Mantis structure

Sleepingtiger · Oct 12, 2022

So I built this for a customer. Has 2” pvc with four exit/entrances. It was for a 50g AIO. I build have done over 100 structures and this was my first for a mantis. What do you all think.
I actually really enjoyed the project. Customer thought I didn’t use pvc because it was so hidden.

Mark Novack · Oct 13, 2022

I think that the shrimp is spoiled.

exnisstech · Oct 13, 2022

I don't know anything about mantis shrimp but you built that yourself around PVC so my hat is off too you. I do good just getting a couple of rocks to stick together

Sleepingtiger · Oct 13, 2022

Thanks! I really enjoyed working on this project. The guy really loved it and went out and bout a mantis shrimp immediately. Of course being true mantis fashion, it avoided the caves.

wwarby · Oct 20, 2022

Sleepingtiger said:
So I built this for a customer. Has 2” pvc with four exit/entrances. It was for a 50g AIO. I build have done over 100 structures and this was my first for a mantis. What do you all think.
I actually really enjoyed the project. Customer thought I didn’t use pvc because it was so hidden.

Looks awesome! I did something kinda similar in my mantis tank but mine was a 26g tank so I had less space to play with. Only two comments I'd make, and take them with a pinch of salt as I'm still fairly new to the hobby. First is that in my first tank I used 2" PVC and my fully grown peacock mantis was visibly distressed by the size of the burrow, especially when it came to molt - she spent ages whacking the side of it trying to make it bigger. She did eventually molt in it, but @nmotz convinced me I should have gone bigger because she couldn't turn around inside it. My new tank uses 3" PVC and she seems happier in it.

Second is that my mantis likes to arrange rock rubble around the entrances to the cave and the configuration of those rocks is different every day in my tank, so I'd be inclined to leave the entrances a little more open and let the mantis decorate the entrance with loose rubble. It gives them something to engage with and you get to watch the interesting behaviour of the mantis making changes to the burrow entrances every day.