Cute tiny guy building a home out of sand!!!
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
It might be a baby mantis. I'd keep an eye on it.
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
You need to wait until it grows in order to make a proper species ID. Depending on which flavor of mantis it is, it may outgrow the tank. Like I said: keep an eye on it.
**edit**
Egregious typos corrected
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CBonito
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Yeah, I dont think many realize how big some can get.
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
Can you post these as embedded youtube videos, please. Many of us here will not click on random links or download videos for security reasons.went full on hacker mode. heres a slowed down vid and screenshots! Im desperate to know if its a mantis
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Maebh
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Oh, that makes sense! Ill try figure out how, but honestly I just slowed down the vid for fun, you can just kinda see its movements are pretty calculated and jerky.
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Maebh
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Does that work? Thanks again, I'll have to post my vids embedded now
Does that work? Thanks again, I'll have to post my vids embedded now
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
It is hard to tell for sure, but I still think, yes- likely a tiny mantis. There are some species that stay that small, and there are some that will top 15". Hard to tell which one yours is until (or if) it grows. Definitely keep us posted.
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Maebh
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I will, thanks! Its an empty tank, other than a huge nassarius, cause ive been putting of getting anything. I kinda had my heart set on a mantis but didnt want to pull the trigger. I hope it all works out!
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
Goven its size, I would add a bunch of amphipods to make sure it has a food source.
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You got a little amphipod! I have that particular species all over my tank, they construct small burrows out of sand and will pull pieces of food floating by into their burrows. The black markings on its back is a good way to ID, this particular species has black blotches on its back and a white patch as well. Unfortunately not a mantis shrimp, good part of the microfauna though, as they don't get any bigger than that
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GlassMunky
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Not the best quality video, it’s pretty grainy, but I don’t think it looks like a mantis from
What I saw.
I recently got 3 in my liverock order, they move differently.
Do you hear snapping/popping from the tank?
What I saw.
I recently got 3 in my liverock order, they move differently.
Do you hear snapping/popping from the tank?
GlassMunky
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Yea I’m gonna second that I think it’s an amphipod.
The motion of it is too jerky for a mantis but moves exactly like amphipods
Fish Styx
In Cod We Crust
Good call.
