Tim's 40 Breeder MOWLR build

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I KNEW IT!!

I read the thread title and stopped at MOWLR.....thought for a few moments and said........"MANTIS". I like your style. Such a great pet. I never had one, but they had a bunch to chose from at That Pet Place last weekend. Zebras, Rainbows, Greens. They look like they are painted and they have a face only a mother could love.

Is yours a "smasher" or a "spearer"?
 
The Peacock Mantis is a "Smasher", and it holds quite true, as he smashes the heck out of the rocks, and shells all the time.
 
Ah, the SMASHER. Maybe a cool name is in order, like Baine.

You've inspired me. I think I'm going to get a Mantis for my sump. They look like fun and I think "marine hamster" is a perfect term. They look so funny. It's like they are looking at you looking at them:huh:
 
Ah, the SMASHER. Maybe a cool name is in order, like Baine.

You've inspired me. I think I'm going to get a Mantis for my sump. They look like fun and I think "marine hamster" is a perfect term. They look so funny. It's like they are looking at you looking at them:huh:

Awesome build so far, I think I am going to have to do this just to name the mantis Baine because thats just boss. lol.
 
I KNEW IT!!

I read the thread title and stopped at MOWLR.....thought for a few moments and said........"MANTIS". I like your style. Such a great pet. I never had one, but they had a bunch to chose from at That Pet Place last weekend. Zebras, Rainbows, Greens. They look like they are painted and they have a face only a mother could love.

Is yours a "smasher" or a "spearer"?


Sorry to get off topic, but I saw the same mantis at That Pet Place. Small world.

Good progress so far OP
 
This morning, I heard the peacock going nuts banging away at something. When I went to investigate I found he was hitting some rocks to break. A minute later, back at it. I went back and found that he had discovered a small turbo and was bashing the heck out of it. It had brought it into into burrow and was lining it up just right and would smash, grab and line back up and smash. I watched for about 5 minutes and 20 smashes and realized that he hadn't managed to crack the shell yet. Must've been a tough turbo!

I left for work before seeing its fate...
 
I continue to find more and more experiences by aquarists that have housed their Peacock in a reef tank. Quite a few accounts of people stating they are fish safe (due to being a smasher and not a spearer), but not invert, and others say, clams, snails, and crabs are on the menu but starfish and urchins are safe...

I'm going to continue to look into this, because quite frankly, a dimly lit 40 gallon tank with a semi-reclusive Mantis is going to look pretty empty.

While, I'm not planning to add corals based on the light requirements for the Mantis, I would love to be able to add in some nice non-reef safe, or reef safe, urchins and starfish.

Any feedback or experiences to suggest otherwise? Any reccomendations about inhabitants?

I've got a serpent star in my 54 and I think he'd be screwed trying to hide in the Mantis burrow. I've also had a tux urchin in the BC, but he only made it a short time. For some reason, all of the tux urchins at the LFS died quickly too. I'm thinking he was a gonner before I got him, so certainly willing to try again.

I was thinking, if possible to do a Longspine or pencil urchin, since it and the mantis will be rearraging the aquascape, and maybe a linkia star or too, or maybe a marble starfish. I've heard that most starfish are delicate other than serpents and brittles. Does anyone have any actual experiences to confirm or deny that?

Thanks for all the help!
 
Last night I heard a clicking sound, but not as intense as the mantis. Upon investigating I found the thermometer had come loose and was tapping against the filter intake. It was in an awkward spot so I just left it.

Apparently it was annoying the mantis because he took matters into his own hands...
 

Attachments

  • image-3455734726.jpg
    image-3455734726.jpg
    80.7 KB · Views: 125
So the Mantis is thinking "If I want it done right, I had better do it myself". Wow on the thermometer breaking. Maybe he didn't like the competition.
 
Stand update from today so far:
 

Attachments

  • image-1173435943.jpg
    image-1173435943.jpg
    123.7 KB · Views: 87
  • image-3879877815.jpg
    image-3879877815.jpg
    128 KB · Views: 67
  • image-2372178290.jpg
    image-2372178290.jpg
    119.7 KB · Views: 83
hey Tim it looks really good ! what kind of paint did u use for the stand?
 
Here is 1st coat of black.


I'm leaving the inside white, but I'm painting white, not just primer.
 

Attachments

  • image-2416061960.jpg
    image-2416061960.jpg
    127.8 KB · Views: 74
  • image-215756071.jpg
    image-215756071.jpg
    120.5 KB · Views: 73
Still need another coat of black on the stand, 2 coats of primer and black on the back-side of the doors. I'm also going to put down a head of caulk around the floor of the stand just as a precaution.

I have another two coats of white to go inside the stand. Finally, I have to construct a canopy and paint to match.

Should be another week or two as I only have weekends and its the holidays.

Here's the idea for the canopy:
 

Attachments

  • image-574760788.jpg
    image-574760788.jpg
    150.3 KB · Views: 69
  • image-3671399972.jpg
    image-3671399972.jpg
    164.8 KB · Views: 76
Looks really good. I like the white inside the cabinet even though you're rarely going to see it I think it looks good.
 
Back
Top Bottom