Pseudosquilla ciliata
 

I am interested in setting up a 20g tank for a Pseudosquilla ciliata.

The tank is currently being used for QT of a Powder blue tang, but after that id like to set it up.

-Plan is 20 ish lbs of LR
-20 or so lbs of fine reef sand.
- 70 watt MH
- Soft corals, zoas
- snails/ hermits (will the mantis go after them)
- Damsel pep shrimp (live food)

Also, they dig U shaped burrows correct? So what do i need to do to help it start its burrow... anything?


Lastly, where can i get one of these guys? stomatopod.com is out...

any ideas guys?

You can make a burrow out of an "electrical elbow", the 90 degree smooth bends of gray PVC used for electric conduits. Just cut a bit and bury. P. ciliata cannot make a burrow out of aragonite. They do not secrete mucus and have no way of keeping the walls up. So, provide a tube.

Yellow P. ciliata are randomly available online. Just haunt the major sellers and one will turn up "eventually".

The snails and hermits will not be bothered by a P. ciliata. The shrimp and damsels, on the other hand...

Dan

haunt like bother ? :p

Who would you consider the major retailers?

I've only seen them sold at 1 "retailer" stomatopods.com

I think Dan means "haunt" as in "check daily". Stomatopod.com NEWS says they are expecting more ciliatas on 1/7. Drop them an email.

Not sure how ciliatas hold up under metal halides. Might want to research that. Dr. Roy had some suggestions regarding lighting for various species on here somewhere...

i was wondering that as well. According to Dr. Roys list, they are found at depths from 50 m to inter tidal, and are more common in shallow waters, so i was thinking maybe they would be ok.

Is it only MH that result in shell disease or do strong t5/pc lights work the same way?

Here's the thread I was thinking of... doesn't mention ciliatas though...
[url=http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1260562]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1260562[/URL]

Metal halides will be fine. They are commonly caught above 5 meters, so it should be fine. Also, shell disease is almost unheard of in this species according to Dr. Roy (though my P. ciliata had a small spot of it when I got it, & I know another person who got a mantis that had a near fatal infection, but it turned out fine). A PVC tube would be best, but they can also burrow under rocks. The major downside to this besides some minor abrasion is that they spend alot of energy on their burrow keeping it in shape.

Dan

Yes, I meant "hang out at". I've seen them at liveaquaria.com, for instance. They currently have peacocks in (which is actually sort of rare).

Dan

What part of Mass are you in?
[IMG]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r190/Merritt1975/Picture011.jpg[/IMG]
Here is doris she is little over 3 inches and one very cool critter.
I have been thinking about letting her go.
[IMG]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r190/Merritt1975/Picture008.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r190/Merritt1975/Picture006.jpg[/IMG]

I am not 100 percent sure i want to give her up yet but if you live close enough and have a good home to provider her with I might dive it strong consideration

Yes she is that brightly colored :)

[QUOTE]
Yes she is that brightly colored :) [/QUOTE]

Wow that is an amazing color

I recently sent an email to the owner of Stomatopods.com asking when they would be getting some more positively IDed mantii in (i'm looking for a G. Smithii in particular) and he said that they were supposed to get some in the the 7th of January, but the order got pushed back a week due to bad weather in Indonesia and will be getting 100 mantii in between Indonesia and the Phillipines.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11531654#post11531654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Feclar [/i]
[B]Wow that is an amazing color [/B][/QUOTE]

thanks I hate to let her go but it looks like i might have to..
Such a darling she is

Actually, they will take out small hermits and snails when they get hungry. Even without smashers, they still pack a descent whack.

I've never heard of P. ciliata "smashing" anything, but I have heard of them pulling hermits out. At any rate, P. ciliata does it rarely at most.

Dan

Mine smashes nerite snails all the time. they use there "elbow" (Sorry to lazy to look up correct term)to smash