how safe is it to stick your hands in the tank

manderx · #1 08/09/2002, 08:32 PM

how safe is it to stick your hands in the tank
with a mantis? i just got this girl for my 7 bowfront:

she's about the size of my thumb.

the tank has been setup for a few months now, but i have so much rock in there i don't think i'll ever see her. so if i stick my hands in to rearrange/remove rock, how close can i get without having to worry too much about getting popped (and how much does it hurt/bleed if i do get popped)?

also, i have a shield/elephant slug in there that hitchhiked in on a coral in my real tank, will it be lunch?

Fcamdog · #2 08/10/2002, 01:17 AM

You get to know how your mantis will react after a while. Just go slow at it and try to watch her. Sometimes feeding first will distract them.

johnqx4 · #3 08/13/2002, 08:48 AM

just wanted to comment... that is one of the prettiest mantis shrimp that i have ever seen. i'd kill for one like that...

jg

ADHybrid · #4 08/13/2002, 07:45 PM

lol..I seriously stick my hands in my mantis tank all the time. I have some corals I have been propagating in there and I sometimes have to harvest. I also must use a credit card to scrape some of the coraline off the bottom of the front glass. All you got to do is be aware of where the mantis is at. For instance, when I clean off the glass, I make sure the mantis is either in a cave, or behind some liverock. (lol..which is like ALL the time). I guess its like the people that feed the lions at the zoo, they are not scared $h|tless because they have learned to become aware of where the beasts are at all time. Hope that Helps.

DreamScape · #5 08/14/2002, 03:57 AM

got whacked by my mantis today!
/

Agilecrux · #6 08/20/2002, 01:55 PM

when i had my 6" peacock i would hand feed it w/o any problem. what i did was slowly move my hand closer to the peacock every time i went to feed it untill the mantis would gently grap the food from my hand. i would also see what kind of reaction the mantis would give me with my hand getting closer to the mantis.

with any animal they will let you know that they feel dangered, just have to know what the signs are.

but be warned my current mantis a 3" G. mutatus is very jumpy and i will not attempt to hand feed this one. i can put my hand in the tank when i need to though. i just keep an open eye on it at all times.

with having a few mantis's i have learned that not every mantis has the same traits. this is independant from species to species.

just be careful

Fcamdog · #7 08/20/2002, 02:02 PM

How's that shrimp doing Agilecrux? I have seen a lot of P. ciliata this last couple of weeks snorkling, but not many G. mutatus.

Agilecrux · #8 08/20/2002, 02:23 PM

doing great actually.

slow on the growth but thats expected w/ them.

P. ciliata huh. still would like to get one but no room right now for it. in the future though.

i didnt see your post here. i actually posted a reply under a diff. post to you.

Leopardshark · #9 08/20/2002, 04:41 PM

Honestly, I donÂ´t understand why would anybody buy such a horrible monster!!!!

I know that it is a pretty mantis compared to others, but I would preefer to buy a little fish or snail rather than that thing.

Death Shrimp99 · #10 08/20/2002, 05:59 PM

Hey that mantis shrimp looks exacly like mine! really i couldent tell the diffrence. Did you steal mine

oh and by the way, leopard shark this is your 1000th post

Leopardshark · #11 08/20/2002, 08:47 PM

Yes Death Shrimp, that was my 1000 post.
gotta love this site

Ananda · #12 08/21/2002, 07:13 AM

>Honestly, I donÂ´t understand why would anybody buy such a horrible monster!!!!

"Horrible" and "monster" are in the mind of the beholder....
How is a mantis horrible? It kills what it eats, and it eats what it kills. That's no different from a lot of other creatures.
How is a mantis a monster? It looks no stranger than a lobster, and less strange than some creatures. It does not kill out of dislike, but out of hunger.

Why people buy mantises (pick one or more):
- they are very colorful
- they are usually small and can be kept in a small tank
- they "look cool"
- they are intelligent (a lot more intelligent than most fish)
- they are perfectly designed/adapted/evolved* for what they do (*pick one or more, depending on your personal beliefs)
- they come in a variety of sizes and colors; two individuals of the same species can look *very* different
- there is a chance that you will get an odd one -- either one that is a rare color morph or a rare species (or maybe, just maybe, a new species....)
- they are easy to feed and will eat a fairly wide variety of foods

BTW, this list is from the woman who doesn't even have a mantis yet....

Leopardshark · #13 08/21/2002, 04:49 PM

Leopardshark · #14 08/21/2002, 04:51 PM

BTW, a big mantis can hurt you very badly.
A mantis hit equals a .22 gun.

BTW a blue ring octopus is one of the prettiest creatures IÂ´ve ever seen, and I didnÂ´t bought it because it could hurt me.

Ananda · #15 08/21/2002, 05:32 PM

> A mantis hit equals a .22 gun.
Not always. Most mantis shrimp are too small for a hit to be that powerful.

>BTW a blue ring octopus is one of the prettiest creatures IÂ´ve ever seen, and I didnÂ´t bought it because it could hurt me.

Bad analogy. A blue-ring octopus sting will kill you. A mantis might break your finger. Lionfish, large puffers, or large triggers might be a better analogy -- the sting or bite can hurt you, but people keep them anyway and just be careful around them. Shoot, I got stung by a bristle worm last night as I was trying to get rid of some valonia, but I don't think too many people advocate getting rid of every bristle worm in the tank.

Leopardshark · #16 08/21/2002, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Not always. Most mantis shrimp are too small for a hit to be that powerful.

CanÂ´t you see I said BIG????

Quote:

Bad analogy. A blue-ring octopus sting will kill you. A mantis might break your finger

Now I feel sooo relieved!!!!!