Mantis suitable for pico?

[Rick Fite]

As the title says, I have a 2.5 gallon HOB refugium (actually, it hangs on the side of my 20 gallon), I was wanting to pit a single specimen of something really interesting in it, was thinking a mantis shrimp? Are there any suitable species? Any other ideas? Was also thinking maybe a purple reef lobster, i think they stay small.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I have a coral banded shrimp alone in a 5 gallon tank, even thats too small. It just walks back and forth across the tank, very often it tries to climb the glass, which is kind of funny, but it makes me feel like its not happy.

Honestly for a 2.5 gallon, I wouldnt feel good about putting anything other than an emerald crab, or maybe a bunch of sexy shrimp. Just me.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

If you can find a small spearing species and give it a deep sand bed to create its burrow, then maybe, as they don't move much from their home. Problem is, outside of the larger species like the peacock and zebra, not many places actively sell or collect and sell mantids. There is KP Aquatics that sells 3 species of small smashers; they get about 3 inch max so most people recommend a 5-10 gal for them:

Shrimps and Mantis Shrimps Archives

Colorful and entertaining invertebrates

www.kpaquatics.com

If you can find one, Gonodactylus childi is a very small smasher that sometimes is collected on purpose, gets about 2 inches:

g_childi

That's a good website on most of the common mantis shrimps found in the hobby if you want some further research material.

 

[Unknownpharoah1]

If you can find a small spearing species and give it a deep sand bed to create its burrow, then maybe, as they don't move much from their home. Problem is, outside of the larger species like the peacock and zebra, not many places actively sell or collect and sell mantids. There is KP Aquatics that sells 3 species of small smashers; they get about 3 inch max so most people recommend a 5-10 gal for them:

Shrimps and Mantis Shrimps Archives

Colorful and entertaining invertebrates

www.kpaquatics.com

If you can find one, Gonodactylus childi is a very small smasher that sometimes is collected on purpose, gets about 2 inches:

g_childi

That's a good website on most of the common mantis shrimps found in the hobby if you want some further research material.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Hadla]

Yeah I wouldn’t put any in that small of a tank to be honest. I give my smaller species at least a ten gallon for the room

 

[Rick Fite]

Thank you all for your civil, informative comments. You've verified what I was observing.

 

[SlugSnorter]

As the title says, I have a 2.5 gallon HOB refugium (actually, it hangs on the side of my 20 gallon), I was wanting to pit a single specimen of something really interesting in it, was thinking a mantis shrimp? Are there any suitable species? Any other ideas? Was also thinking maybe a purple reef lobster, i think they stay small.

no, especially, not the lobster. Get some sexy shrimp if anything. Better yet just grow some cool macro if anything.