Reef Discussion

[VaultBoy]

I have just setup another tank to run inline with my main display tank I have some base rock seeding/cycling in there. I plan to keep a mantis shrimp but I want to know if I can keep anything else in there.

I would love to keep some corals in there is this possible? Do mantis' eat corals?

I also would like to keep some fish in there are they a problem or do mantis' only eat off the bottom/rocks?

What species of mantis would be suitable in an ~50L tank that is connected to about 300L of water?

Thanks,
Jack.

 

[Kharn]

G'day VaultBoy

I currently keep four mantis shrimps, as far as keeping mantis shrimps and coral you can run into a problem with both species (smasher and spearer) first off too my knowledge mantis shrimps DO NOT eat coral, so that is settled, HOWEVER they do like to rearrange there entire tank and DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE there strength and ability to "redecor" the tank even with things glued in place...sure the glued in place item might take the first crack from a smasher and the second and the third but I guarantee in time IT WILL give...having said that most mantis shrimps once they have made there home are quite content in leaving other things alone in the tank, spearers are known to pick up corals and move them around in the tank to best suit places that the MANTIS wants it not you, lol...

Keeping ANYTHING with a mantis shrimp is a gamble...many people have succeeded in keeping mantis shrimps with fish, my large mantis Morgoth whom is also a spearer, lives in a tank with fish...although he has wiped out 1/2 of the fish population (bye bye anthias & humbugs) he hasn't touched the big ones that I assume he can't tackle yet...with a smasher they are more forgiving if kept happy on a diet of food you feed him personally but if he should see that sleeping fish in the tank and happen to be hungry...bye bye fish...

50L tank can hold a variety of mantis shrimps although the larger ones you are getting a bit limited too...I wouldn't recommend a peacock mantis in a 50L as the good Dr. Roy Caldwell states that they require at adult size a 100L tank, having said that any species around the 50mm-100mm mark would be perfect, below 50mm and your going to have difficult noticing it in the tank...G.smithii and G.graphurus are a couple.

Hope this helped!

Cheers

 

[VaultBoy]

I am really interested in these critters now that I have been doing some reading about them! Thanks for your help/advice.

How much live rock should I have in there?d

What fish would you recommend? I know they are all a gamble but which would be better?

Thanks
Jack

 

[Kharn]

They really don't need much...
Typically your 50-100mm sized stomatopods will go well in a 20L setup, 100-150mm in a 60L setup, 150mm-200mm in a 100L setup and 200mm+ in a 120Lsetup

As far as fish go something vastly bigger then the mantis is likely to stay alive for a while like my scopas is proving to be and any fish that is skittish/nervous and highly energetic for example...

When I put fish in my tank with my large spearer Morgoth, initially I put in 6 Anthias and 6 Humbugs within 3 weeks ALL Anthias were gone but only 2 humbugs missing...now either Morgoth liked the taste of the Anthias OR he could get to them more easily, BOTH species of fish schooled together asleep and awake.

They are VERY easy to setup for determine the aquarium size by the size of the mantis you wish to keep then if its a spearer provide plenty of sand if its a smasher provide plenty of LR filtration wise in most cases of mantis setups because there is only the mantis itself in a tank with LR/ sand you can get away with a cannister filter with weekly water changes, more water changes when there is less total water volume in the tank.

Very easy to setup for endless entertainment! =D