Any suggestions would be great!

[BALISTIK]

Hey all! I'm fairly new to the world of mantis shrimp. Once I saw them in action I was hooked! I've been lurking on this site for quiet sometime and researching but I could still use a bit more help.

I've already gotten an original 12 gallon nano cube.

A buddy of mine suggests i get 5 gallons of water from his tank and the rest i would buy pre-made.

He also suggests I get about 10 lbs of live sand for the bottom of the tank but he doesnt know which type of LS I should get.

I've also got a 3-inch in diameter t-shaped pvc to use as his home, but i would still like to get rocks to surround the pvc but I dont know what type of rock i should be getting.

I would love to hear any and all of your suggestions of what i could do to give the mantis shrimp a happy home.

Much appreciated!

[DanInSD]

OK. Let's get started

A 12 gal nano-cube can handle up to a "medium-sized" mantis -- G. chiragra, *maybe* a G. ternatensis, but that's about it. No peacocks in this tank! A nice one to consider might be a spearer like P. ciliata.

With the smaller mantis, 3" diameter tubes are too big. They seem to prefer "tighter fits". Luckily you can experiment after you get your critter.

If you're new to marine aquaria, pick up "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner and memorize it. Then read it again It's the best book on marine aquaria that I have ever seen.

If you're not, set up the tank as you would for soft corals. Use sugar-fine live sand (I do 2 lbs/gallon), live rock (I do 1 lb/gallon), and a reasonable amount of light. If you're using PC's or T5's you can pretty much "go for it". If using halide lighting make sure you provided plenty of shaded areas in the tank.

For "burrow construction" I take some branched live rock and go at it with a screwdriver/chisel and hammer, breaking it into a pile of pieces from about 1/2" to 1" in size. Most mantis will be able use use these to "decorate".

For filtration, I like skimmers and heavy chemical/physical filtration for mantis tanks. I run a good skimmer (AquaC Remora) and a AquaClear filter with PolyFilter and PhosGuard. Given that mantis are messy eaters, you'll need more filtration than you would for, say, damsels/chromis. You're likely to get algae.

An advantage to a spearer, in this regard, is that you can have a full cleanup crew.

Set up the tank, let it cycle, get your parameters stable, and then (*only* then) introduce the mantis. I'm a fan of setting up a tank and letting it sit at least 4-6 weeks before introducing any critters.

Dan

[BALISTIK]

Thanks for the feedback!

What if I take pre-made salt water and mix it with the water from my buddies tank, is that a good idea?

Also, can you clearify whats PC and T5 stands for?

[Conductive]

Where exactly are you from, Balistik? Chances are good that my P. Ciliata will be grown up and ready for a new home by the time you have your tank set up and cycled. As you can see, im from Ventura so we might not live far away.

PC= power compact (brighter flourescent). T5= regular flourecent
not much danger of too much light from either

as far as the water goes... I don't think so. Im new myself, but im pretty sure the only way around cycling (which takes 2 months)your tank is to stock it with with established or cured LR (live rock) full of all the good kind of bacteria. The stuff you get at your LFS doesnt qualify. Also, be sure to read up on the stickys in the "new to the hobby" forum.

[DanInSD]

Time to start reading. Get the book I mentioned

If you try to take shortcuts in marine aquaria, you will inevitably end up frustrated with lots of dead things in your tank. Take the time and spend the money to do it right, or choose another hobby.

Dan

[spectrascott]

Not sure about you guys but most of the LFS around me sell cured LR. So there is no waiting for the rock to cure. You can buy it that way but it just sucks have ing to wait a month for the cycle.

I myself have been reading up in this forum about the Mantis and have read alot of good things. Am looking for a small cube myself for a little critter. Have been eying one a LFS has had for a month or so.

[yiliyang]

Dude, just do it already. The only thing that will kill a mantis is chemicals, high level of nitrate. If you get everything you mentioned in your thread and have been reading the forum, you are more ready for the shrimp than 98% of the people lurking on this forum.
Don't let people scare or discourage you. You are on the right approach, just have to get in there and do it.

cured LR, water from your buddy, a little sand is all you need. Light is really optional, but full spectrum day light will make them a bit more colorful after next molt.

Good luck

[ck1]

Depending on the LFS and how long the live rock has been there it may not be fully cured. I would make sure to test your water to make sure you are not having a mini cycle from die off from transporting the rock, or if the rock was not fully cured.
IMO, one of the best places to get liverock is from an established tank- if someone in your area is offering some for sale. It is usually cheaper than a LFS and rock that has been in a system for a couple of years has alot of "live" stuff.

[BALISTIK]

much appreciated with the input

I am going to get the ball rolling this weekend and get my tank set up and when all signs point to clear i will go looking for a mantis.

[BALISTIK]

I have the tank set-up with live sand and sea water. I didnt end up using my buddies water because some of his fish had died from some sort of disease so i just opted to use NSW.

Going to go pick up some live rock next. Once I have the LR in there do i still need to add a shrimp in there to decompose or will the combo of the LR and LS be sufficient for my cycle?

Also, is it necessary to keep the light on from time to time during the cycle?

[Agu]

The combo of live rock/live sand is sufficient to create a cycle. I prefer to add a small amount of food daily also. Not a lot of food, just a pinch, seems to move the cycle along without creating a huge ammonia spike.

I'd run the lighting you plan on using. Never know if there's life on the rock you may want to keep.

[BALISTIK]

What up my mantis peeps!?!

So I've had the tank up and running for just over two weeks now! I think things are going "ok." I have three astrea snails in there chillin.

I seem to have a lot of cyanobacteria (reddish brown stuff mostly on the LR, not so much the sand) but the snails seem to do an ok job of handling that, however i notice they poo a lot!

I've also recently noticed these white organisms that seem to crawl or fly i dont know. When i turn my lighting on it seems they scurry away from the surface and some just crawl around the sides of the tank. Pretty cool to watch actually.

Also, there seems to be, i guess i can describe it as [tony]fibers[/soprano] floating around.

I'm guessing this is all normal cycling behavior, but this is my first tank so im not 100% sure.

What do y'all think?

[everl0ng]

those little white organisms are called pods. they are a good sign. they are good for your tank. a lot of marine animals feed off of them.

[BALISTIK]

thanks, great to see that my tank is on the right track.

however i think i might have an aiptasia!!