Sharks
- Thread starter CoolWaters
- Start date
Big54bob, there are several people on this site, and thousands of people across the 'net who keep mantis shrimp safely in aquariums. They need to be kept in tanks pretty much by themselves since they will kill and eat other tank inhabitants when they get large.
That doesn't mean they can't be kept, it means they can't be kept with other creatures.
They are very pretty shrimp, with lots of personality, and generally well worth the effort of keeping.
Please do not post such strong advice if you are unfamiliar with the topic being discussed.
~JW
That doesn't mean they can't be kept, it means they can't be kept with other creatures.
They are very pretty shrimp, with lots of personality, and generally well worth the effort of keeping.
Please do not post such strong advice if you are unfamiliar with the topic being discussed.
~JW
there is only one type of mantis shrimp that i know can do that and it's the peacock and it's because the people who own then dont take care of them right. but i'm sure if you check on RC and look at the mantis shrimp area there isn't one post saying my mantis broke the tank! anyways go with a mantis they are cool to watch eat and just watch them figure stuff out. i'm thinking of doing it once i finish setting up my sump/refuge 
I would second the mantis idea if you can find one and you have the time and effort to take care of them. They do need very clean tanks wich is hard because they ar very messy eaters. Also they do require live food once in a while, if the mantis doesnt have life food to smash then it will lose its raptoral appendages. They are very colorful animals and very intelligent, studies have shown that most species are as intelligent as octopi, and some are even smarter. If you want to do one be sure to attach any coral frags that are small to rock. The mantis will build a tunnel out of hollowed out rock. Be sure to get a piece of rock that already has a hole in it. Mantis shrimp also like to dig, so a sand bed of 2" is best.
Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium
this is a good site to find a species you like, it also shows the tank requirments for each species and what that species feeds on
Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium
this is a good site to find a species you like, it also shows the tank requirments for each species and what that species feeds on
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thats a good idea big bob... id start paying attention more, and sleeping less...
also, that episode of most extreme was about a peacock mantis. yes, they ARE capeable of tank busting, but thats when they are larger. this is discouraged by a deep sand bed for them to dig in, and a layer of plexi glass on the bottom or the aquarium. not all mantis shrimp are capable of doing this. saying all mantis shrimp are bad is like saying all bacteria is bad.
also, that episode of most extreme was about a peacock mantis. yes, they ARE capeable of tank busting, but thats when they are larger. this is discouraged by a deep sand bed for them to dig in, and a layer of plexi glass on the bottom or the aquarium. not all mantis shrimp are capable of doing this. saying all mantis shrimp are bad is like saying all bacteria is bad.
In reality no mantis is "bad". They just do what comes natural to them. If some one complains about a 6 inch Odontodactylus scyllarus breaks their 10 gallon, they shouldnt have kept it in a tank with that thin of glass and no roaming room. Also when a mantis hitchs into somes tank on a piece of liverock, the person bought the mantis' rightful home. The mantis probably didnt plan on getting put into a tank with no natural food. Thats when it starts killing fish. A mantis would choose a small hermit over a fish.