Mantis in 55G
 

Ok, search feature has been saying too busy for about 45 minutes so I will just shoot.

I had a 10 gallon sw tank a while ago, however I have always wanted a peacock Mantis.

So Here Goes I now have a 55G tank, However I think that is overkill just for one Mantis. Is there any fish that would do well with a Peacock in this size tank? I figured with the bigger tank they would have room to avoid each other. But hey been wrong before.

Also if I where to divide the tank and have 2 Mantis shrimps, would a fuge be mandatory, or can I get by with other filtration only?

Thanks,
Rob

good question since i have a 55gal tank as well and was wondering the same types of questions. (looking into getting a mantis of my own).

Hey I don't really know anything about Mantis, but I am interested. I do know they will attack and eat pretty much anything they can. Roy's list at the top of this forum will help you make a decision. The biggest one gets about 16" (according to the list) and minimum tank is 30 galls.

For a peacock the min volume is 30gal, so you could just split the tank and get another mantis whose requirement is 20gal or under. just make sure they cant get through or get over the divider because they can jump. peacocks can clear six inches for example.

definitely have a divider. 55gal is not enough room for two large mantids to coexist long and they will likely kill each other.

for a two mantis divided tank, i dont think a fuge would be necessary (though it would help). i think a skimmer would be more useful since the mantids are all pretty messy eaters and sometimes hoard their food by burying it.

If you go the route of a single peacock plus some fish, stick to fast fish who stick the water column. damsels for example would be a good candidate (plus they're cheap). only try one at a time though. and even if it does work, i still wouldnt get any expensive fish id cry over. mantids are just weird in that way. some are super aggressive and just pwn anything in their territory. some a mellow hippies who will be cave buddies with their fishy friends. some are deceptive killers who will lull the fish into a sense of false security and murder them when they least expect it.... ninja style.

just be aware of what you're doin.

My peacock will attack everything but damsels. And after months of "good" behavior, mine is snapping at the glass a few times an hour. It's getting to the point where I want him sold. Now.

I have a Gonodactylus platysoma in a 10g... It does not attack the damsel at all, and they're usually in pretty close proximity... Not to say that it never will, but so far it pays no attention to it at all...

I have a G. Tern in my 24 with a 6 line wrasse and they play together. As long as I keep the tank stocked with hermits, everything is fine. There's also a long spine urchin in there as well.

Thanks for the responses. I just got tank moved home and figuring out setup.

Rob