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#1
12/17/2007, 07:38 PM
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Update on Chucky/Review from Stomatopod.com
So this is basically going to be an update on my Mantis, Chucky, as well as a basic review of www.Stomatopod.com where I ordered him.
I originally asked in my order comments for him to be shipped out on Thursday so I could receive him on my day off, Friday. I ordered him early Monday morning, so I thought this wouldn't be a problem. Within a few hours, I had confirmation of my order -- great! but then, I noticed I had a FedEx tracking number that was going to be delivered on Tuesday! Oh no! While a little frustrating, it wasn't a HUGE deal. I simply asked my boss if I could switch Friday for Tuesday... while reluctant, he obliged. Monday evening is spent making sure my tank is going to be fully ready... checking parameters and all equipment is working fine. I've had the tank setup for nearly three months with nothing in it waiting for a mantis. Everything checks out, I'm ready! Tuesday morning comes and FedEx is a bit late -- no big deal. The packaging is great! They have a custom box and it's clearly labeled "Fragile" and "This end up" "Handle With Care, Live Animal." Inside the box is a Styrofoam box that fits quite snugly in the cardboard shipping box. Once that's open, there's my beautiful creature -- double wrapped in plastic bags with plenty of water and air. Acclimation went great, and Chucky immediately sought out shelter. The next 36 hours were conducted vigorously making a burrow, like he's had blueprints in his head for my exact tank his whole life. Incredible architects. So with one semi-critical error on Stomotapod.com's behalf, my mantis is here and healthy for the most part... let's go on to the update with him. I've had him nearly three weeks now, and he's ate all but one of my snails. He rarely comes out of his burrow to scope out the tank. I had to peel my snails off the glass and present them just outside his burrow, then he'd come out and give them a good thwacking. I thought maybe he'd also enjoy my Hermits... but he hasn't really touched them, either. I put them outside his burrow almost once a day, and he doesn't even give them a look, most of the time he tosses them out. Worried his inactivity may be caused by him not be eating enough (I knew I had enough livestock to feed him for a while at least) I went to my poopy and expensive LFS and picked up a sheet of frozen krill for him. He LOVES these things! I've been feeding him quite a few every day for the last three or four days, and I've noticed a slight rise in activity. I make him come out of his burrow and "tease" him with the krill by moving across my tank so he HAS to go a ways to get it... it's hit or miss whether he does or doesn't go for it. Youtube video of him getting a krill He seems healthy and active, and it's probably just his personality... but I can't help but feel a bit worried for his well-being. Can anyone console me? Thank you. |
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#2
12/17/2007, 08:12 PM
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I think it takes awhile for a mantis to be confident in its environment. They are so intelligent that I can see how they would be shy at first- until they realize that they rule their own little world now. They are now top predator- a big difference from the ocean.
What are you holding the krill with??? I use a bamboo skewer- but it looks like you are using a wooden tweezer? chopsticks?? I will have to try krill for my g. ternatensis. I use silversides in Mason's food rotation- but they seem messy and they do not seem as clean for the tank. The shrimp and squid does not have alot of "waste" and unappetizing bits like the silversides do. Is the krill a "clean" meal- do you think? Julie |
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#3
12/17/2007, 08:17 PM
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I use a wooden dowel with a bamboo chopstick rubber banded to it :P It works pretty well.
