Looky what I found......

Pez Vela · 06/08/2007, 03:19 PM

I was messing around cleaning my sump and equipment and this little guy was hiding between the glass of my overflow chamber and my PH probe...... Sorry the bad pic, he is only 3/8" - 1/2" long. I have been feeding him shrimp and he "wacks" the toothpick with authority everytime I put it in front of his face.

I guess I will post this in the "Mantis Forum" for ID. He is bright green, almost fluorescent. I am going to keep him in one of the compartments of my sump. Obviously he is very young and I have had my tank setup for 2 years! Makes me wonder if there are more and perhaps a "mommy" in my tank somewhere? Gulp.......

corals b 4 bills · 06/08/2007, 03:51 PM

Good to know he's in the sump and not the display.

caesar Gdi · 06/08/2007, 04:01 PM

cool... has he snapped yet?

Pea-brain · 06/08/2007, 04:40 PM

I posted this in the mantis forum, but I would like to dispel all worries in a more mainstream setting: Mantis shrimp can breed in your system, BUT YOU WILL NEVER EVER GET A LARVAE TO SURVIVE ON ACCIDENT. Ok, sorry about that, but I think it needs to be said. I know, I know, I hate LONG strings of capitals too, makes me feel like I'm being yelled at. That being said, I will dispel another myth: A 1/2" mantis won't kill anything important, don't freak out if you see one in your tank. I doubt it could kill a nass. And it can take a year for a larvae to to grow 1" (with a 1 month period between being born to leaving larvae in most gonodactylids.) So there isn't a huge hurry. Also, I hope the thing has a little piece of LR to burrow in and a few small peices of rubble to make a door for when it molts. Good luck!

06/08/2007, 03:19 PM	#1
Pez Vela Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northern, CA Posts: 469	Looky what I found...... I was messing around cleaning my sump and equipment and this little guy was hiding between the glass of my overflow chamber and my PH probe...... Sorry the bad pic, he is only 3/8" - 1/2" long. I have been feeding him shrimp and he "wacks" the toothpick with authority everytime I put it in front of his face. I guess I will post this in the "Mantis Forum" for ID. He is bright green, almost fluorescent. I am going to keep him in one of the compartments of my sump. Obviously he is very young and I have had my tank setup for 2 years! Makes me wonder if there are more and perhaps a "mommy" in my tank somewhere? Gulp.......

06/08/2007, 03:51 PM	#2
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Good to know he's in the sump and not the display. __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

06/08/2007, 04:01 PM	#3
caesar Gdi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Atlanta Posts: 110	cool... has he snapped yet?

06/08/2007, 04:40 PM	#4
Pea-brain Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vassalboro, ME Posts: 1,661	I posted this in the mantis forum, but I would like to dispel all worries in a more mainstream setting: Mantis shrimp can breed in your system, BUT YOU WILL NEVER EVER GET A LARVAE TO SURVIVE ON ACCIDENT. Ok, sorry about that, but I think it needs to be said. I know, I know, I hate LONG strings of capitals too, makes me feel like I'm being yelled at. That being said, I will dispel another myth: A 1/2" mantis won't kill anything important, don't freak out if you see one in your tank. I doubt it could kill a nass. And it can take a year for a larvae to to grow 1" (with a 1 month period between being born to leaving larvae in most gonodactylids.) So there isn't a huge hurry. Also, I hope the thing has a little piece of LR to burrow in and a few small peices of rubble to make a door for when it molts. Good luck!