Dane's Mantis Tank! Stomatopod madness!

Tank is looking great. Im sure it will give the new recruit tons of fun
 
Thanks Johan! :)

Hey Mirage,
I will take some pics tomorrow and update - lights off now! Got some new rock which is busy cycling in a bucket outside - I'm really chuffed! (THANK YOU DAVID!! [459b]).

Hmmmm... Now all it needs is a mantis and a little blue crab! Wonder where I'll find some one of those.... @Mirage

Hehehehe
D
 
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Hee Hee.... I am watching the little blue crab creeping inside the rock right now actually. He doesn't like me spying on him... As for the Mantis you know I have more than my share, just a pity they are so small and anti-social right now.... I am gonna head out for a new light source this weekend, it will help to have the propper lighting! Perhaps I should let you take Diablo, he is in my smallest rock and hopefully you will be able to see him in your tank. If you don't like him, he will always be welcome back home.
 
Ah! Thats awesome!! Those porcelain crabs are my absolute favourite!! :D
And you can't give me diablo! He's your little spud man! I'll take whatever one you can get out - don't worry about it being anti-social! :) Part of the challenge is getting them to associate me with food, and thus getting them out and about whenever you're around :)
 
Since the move they don't come out, I only hear them. Diablo has every possible hole in his rock blocked up with pebbles. I managed to get a glimpse of Mufasa's legs in the one rock. And I haven't seen or heard from the one that I anticipate might be a pistol but won't let me see him, and I think I just moved the other mantis from the main tank. Waiting for lights out and we will see if there is ticking.
Hopefully he is out and I can put my tank back together. I only have LR and fish. We tried to get corals in the beginining and lost about R6k worth of Corals, so I haven't gone down that road again. Now I am feeding all the correct foods and providing all the correct suppliments.
I want to get grassy type "corals" and a few really hardy frags to decorate the mantis tank. B is moaning about me wasting the expensive suppliments and planktos, etc on a "tank full of rocks". I am using it to breed bugs for my mandarin which is why I'm tryin to find the spaghetti algae that they sell on reef hot spot, but I can't find it locally.
 
Mirage said:
I want to get grassy type "corals" and a few really hardy frags to decorate the mantis tank.
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I can offer you some pulsing xenia for free. Its pretty hardy stuff. Also have some star poyps - both green and brown, although smaller frags of those. Shouldnt be a problem they grow like weeds.

Mirage said:
B is moaning about me wasting the expensive suppliments and planktos, etc on a "tank full of rocks".
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Fair point tho, you can probably make a very inexpensive seafood blend to feed the pods - if this is even necessary.

DIY coral food?! - Marine Aquariums of South Africa

DIYFoodFAQs

Mirage said:
I'm tryin to find the spaghetti algae that they sell on reef hot spot, but I can't find it locally.
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Spaghetti algae? can you post a link to a pic?

Like this?

47a1f79b-19251.jpg


If its chaetomorpha (above) then it should be very easy to get a hold of. Most nearby reefer should have some to donate. I can also give you some of this.
 
Got some new rock which is busy cycling in a bucket outside - I'm really chuffed! (THANK YOU DAVID!! [459b]).
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My pleasure.

We still waiting for updated pics of this tank....
 
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My Mantis are gay :( no offense to the gay members, but they love peace and seem to "share" with the crabs?! Everytime I feed I just see pinchers coming out from all over the place!! They are EVERYWHERE, even a gorilla crab, which is smaller than the mantis has taken his home in the rock next to Diablo?! I only feed every 2 days and yet the mantis still allow the crabs to share the LR with them?? At this rate I will never be rid of the hitchiker crabs??!! The only one I want to keep is the filter feeding one and that's only cause I am tryin to catch him for your collection! Diablo has a red diamond shape on the back of his - for lack of the correct name,"head"... Its very wierd??!! When Cell C EVENTUALLY give me my 2gigs for this month, I will upload a pic of the crab I showed to Dave and will try to get a pic of the Diamond! The mantis have become very nocturnal and the second the light goes off the ticking starts. Oh and Diablo ticks at dinner time, he knows when I come home from work and starts tickin till I drop a block of krill in.
He is so clever, he makes a current and somehow uses it to draw in any food near to his hole. Very very smart guy! Tryin to see Mufasa again... Very frustrating!! Such amazing creatures, but this particular breed is very small and very anti-social... A Peacock is truely a prize... I wonder if we can order those? But he would not be able to live in the mantis sanctuary... Gonna ask the local LFS. He who is not to be named has 2 of them!!! How cool is that!!

What happened to the pics??
 
ziyaadb said:
dude you have just made me want to get a nano setup just for a mantis:thumbup:
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YESSSSSS! I want to see a thread! ;-)

Mirage said:
My Mantis are gay :( no offense to the gay members, but they love peace and seem to "share" with the crabs?! Everytime I feed I just see pinchers coming out from all over the place!! They are EVERYWHERE, even a gorilla crab, which is smaller than the mantis has taken his home in the rock next to Diablo?! I only feed every 2 days and yet the mantis still allow the crabs to share the LR with them?? At this rate I will never be rid of the hitchiker crabs??!! The only one I want to keep is the filter feeding one and that's only cause I am tryin to catch him for your collection! Diablo has a red diamond shape on the back of his - for lack of the correct name,"head"... Its very wierd??!! When Cell C EVENTUALLY give me my 2gigs for this month, I will upload a pic of the crab I showed to Dave and will try to get a pic of the Diamond! The mantis have become very nocturnal and the second the light goes off the ticking starts. Oh and Diablo ticks at dinner time, he knows when I come home from work and starts tickin till I drop a block of krill in.
He is so clever, he makes a current and somehow uses it to draw in any food near to his hole. Very very smart guy! Tryin to see Mufasa again... Very frustrating!! Such amazing creatures, but this particular breed is very small and very anti-social... A Peacock is truely a prize... I wonder if we can order those? But he would not be able to live in the mantis sanctuary... Gonna ask the local LFS. He who is not to be named has 2 of them!!! How cool is that!!

What happened to the pics??
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HAHAHAHA! Classic!
Well that is bizarre. Maybe its cause you're keeping them well fed and they're so small.

I managed to habituate my mantis to a diurnal life by feeding him only during the day - and making him come out for his food. I would tie a piece of prawn to the end of a piece of cotton and dangle it near his cave. Gradually I would increase the distance he would have to swim to come get it.

I wish I had the time to come and fetch your terrors :( :( I desperately want one - and the filter feeder crab!!! I will come ASAP when I've handed in my thesis at the end of the month. Hmph. Let me know if you put pics up!

Will take pics of my tank soon!

D
 
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lool man i want a planted tank with the mantis and a couple chromis. on the look out for a jewel aquarium to setup for this project that i have in mind
 
A macro tank with a mantis would be awesome @ziyaadb. The chromis are pretty tough/fast fish so they might get by - and if not, I spose they're an expensive treat for the mantis. I really like the Jewel aquariums, nice finishes etc. Looking forward to it! :)
 
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Bloody hell thats a cheap price for that setup, and an AMAZING setup for a nano - you could grow ANYTHING in there! :thumbup: Gonna be the most plush mantis setup I ever did see! Hahahaha :)
 
lool man i dont have money fo all that just want the tank and maybe 1 or 2 other things. want it connected to my main system, so that the macros are filtering the water. lets hope he comes on in the near future.
 
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