14 Gallon Biocube Wennerae Mantis Build

[finkjor123]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum, and to the hobby. I am currently planning to buy a 14 gallon biocube, and stock it with a Wennerae mantis shrimp and one yellow tail damselfish. I have calculated initial expenses and it comes to about 430 dollars. I am planning on buying 25 pounds of live rock from tbsaltwater, which is near where I live, and buy the mantis there as well. I was also advised to include some snails or hermit crabs, but I have researched the mantis shrimp extensively and realize it might eat the snails so I was planning on including around 7-8 blue legged hermits. For substrate I was planning on buying "CaribSea Aragonite Aragamax Oolite," and Instant Ocean Synthetic Sea Salt. I was told I would need a saltwater chemical kit (15$), a PH tester (15$), and a "Specific gravity tester" (10$). How does this setup sound? How should I go about building this tank, should I introduce the mantis first, then the damsel? I have also read enough to know that I need to "cycle" the tank before introducing anything, but am not sure how or what that means exactly. Any information you guys can give me would be great as you all seem very knowledgeable. I like to throughly plan things, so if I am missing anything please let me know. Also, should I include pvc under the substrate, or will the mantis be fine in the LR.
Thank You,
Jordan

[ritter6788]

I would start on reading more on setting up a marine tank before adding a mantis. If you haven't already, check out wetwebmedia.com. It's a great site for starting up a marine tank. Remember to take it very slowly. Start stocking with basic livestock, snails, hermits and if those do ok then add a hardy fish like the damsel you mentioned. Once you get a good grasp on maintaining the tank then add the mantis. Oh, and the mantis could eat your hermits too.

[othercents]

My N. Wennerae doesn't eat my large snails just the really small ones (1cm). I like having the small ones in there just in case I forget to feed him. My mantis will only eat the snails when it is really hungry and feels like smacking a snail to get the food out of it. My mantis doesn't touch the hermits, but some others have had them eat hermits too.

Put a hand full of crushed coral into the tank. The N. Wennerae can use the curshed coral to make doors and stuff for his den. The rubble rock I had for mine was way to big for him to move. Probably works great for a Peacock, but not for an N. Wennerae unless the pieces are really small.

To cycle a tank all your doing is waiting for the ammonia to spike (usually by putting table shrimp, damsel, or something else to produce ammonia), then the Nitrate to spike and the ammonia to fall to 0, then finally the Nitrite to spike and the Nitrate to fall to 0. If you can take live rock from tbs directly into your tank in a short amount of time then you probably won't have a noticeable cycle. I didn't see a cycle with my mantis because I purchased him with a live rock from a LFS and placed the rock into a new tank.

[Steve C]

I am sure it's just a typo, It should be Ammonia then Nitrite then Nitrate.