Mantis Madness!

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 13, 2017

couldn't resist posting this one

Daniel@R2R · Mar 14, 2017

Best Fish-Jake said:
couldn't resist posting this one

Nice shot!

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 19, 2017

ritter6788 said:
The meral spots would help the ID. You don't need pics but if you can get a look and see what color they are the ID would be a lot easier.

This help?

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 22, 2017

ritter6788 said:
What mantis did you end up getting?

It's name is Xerxes

ritter6788 · Mar 22, 2017

I can't really tell from that pic. Just see if you can tell what color they are. They are located above the "smashers" like the purple spots with the white rings around it like in this pic. The easiest way for me to see them is when they look right at you and look like they are flexing at you.

Lowstorm · Mar 22, 2017

I love mantis shrimp!

To get a good pic of the spots get a very colorful plastic something.. I used orange handled paintbrushes. (it was for my biology degree, I tested a bunch of different colors and watched the display) Have someone handy with a camera. Wiggle it infront of him and have the person start snapping pics like a mad man. A couple of the pics will turn out perfect. I think in one of the pics it showed white ones, but not 100%

Lowstorm · Mar 22, 2017

Oh, and here's a site to go through for you if you haven't yet. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 22, 2017

Lowstorm said:
I love mantis shrimp!

To get a good pic of the spots get a very colorful plastic something.. I used orange handled paintbrushes. (it was for my biology degree, I tested a bunch of different colors and watched the display) Have someone handy with a camera. Wiggle it infront of him and have the person start snapping pics like a mad man. A couple of the pics will turn out perfect. I think in one of the pics it showed white ones, but not 100%

Yeah I couldn't tell if these were the spots or not.. he has full white sleeves almost.. I'll definetly try to get some more pics

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 22, 2017

ritter6788 said:
I can't really tell from that pic. Just see if you can tell what color they are. They are located above the "smashers" like the purple spots with the white rings around it like in this pic. The easiest way for me to see them is when they look right at you and look like they are flexing at you.

Just got a real nice look at him.. is meral spots are a silverish white with a black dot on the rim closest to its smasher

wowkingjames · Mar 22, 2017

Awesome mantis shrimp!

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 26, 2017

@ritter6788

ritter6788 · Mar 26, 2017

White meral spots make me first think N. wennerae. They are easy to come by since they come as hitchhikers on Florida live rock. They almost always change to solid green after molting in a reef tank.

Best Fish-Jake · Mar 26, 2017

ritter6788 said:
White meral spots make me first think N. wennerae. They are easy to come by since they come as hitchhikers on Florida live rock. They almost always change to solid green after molting in a reef tank.

Thank you, do they all start out with the brown coloration? How often should I expect him to molt? (given that I maintain proper iodine levels and feed daily)

ritter6788 · Mar 26, 2017

Best Fish-Jake said:
Thank you, do they all start out with the brown coloration? How often should I expect him to molt? (given that I maintain proper iodine levels and feed daily)

They can be all sorts of colors out of the ocean. Something in our tanks, diet or light makes them turn solid green. They can molt every few weeks or about once a month. Depends on the mantis and growth rate. Don't worry about dosing iodine if you are. Just maintain good tank parameters. The risk of overdosing iodine isn't worth the benefit if any.