AbsoluteFaye's Mantis Tank Build!

[thewood]

Which one? I go to the Fish Factory and Hidden Reef on occasion.

Im sorry I missed your reply the place is called That Fish Place the fish room is the size of Hidden Reefs whole store the store is as big as a Walmart they have the cheapest and best quality fish and corals around they always have 3-4 mantis shrimp when I bought my shark last week they had 4. One mantis was like 7-8in it was yellow and black at the end of the month they have huge sale where people camp out just to be 1st in the store.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I read that too much light can harm their shells and make them ill. But I plan in keeping corals. Probably just palys and zoas though.

Yeah I've read that to, but I've been talking to a few people who have been keeping mantis for years in sps reefs. They seem to think (I tend to agree) that the shell issues have more to do with larger mantis and how difficult it is for them to molt. A friend of mine has been keeping a peacock for close to 3 years now and he says that she's only had about 5 molts where she came out "perfect" most of the time at least one of her appendages is malformed. She's fat and healthy and very funny to watch as she's quite brave and always appears to watch you.

 

[manbeast]

I was there a few days back and saw a peacock @ 5" and a green mantis(slasher type) each @ $50, the green hid most of the time I spent looking at them but the peacock on the the other hand seemed inquisitive and almost social, has me thinking of selling off my fw tanks to do a shallow reef softy/mantis tank

 

[thewood]

Hey just for fun look up the web site for that store I told you about they have like 10 different mantis shrimp in stock right now you can check them out

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I was there a few days back and saw a peacock @ 5" and a green mantis(slasher type) each @ $50, the green hid most of the time I spent looking at them but the peacock on the the other hand seemed inquisitive and almost social, has me thinking of selling off my fw tanks to do a shallow reef softy/mantis tank

I know what you mean. I've been thinking "no flowers at the wedding and new tank or flowers in the tables and no new tank"........ I always end up leaning new tank for either ponies or a peacock but don't know how that would fly with the fiancé

 

[manbeast]

I know what you mean. I've been thinking "no flowers at the wedding and new tank or flowers in the tables and no new tank"........ I always end up leaning new tank for either ponies or a peacock but don't know how that would fly with the fiancé

Based on a couple of your other posts I'd definitely go with the flowers

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Based on a couple of your other posts I'd definitely go with the flowers

Yeah probably don't need a 6th tank, but a guy can dream

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

I tried looking at that fish place for the mantis but they have generic pictures. There's no wysiwyg that I can see. That store is almost 3 hours from me but I've always wanted to go.

 

[manbeast]

Last weekend of this month is their 41st anniversary sale, there's usually really good deals to be had

 

[thewood]

It's worth the trip I'm talking to a guy that has aust tusk fish that my wife wants it's like 3hrs away to

 

[thewood]

I'm going get there at least a hr early to park

 

[bribo12]

Ill definitely be at the sale at the end of the month . The tank looks great! How deep is the sand bed?

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

Sand bed is over 3".

 

[bribo12]

Sand bed is over 3".

Sweet! It looked shallower in the pic but guess not

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Hidden Reef is not that good at all as far as selection goes. Maybe I'm just spoiled with the stores in my area, but it was not worth y over 2 hour ride at all.

 

[Gregcoyote]

National Aquarium posted this.

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

That's pretty cool!

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes, you need to order a poster from them. I thought the impact of a .22 caliber bullet was interesting. Coral Magazine did a really good study of them a few years back. I also think there was a show on PBS, the Nature show that was about this crazy shrimp. I'm a big science fiction addict, so I keep thinking one of these the size of a pony would make a good movie.

 

[Str8edgejedi]

I wish I could get a peacock mantis.. Illegal here though.. Always wanted to do a small species tank for it..

 

[AbsoluteFaye]

So I added a large rock full of palys from my other reef tank to the mantis tank. I also added two zoa frags. My tests are at 25 for ammonia, 0 nitrite and 40 nitrate. I'm almost there!!! Guess I'll call my LFS this weekend to order me the mantis. I wanna add a few more corals first though and a few fish. I know they'll probably get eaten but I'd like to try.