Peacock Mantis Shrimp

[JuanGutz]

No molt yet. He has built caves in the small rock work. I have given about the size of a quarter piece of scallop the last two days. He takes it but then spits it out. No cuc is left as he has eaten it all. Do I need to run the lights more? They run 2 hours per day

This is the same Juangutz on MASC. Where do you live? If not to far I'll see if I can come over and look things over.

 

[sweat044]

I'm in Colorado Springs. I'm going to post some pics tomorrow. I've thought about pvc but won't it attract algae?

 

[martini5788]

I'm in Colorado Springs. I'm going to post some pics tomorrow. I've thought about pvc but won't it attract algae?

I cover mine in silicone and sand. But regardless, the mantis will die without a proper burrow. And peacocks build a massive burrow and it is nearly impossible to replicate in an aquarium so that's why everyone uses PVC and then just put
Rocks on top of it and disguise it in the rock work. The only way you can really get away with not using a PVC is if you
Put it in like a 90 gallon( minimum) with a super deep sand bed and tons of rock and rubble. Otherwise, PVC it is. Their burrow needs to be completely blacked out during a molt

 

[Davesgt]

I cover mine in silicone and sand. But regardless, the mantis will die without a proper burrow. And peacocks build a massive burrow and it is nearly impossible to replicate in an aquarium so that's why everyone uses PVC and then just put
Rocks on top of it and disguise it in the rock work. The only way you can really get away with not using a PVC is if you
Put it in like a 90 gallon( minimum) with a super deep sand bed and tons of rock and rubble. Otherwise, PVC it is. Their burrow needs to be completely blacked out during a molt

Flower Pots works for me get 4" and 6" pots from home depot and notch them then push them in the sand. I know it doesn't look natural but one you get some mushrooms growing over them you wont even notice them.

 

[martini5788]

Flower Pots works for me get 4" and 6" pots from home depot and notch them then push them in the sand. I know it doesn't look natural but one you get some mushrooms growing over them you wont even notice them.

For a peacock? I mean that's fine for clownfish, but a flowerpot doesn't really function at all like a normal burrow? Which has multiple entrances, and various tunnels and is blocked off with rubble.

 

[Davesgt]

Hmm 8 years of keeping this species and about 3 other species of manits and it works like a charm. the thing with pvc is unless its very large diameter its hard for them to move around while molting. I know when mine have molted they do a lot of back kicking and the pots help keep light from getting to them

 

[Davesgt]

I lay them in all directions and they usually molt in the ones they have tunneled under

 

[martini5788]

I lay them in all directions and they usually molt in the ones they have tunneled under

Are you enlarging the drainage hole on the pot and then they are using the pot as an entrance? Where exactly do they recover after the molt?

 

[sweat044]

Okay what size pvc? Do I nees to wash it first? If so with what?

Flower pots? Interesting and we are talking about the orange clay looking ones? Again do I need to waah it?

 

[Davesgt]

Are you enlarging the drainage hole on the pot and then they are using the pot as an entrance? Where exactly do they recover after the molt?

I guess if I specified it would make it sound a little better lol sorry. I take them and notch out a 2" section on the rim and then bury them into the sand which is usualy about a 3"-4" sand bed and it allows them to burrow inside the pots ( the pots I get don't have drain holes solid bottom) then around the buried pots I place a few on there side and in different positions. It allows my mantis to have several different outlets from his main burrow pots all while staying shaded but somewhat visible. His usual hiding spot after a molt is in a smaller pot facing the back of the tank that has about a 2" opening from the sand. He is about 6" now when I got him he was just about 4".

 

[JuanGutz]

I'm in Colorado Springs. I'm going to post some pics tomorrow. I've thought about pvc but won't it attract algae?

Dang I'm in Greeley. Idk how soon I'll make it up there. But you need a lot of rock not a little they have been known to burrow to the bottom and crack the glass. I had a 4" sand bed and the rock was all the way to the bottom.

 

[martini5788]

The size PVC will depend on mantis size, but I generally go with 2.5 diameter in a u shape that's about 12 inches long total.

 

[martini5788]

I guess if I specified it would make it sound a little better lol sorry. I take them and notch out a 2" section on the rim and then bury them into the sand which is usualy about a 3"-4" sand bed and it allows them to burrow inside the pots ( the pots I get don't have drain holes solid bottom) then around the buried pots I place a few on there side and in different positions. It allows my mantis to have several different outlets from his main burrow pots all while staying shaded but somewhat visible. His usual hiding spot after a molt is in a smaller pot facing the back of the tank that has about a 2" opening from the sand. He is about 6" now when I got him he was just about 4".

This makes significantly more sense! I was seriously confused haha. I'm sure that does work, because they make the burrow beneath and around the pots. But where does all the liverock go?

 

[Davesgt]

This makes significantly more sense! I was seriously confused haha. I'm sure that does work, because they make the burrow beneath and around the pots. But where does all the liverock go?

I have a few pieces still in the tank and have even glued rock rubble to some of the pots for mushrooms to grow out and over the tops. Plus I have a lot of live rock in the filtration to keep pod culture for cleanup along with limpets and Asterina starfish that I throw in there from my frag tank. Whenever he wants a snack ive seen him grab the stars and limpets and munch. One reason I went away from all live rock is because my first peacock about 8-9 years ago would see bristleworms and destroy the rocks to try and get them out.

 

[sweat044]

I have a few pieces still in the tank and have even glued rock rubble to some of the pots for mushrooms to grow out and over the tops. Plus I have a lot of live rock in the filtration to keep pod culture for cleanup along with limpets and Asterina starfish that I throw in there from my frag tank. Whenever he wants a snack ive seen him grab the stars and limpets and munch. One reason I went away from all live rock is because my first peacock about 8-9 years ago would see bristleworms and destroy the rocks to try and get them out.

Okay. Do I clean said pots? How do you keep the mushrooms alive? I only run my lights 2 hours a day.

 

[sweat044]

 

[sweat044]

Not the greatest pics

 

[sweat044]

 

[Davesgt]

Okay. Do I clean said pots? How do you keep the mushrooms alive? I only run my lights 2 hours a day.

Yea I usually do a freshwater soak overnight just to clean dust out of pots. As for keeping shrooms alive its easy I use a really low quality led light for about 5 hours a day and they thrive wonderful. These are not rare mushrooms just the plain old purple shrooms that take over but for me they work perfect.

 

[Davesgt]

These are some older pics but they are usually photo friendly