Mantis Shrimp Behavior

sytanek · #1 03/06/2007, 09:38 AM

Well after getting my awesome rock from TBS, I have found 2 mantis shrimp, I have found new owners for both of them, but am slightly worried about their behavior. As I can not get them to their new homes until this weekend, I want to make sure they are doing ok. They are both in a QT tank at the moment.

My question is both of them seem to be laying on their backs with their little legs moving rapidly. Is this normal or a sign of some sort? Thanks for your help!

Thurge · #2 03/06/2007, 11:00 AM

My N.wennera almost always napped on his side or back. As long as they respond to stimula by righting themselves and acting I wouldn't worry.

DanInSD · #3 03/06/2007, 01:58 PM

As long as water parameters are fine, and they have places to hide (toss in a few well-cleaned PVC fittings, for instance) they should be OK. My peacock lays on her side inside her burrow was well.

sytanek · #4 03/06/2007, 01:59 PM

They are n. wennerae and they have pvc pieces, so hopefully its just behavior I'm not used to

Params are perfect, so that shouldnt be an issue.

Thanks guys!

Gordonious · #5 03/06/2007, 02:12 PM

Glad you posted about this, I would have been worried as well. I plan on getting one in the future and had no idea they did this. I wonder why, this is a very vulnerable position. Perhaps small fish might they they are dead and they could rip off a leg for a snack, then end up being a snack. Perhaps it just feels good or is something to do when your bored.

sytanek · #6 03/06/2007, 03:48 PM

I'm not sure, but i was freaked out when he did it.

Dan Thrash · #7 03/10/2007, 01:49 PM

just a question....i'm thinking of getting an N. Wennerae from TBS...what colors were the two you got?

Ulric · #8 03/16/2007, 10:38 PM

...glad someone had asked this.

I found a small 1" mantis in my rock after aquascaping. Had to resort to a couple shots to carbonated water and a pin to open the entrance, then tapping the rock for it to come out. Had a small bowl with tank water to place it in...as soon as it was out of the rock, it was on it's back. Put the lid on the bow and placed it back into the tank... and noticed the 'legs' moving although it's still laying upside down.

figured that perhaps it was attempting to 'play dead'. Going to have to pull out my 10gal for this. Nice blue hue to the bugger.

Gonodactylus · #9 03/16/2007, 11:21 PM

Are the two animals able to get to one another. It sounds like they have been fighting. If you have to keep two or more animals in a refugia for a few days, DO NOT put them in with just a couple of pieces of pvc. Take a couple of half liter water bottle and punch a bunch of hole in them. Put the animal in the bottles, one per bottle. They will be fine for several days. If you want to feed them, unscrew the lid and put in a TINY piece of shrimp or other food. If they don't eat it in a few hours, remove it and don't try feeding them again for a few days.

Roy

sytanek · #10 03/17/2007, 09:14 AM

I had 4 of them in the same qt tank and they were fine for a week.

Gonodactylus · #11 03/17/2007, 06:25 PM

Then I guess you already had your answer - they must be fine.

N wennerae are highly territorial and even if they don't immediately injure one another, eventually as they molt, they will pick one another off. With a large tank and lots of different sized cavities, a few animals can coexist for weeks or even months, but if a new molt can't escape, it will be in trouble. The key is in having natural cavities with an opening that is just the diameter of the occupant. This gives the animal a strong positional advantage. As occurs in the field, with lots of different sized animals sorting themselves out amount different sized cavities, you can get high densities (the record that I can remember was a piece of coral rubble about the size of breadbox that had 22 N. bredini, N. oerstedii, and N. austrinus.

Roy