Improvised mantis tank.

Naiad · May 13, 2016

Tateopotatoe said:
You could always try some neudibranchs, I doubt the Maris shrimp wants something posinious

I'll keep an eye out for some.

Naiad · May 16, 2016

So the mantis has been in hiding for two days. I hope he is just shedding. Nothing else seems off. Did a normal waterchange. The film algea is coming back now that the snails are gone. Hopefully I can get a breeding population going in my other tanks.

Tateopotatoe · May 16, 2016

Naiad said:
So the mantis has been in hiding for two days. I hope he is just shedding. Nothing else seems off. Did a normal waterchange. The film algea is coming back now that the snails are gone. Hopefully I can get a breeding population going in my other tanks.

By the way, cleaner shrimp (to my understanding) shouldn't be afraid of anything. At least in the wild other creatures don't eat it because it helps clean them off.

Naiad · May 18, 2016

So the mantis shrimp is alive but acting very shy again. He won't even peak out of the hole he is in. I dropped a snail right in front and he went even further in.

DustyXB9Reefer · May 18, 2016

I believe @Alucard has a mantis now. Maybe he can help?

Alucard · May 18, 2016

He should be active if he really is an n.wennerae. Could be adjusting after the shed, that is a very succeptible time for them.

Naiad · May 18, 2016

Alucard said:
He should be active if he really is an n.wennerae. Could be adjusting after the shed, that is a very succeptible time for them.

He was very active once he settled in. Took a few days. He was digging tunnels and carving out spaces in rocks. Then he just stopped coming out. I think it has been about four days. He stays in his main rock. I can see him moving around if I shine I light in. He also stopped hammering the rock. He is my first mantis so I might be over reacting. Just new to their behavior patterns. Do they eat a molt or should I be able to find one if he did in fact shed?

Alucard · May 19, 2016

They will be pretty active right before a molt, I'm sure he's fine just let him be for now. They will eat or bury part of the molt but most of it they will eject from the burrow or even use it for part of the structure lol

NeiDan · May 19, 2016

If he did molt it's common for them to become reclusive until they harden. If they hit something with their still soft rapts they could cripple themselves until the next molt. I wouldn't worry about it.