wahoo! finally found a mantis!

[mickey85]

Well, I really hope it's not a Peacock. about 3 weeks ago, I put my name in with just about anyone that I could to get one, and Inland Aquatics emailed me back last night saying they had one "with green edges" that was about 3" and feeding well. Do peacocks have "green edges?" From what I"ve seen, they don't really, but I have no clue what kind of mantis is 3" with green edges.


Also, for a 3" animal, would a 5.5G AGA tank work? (16X8X10). That's as big of a tank as I can have at the moment. In May, I'll be able to set up a 10 gallon if necessary, but I'd kinda like to keep it with the 5.5.

[pisces77]

Mantis shrimp are very difficult to ID even with pics. You'll need to snap a few shots to get an ID.

[mickey85]

Oh, don't I know it. I just had never heard of a mantis with "green edges"

[majestic sea life]

what do u mean by "green edges"

[mickey85]

Good question. That's what the lady said in the email, that it had green edges and highlights. I'd assume that it wouldn't be all green, like a chiraga, but who knows.

[mickey85]

Well, I went and picked it up today...According to Roy's List, it's a G. Platysoma (it's got the telltale orange and blue spots). I've got him in a bucket now doing a drip acclimation. He's about 3" long, and is a gorgeous tan and grey pattern.

[Wocka]

I dont think any 3" mantis shrimp should be in a 5 gallon im sorry :/

Why dont you want a peacock? I got a 3" peacock in my 30g cube and he loves it, i think its about time i transform my 2" pvc pipe into 3.5"

[mickey85]

Well, he's more like 2.5...but that doesn't make much difference.

According to Dr. Roy, a 20 l tank is enough for a G. Platysoma, which is what this is, and 20 liters works out to about 5.3 gallons...this is a 5.5G AGA. Granted, he'll be moving as soon as I can get either a drilled 10 gallon tank, or build a long, low tank.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthrop...me=g_platysoma

I didn't want a peacock, because I frankly didn't want something that bloody big, and he IS going to be in a smaller tank, as I am in college and have a gallonage limit to my tanks. if I couldn't give him at least 25 gallons, I wouldn't want to get an O.S.

[Wocka]

Ahh i understand now.. mantis shrimp like long shallow tanks? maybe to mimic a shallow tide pool or something in the wild.

i saw a video on a mantis shrimp take and it was long and low and i geuss the water level rises and drops.. my 30g seems to be a good home to my peacock so far. after i switch out these darn pvc pipes.

[catdoc]

When do we get to see a picture? Did they get him as a hitch-hiker or did they order it for you? (Told you to check with Inland, LOL!)

[mickey85]

Truth be told, I don't know if I can get a pic! He's taken to a hole under the live rock, and I've seen his eyes a couple times, but mainly just his tail sticking out. Yeah, he's decided taht the front door is the back of the tank. *sigh*


I really have no idea how they got him, I got an email saying they had one, and here he is. THey also had a peacock, but I really, really didn't want to deal with one that big at the moment.

[mickey85]

Here's a question for ya...how do you induce feeding? He's managed to make a burrow facing the wrong way, but he's burrowed all the way through, so I can see his little tail sticking out the front. I've got clam, scallops, shrimp and crab, as well as a few red and blue hermit crabs crawling in there. When I stick a piece of meat on a chopstick and tap the rock he's under, he'll whip around, smack the stick and turn back around. He just ignores the crabs...


Any suggestions?

Or...conversely, how long before he starts feeding? I dont' mean to sound materialistic, but driving 3 hours and spending $40 to watch him waste away doesn't seem like a very good investment to me...

[rwhhunt]

Give him time, it might take a week or so before he recognizes that you are the one who feeds him, it took my wennerae about a month, and my peacock about a day....so it varies...