Mantis question

Siren's Eye · 11/12/2009, 08:21 AM

I plan on setting up a 10 gallon nano reef, and I was wondering if I could keep a mantis with corals?

Thurge · 11/12/2009, 11:59 AM

You can keep corals with mantis's in a 10 gal reef. You will want to choose a species that has evolved to live in higher light environments, taking a deeper water mantis and putting it in a high light tank will either make the mantis rather reclusive or in some species it's detrimential to their health.
Neogonodactylus wennerae would be a good choice and easy to come by from dealers of Florida Live Rock.

Siren's Eye · 11/12/2009, 12:03 PM

Thanks! One more question, can they live with serpent stars?

DanInSD · 11/12/2009, 01:15 PM

Yes. Depends on the species of both; but for the most part they are compatible.

Dan

havre · 11/13/2009, 05:31 PM

Although you should be careful with SPS due to the risk of the mantis using it as building material.

lionbacker54 · 11/14/2009, 05:47 AM

havre,
that is a really good point. my g.smithii is a gardener. she clips pieces of kenya tree and button polyp to decorate the front of her burrow. i've heard stories of mantis shrimp that will stuff corals deep in their burrow, which they die from light deprivation.

Hoyden · 11/19/2009, 03:26 PM

My N. wennerae happily remodels whatever I put in his tank - he will drag small frags off of their plugs and place them over the entrances to his tunnels. I only keep mushrooms/ricordias and things like kenya tree in his tank now.

Jackie

Mentat · 11/19/2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thurge

You can keep corals with mantis's in a 10 gal reef. You will want to choose a species that has evolved to live in higher light environments, taking a deeper water mantis and putting it in a high light tank will either make the mantis rather reclusive or in some species it's detrimential to their health.
Neogonodactylus wennerae would be a good choice and easy to come by from dealers of Florida Live Rock.

Agree with Thurge's post, N. wennerae is a good choice and easy to get species. Gonodactylus smithii http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthrop...name=g_smithii is another good candidate, but a little harder to get.

11/12/2009, 08:21 AM	#1
Siren's Eye Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: North Georgia Posts: 449	Mantis question I plan on setting up a 10 gallon nano reef, and I was wondering if I could keep a mantis with corals?

11/12/2009, 11:59 AM	#2
Thurge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 2,707	You can keep corals with mantis's in a 10 gal reef. You will want to choose a species that has evolved to live in higher light environments, taking a deeper water mantis and putting it in a high light tank will either make the mantis rather reclusive or in some species it's detrimential to their health. Neogonodactylus wennerae would be a good choice and easy to come by from dealers of Florida Live Rock. __________________ What have you done with my Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator Earthling? The memories of a man in his old age, Are the deeds of a man in his prime. Pink Floyd

11/19/2009, 03:26 PM	#7
Hoyden Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Rockville, MD Posts: 68	My N. wennerae happily remodels whatever I put in his tank - he will drag small frags off of their plugs and place them over the entrances to his tunnels. I only keep mushrooms/ricordias and things like kenya tree in his tank now. Jackie __________________ “You feel a kind of oneness and lack of desire to be anywhere else, and a yearning that the state you're in can be perpetual." David Milch Current Tank Info: Home:210 g FOWLR, 40 gallon FOWLR, 75 gallon reef tank system, 45 g frag tank/mantis tank system, 29g freshwater tank Work: 335,000 gallon TWA Fish Only, 270,000 gallons Indo-Pacific Mixed Taxa system, 10,000 gallon Q-pool

11/12/2009, 12:03 PM	#3
Siren's Eye Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: North Georgia Posts: 449	Thanks! One more question, can they live with serpent stars?

11/12/2009, 01:15 PM	#4
DanInSD Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,255	Yes. Depends on the species of both; but for the most part they are compatible. Dan

11/13/2009, 05:31 PM	#5
havre Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 8	Although you should be careful with SPS due to the risk of the mantis using it as building material.

11/14/2009, 05:47 AM	#6
lionbacker54 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: toledo, OH Posts: 849	havre, that is a really good point. my g.smithii is a gardener. she clips pieces of kenya tree and button polyp to decorate the front of her burrow. i've heard stories of mantis shrimp that will stuff corals deep in their burrow, which they die from light deprivation.