Orange spot Mantis 140gal mixed reef

[LosReef]

I broke down my 50gal cube cause I was done maintaining a 3rd tank. It only popped it's head out for food in the 50. In the 140, I see it everywhere. Very happy. Only eats the small crabs out of my cleanup. I cut up uncooked shrimp or halved clams to feed with tongs. It's eating shrimp now.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Nice tank! Is the mantis in the picture somewhere?

 

[LosReef]

Thanks. Above the St Thomas mushroom with a chunk of shrimp. I hadn't cleaned my glass so it's a bit blurry.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Ah I see it now, very cool!

 

[FreshwaterConvert]

So cool! Definitely update how he’s doing after a while.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Did you buy him or was he a hitchhiker? Very cool

 

[LosReef]

Did you buy him or was he a hitchhiker? Very cool

I ordered it from the lfs. I asked for a peacock mantis but ended up being an orange spot. I'm good with it. Doesn't bother anything. There's a cardinal fish that hangs out in it's cave.

I'm going to have to tear down the cave. Need to space from the glass and build it better. I've got my orange filter ready to take some pics. I'm still getting use to it being in there. It'll be a zoa garden mantis cave.

 

[LosReef]

Mantis tank overhaul. Did some rearranging and trading. I got rid of all my tenuis and only keeping a few that I liked as far as acros go. Not enough movement for me.

I set out a clam for the mantis in hopes of a pic, but he was too quick. I'll try to get one and update soon.

 

[Creggers]

I have a black mantis shrimp I got as a hitchiker currently running around my 75 gallon. He's grown a good bit from an inch when he arrived to close to two inches now. I want to set up a bottle trap but at the same time it feels like he doesn't actually cause any harm to what I care about (Coral & Fish). Have you experienced any negative side effects from him being in the tank? Curious if I could get away with just leaving him in there.

 

[LosReef]

I haven't had any problems. I feed it halved clams or a piece of uncooked shrimp. Leaves most the inverts alone if fed. Urchins don't seem to last, but everything else is fine. I think my restocking of crabs is from them killing each other off.

 

[Creggers]

I haven't had any problems. I feed it halved clams or a piece of uncooked shrimp. Leaves most the inverts alone if fed. Urchins don't seem to last, but everything else is fine. I think my restocking of crabs is from them killing each other off.

I'd actually be happy if he killed off some of my Urchins. I have a bunch of pencils in there that I wouldn't mind slowly getting picked off.

 

[LosReef]

I should specify a list of inverts in there
Emerald crabs
Various hermits
Arrow crab
Snails
Peppermint shrimp. I think I'm removing him if I can can catch him. Hangs out near the return. The mantis might have went after it. Haven't seen the other 2 in a long time. Everything is up to chance really.

 

[LosReef]

It's definitely taken out 1 pencil and 2 tuxedo urchins. I thought they'd be okay since it didn't mess with anything else. I was wrong.