Peacock Mantis in a 32 gallon Biocube

[Blindzy]

Hello all, So I'm moving my reef tank to a 60 cube come the first of the year. Trying to figure out something possibly for the 32 gallon Biocube. May be a Mantis. Questions... Is the 32 a suitable size/ type of tank? Is then punching and cracking the glass a actual concern?

 

[The_Paradox]

Hello all, So I'm moving my reef tank to a 60 cube come the first of the year. Trying to figure out something possibly for the 32 gallon Biocube. May be a Mantis. Questions... Is the 32 a suitable size/ type of tank? Is then punching and cracking the glass a actual concern?

I had a decent size mantis shrimp in a 15 gallon with live rock for about 3 years. Not sure how long they are supposed to live though. In that time he only hit the glass a handful of times and never did any damage.

 

[Stomatopods17]

Min for an adult O. Scyllarus should be 29g or larger, 40g breeder is typically whats recommended but that's mainly due to better footprint, you can easily keep one in a 29g. Record lifespan is 8 years in a reef tank, no clue what the starting size of that one individual was.

Biocube should be fine, as for glass lay a sheet of pexi or acrylic on the bottom and you should be fine. Idk if Biocubes are thinner but typically breaks happen when a mantis tries to dig downwards, they commit to a specific spot in an attempt to mine a burrow and over time that wear succumbs to it. Its not likely (or ever documented) the occasional finger tease or reflection spook will result in a leak within the tank's lifetime in general.

Mine hits a specific corner right next to my powerhead so I ended up sticking a piece of pexi inbetween the magnet, it was getting a little too focused on that spot for comfort.

 

[Blindzy]

Min for an adult O. Scyllarus should be 29g or larger, 40g breeder is typically whats recommended but that's mainly due to better footprint, you can easily keep one in a 29g. Record lifespan is 8 years in a reef tank, no clue what the starting size of that one individual was.

Biocube should be fine, as for glass lay a sheet of pexi or acrylic on the bottom and you should be fine. Idk if Biocubes are thinner but typically breaks happen when a mantis tries to dig downwards, they commit to a specific spot in an attempt to mine a burrow and over time that wear succumbs to it. Its not likely (or ever documented) the occasional finger tease or reflection spook will result in a leak within the tank's lifetime in general.

Mine hits a specific corner right next to my powerhead so I ended up sticking a piece of pexi inbetween the magnet, it was getting a little too focused on that spot for comfort.

Hmmm, Well the tank is already set up. I was just moving all the coral, fish and inverts to the new 60 gall on and thinking I would put a Matis in the 32 Biocube. I'm leaving the sand and current liverock.

 

[jason2459]

How deep is the sand? They like/need to burrow.

 

[Blindzy]

How deep is the sand? They like/need to burrow.

Right now about 3". I would end up adding some more sand. Probably some courser than the special grade I have in there now. Also would add 2" PVC under the rock structure.

 

[Stomatopods17]

You want the PVC to match the size of the mantis.

IIRC a full grown adult O.scyllarus needs 2.5" inside diameter, but if you prepare for that and end up getting a really small mantis you'll run into some difficulties (they like parallel walls/ceiling to ground to cling and spin around.)

I'd prep a few different sizes in advance incase you need to switch it up, or shape the rocks to form a tunnel and let it adapt with sand/rubble.