as to how no one has any real evidence to support anything just claims).

Lets not forget the ever unique eye pattern, (mark it in your brain) since Spike is the only species known to posses the unique pattern (all of mine are a single pattern Bronze or Silver except for The Leviathan whom has a dark based with light gold dots covering it).

so the fact that Spike :D......

Is a spearer (I just love spearers even though I only have 2 :()
Is a tough species (survive bright lighting, fluctuating parameters, etc.)
Is a interactive species (Going to be seen often, not hiding like the rest etc.)
Is a extremely colorful (species prone to changing color rapidly & vividly etc.)
Is a moderate sized species (not so small it cannot be seen, not so big that it would need special requirements (DSB) etc).

Makes that whole package (Spike :D) one hell of a good marketing animal for a stomatopod display tank and another reason to why there often acquired and asked for.

 

[josh]

well your getting NSW for a water source...so its better then mine...I have also started to top my tanks up with tap water every 2nd week (previously in my old tank I topped up with tap water every week after the cycle was done). So I am not thinking it has anything to do with water parameters (I do not even have heaters on my tanks...they have never been phased (none of my species)) to go with the fact that your using NSW well the species alone is very tough...its often marketed as a spearer that is a smasher at heart...they aren't "typical" spearers...they are abnormally interactive (spearers normally do NOT interact) and there relatively aggressive (all stomatopods are aggressive but its the spearers that retreat first, less keen to fight)...this species is not among them and acts more like a smasher, another reason which makes it attractive for the aquarium, due to that nature alone makes it a species often seen out of its cavity searching the tank (rather then other spearers that will sit in there cavity 24/7 waiting for things to come to THEM, like all mine). Finally one of the best things about this species (to go with the above) is as I have stated previously...the coloration is simply amazing, it can vary rapidly and extremely (as to how no one has any real evidence to support anything just claims).

Lets not forget the ever unique eye pattern, (mark it in your brain) since Spike is the only species known to posses the unique pattern (all of mine are a single pattern Bronze or Silver except for The Leviathan whom has a dark based with light gold dots covering it).

so the fact that Spike :D......

Is a spearer (I just love spearers even though I only have 2 :()
Is a tough species (survive bright lighting, fluctuating parameters, etc.)
Is a interactive species (Going to be seen often, not hiding like the rest etc.)
Is a extremely colorful (species prone to changing color rapidly & vividly etc.)
Is a moderate sized species (not so small it cannot be seen, not so big that it would need special requirements (DSB) etc).

Makes that whole package (Spike :D) one hell of a good marketing animal for a stomatopod display tank and another reason to why there often acquired and asked for.

:worshipawesome info,i really cant wait for spike to molt to see if hes colors change:D and ill take the heater out if its not needed lol one less thing putting the power bill up lol oh and if i wanted to give him a DSB would sand work ok? i would love to see him dig hes own hole so i dont have to see the pvc in there ??

 

[josh]

pics just done uploading then

pipes go all the way to this corner of the tank so there heaps longer:)

hear is spike he dont look to happy

the light is off now so that should make him a bit happyer, ill add some pics tomorrow to show you all how he is going.
thanks for all the info Kharn its helped out so much :)