Many people think the mantis shrimp is the spawn of Satan and all of these creatures should be exterminated. This post will hopefully make you think twice about killing one if you find it hiding in your live rock.
How do these get in an aquarium?
Mantis shrimp are most commonly found in aquariums that are just set up, however they can be found in aquariums that have been set up for years. The main reason you may find a mantis shrimp in you tank is you have just bought live rock, many species of mantis shrimp live in holes dug into the rock. The most common species that is found hitchhiking into you tank is
N. wennerae. These shrimp can be found on live rock from Florida.
How do I know if i have a mantis shrimp?
Most people think that they have a mantis because they here clicking noises at night or their fish are dying, this however is not the case. When your fish start to die it is most likely your water chemistry. The sure fire way to tell if you have a mantis is if you find snail and hermit crab shells broken open. The other way to tell is if you actually see the shrimp.
What do I do if I have one?
Chances are that if you do have a mantis shrimp that it is a smasher, the name explains it, the way they catch their prey is by smashing it to death. A smasher will prey on hermit crabs and small shrimp, they almost never harm fish. The only reason a smasher will harm a fish is in self defense or it has run out of invertebrates to eat and has to resort to eating a fish.
If you have a spearer however it is most likely P. ciliata. The most common fish eating mantis shrimp. If you find a mantis and don’t want it in your main tank then set up a small tank for it, most hitchhikers only grow to 2.5 inches in length. If you don’t like them at all then sell it to you local fish store. Then if you local fish store will not take it, just give it to some on reef central, there are plenty of people that cant find a mantis that wants one.
Common myths about Mantis shrimp
- Mantis shrimp will break the glass of your aquarium. This is half true, the only mantis that can do this is a peacock mantis shrimp, and this is when they are full grown at 8 inches long, this only happens in small tanks such as a 20 gallon, the mantis will try to dig, when it hits the bottom of the aquarium the mantis will think the glass is a rock and bash at it to remove the obstacle.
- A mantis shrimp can cut you finger off. This is 100% false, while some 8 inch specimens can break a finger, they can not cut you finger off. You may here of a case when this happened, but the finger was removed by amputation do to infection.
-A Mantis shrimp can smack an object at the speed of a .22 caliber bullet. Once again this is only with a fully grown 8 inch peacock mantis shrimp.
I hope this will teach alot of people that mantis shrimp are not bad animals and should be treated with respect like any other marine creature.
How do these get in an aquarium?
Mantis shrimp are most commonly found in aquariums that are just set up, however they can be found in aquariums that have been set up for years. The main reason you may find a mantis shrimp in you tank is you have just bought live rock, many species of mantis shrimp live in holes dug into the rock. The most common species that is found hitchhiking into you tank is
N. wennerae. These shrimp can be found on live rock from Florida.
How do I know if i have a mantis shrimp?
Most people think that they have a mantis because they here clicking noises at night or their fish are dying, this however is not the case. When your fish start to die it is most likely your water chemistry. The sure fire way to tell if you have a mantis is if you find snail and hermit crab shells broken open. The other way to tell is if you actually see the shrimp.
What do I do if I have one?
Chances are that if you do have a mantis shrimp that it is a smasher, the name explains it, the way they catch their prey is by smashing it to death. A smasher will prey on hermit crabs and small shrimp, they almost never harm fish. The only reason a smasher will harm a fish is in self defense or it has run out of invertebrates to eat and has to resort to eating a fish.
If you have a spearer however it is most likely P. ciliata. The most common fish eating mantis shrimp. If you find a mantis and don’t want it in your main tank then set up a small tank for it, most hitchhikers only grow to 2.5 inches in length. If you don’t like them at all then sell it to you local fish store. Then if you local fish store will not take it, just give it to some on reef central, there are plenty of people that cant find a mantis that wants one.
Common myths about Mantis shrimp
- Mantis shrimp will break the glass of your aquarium. This is half true, the only mantis that can do this is a peacock mantis shrimp, and this is when they are full grown at 8 inches long, this only happens in small tanks such as a 20 gallon, the mantis will try to dig, when it hits the bottom of the aquarium the mantis will think the glass is a rock and bash at it to remove the obstacle.
- A mantis shrimp can cut you finger off. This is 100% false, while some 8 inch specimens can break a finger, they can not cut you finger off. You may here of a case when this happened, but the finger was removed by amputation do to infection.
-A Mantis shrimp can smack an object at the speed of a .22 caliber bullet. Once again this is only with a fully grown 8 inch peacock mantis shrimp.
I hope this will teach alot of people that mantis shrimp are not bad animals and should be treated with respect like any other marine creature.
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