The krill are pretty clean, a few bits come off them sometimes, but my hermits like to munch on them so it works out. I got a decent sized sheet of the frozen krill for $15, and they are on average about an inch big. I've been feeding him anywhere from 10-20 a day, trying to give him enough time in between to eat them. If you feed too fast he'll have like 6 pressed up against his "chest" area. It's pretty comical. I haven't tried the squids yet, considering that and the Silversides... but if they're really messy I'll probably skip on that. Thanks for the advice on them being shy... I'm trying to make him more comfortable with the tank by making him chase the krill all the way across to the other side. Sometimes he realizes how far away from "home" he is and darts back in. |
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#4
12/17/2007, 08:53 PM
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Yeah stomatopod.com looks pretty promising....Have you joined the stomatopod.com forums? Anyways....your overfeeding your peacock. A full peacock is a lazy peacock. Suggested feeding is once every 2-3 days (a good balance between boring and nutrition) and once a week soaked in selcon or a similar food supplement. You should also rotate between 2 or 3 frozen foods and offer live, hard shelled foods as often as possible, at least once a month for raptorial appendage health. And one last thing-peacocks are notable for burying food under sand if offered to much, leading to deteriorated water quality
 Dan
__________________
This laughter is ill-informed! "Sanity? What would I do with something as useless as that?" -Kennpachi |
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#5
12/17/2007, 08:56 PM
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He barely ate anything his first week, just one small snail. And he's only eating what's offered to him. I watch him eat every krill so he doesn't bury them. He's been rather "lazy" whether he didn't eat for a week, or just ate a few minutes ago. Either way he rarely leaves his burrow.
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#6
12/17/2007, 08:57 PM
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I think it really comes down to the individual as much as the species. I have two smithiis the larger one is quite reclusive and like yours will come out of his hole when encouraged.
The smaller one is much more inquisitive and will often come out of his hole and watch me do things to my other tanks. I was a bit surprised at the difference between two mantis of the same species but it convinced me some of them are just explorers and others just sit and watch the world go by...
__________________
"Rulers weren't made to be broken" |
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#7
12/17/2007, 09:02 PM
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I'll cut back on the feedings for a while... I was hoping for a more active Mantis, but oh well
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#8
12/17/2007, 09:09 PM
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They are pretty cool once they get settled in. But it does depend mostly on the individual. Give it a month before you decide it is boring lol
 Dan
__________________
This laughter is ill-informed! "Sanity? What would I do with something as useless as that?" -Kennpachi |
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#9
12/18/2007, 05:43 PM
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So I'm home from work today sick.... And Chucky has been coming a foot or so out of his burrow. Exciting!
AND, I was working on my photography with my crappy point and shoot... I can't wait to get my DSLR! They'll be much better... but here they are.  
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#12
12/18/2007, 11:16 PM
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Glad he is doing well. I agree a little time to settle in makes a world of differance . That does look like a penny...
 but I think it's a fallen snails trap door . Keep us updated.
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#13
12/19/2007, 01:02 AM
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That is definitely NOT a penny. Gangsta Nemo was correct, it's a snail's trap.
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#14
12/19/2007, 01:11 AM
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And for all those GnR fans....Chucky was "Knock Knock Knocking at his trap door"! Sorry could'nt resist..
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#15
12/19/2007, 08:32 PM
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So, while still home sick from work... I decided to "mess" with Chucky a little bit.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pBFoRM7OjWE I was laughing so hard during this... hahahhaha. |
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#16
12/19/2007, 08:37 PM
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OMFG that was hilarious! Holy crap! I wouldn't do it too often don't wanna damage those eyes
But still funny as hell!Dan
__________________
This laughter is ill-informed! "Sanity? What would I do with something as useless as that?" -Kennpachi |
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#17
12/19/2007, 08:39 PM
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I was careful to avoid the eyes.
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#18
12/21/2007, 12:00 AM
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That would be intresting to see if you could teach him to hunt a food of choice using that pointer. I agree very funny video.
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#19
12/21/2007, 08:22 AM
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Sorry to be a picture whore... but ever since I made that post he's been much more active! He sometimes watches my monitor (It's a 42" LCD TV in my room) when I'm at it, so maybe he saw it! On a side not, he watched most of an entire movie with me today! Haha.
Anyways, his activity demanded more pictures... and I obliged!    If the pictures are beginning to be too much, just yell at me to stop and I will! I just get quite bored home sick from work :P |
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