# peacock mantis shrimp...



## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

Hi, don't know if this is the right place, but does anyone here keep peacock mantis shrimp? I need a few pointers on setting up an environment for one...when I say pointers I'm completely new to saltwater tanks, well fish tanks in general as I've never owned any water based creatures before but really fancy keeping one.

Thanks in advance : victory:


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## love_reptiles (Mar 1, 2009)

Mantis shrimp are highly predatory so you'll not want to put anything else in there. When you say you're completely new to keeping fish, how far does your knowledge go thus far from research? You are aware of cycling, water parameters etc?


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## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

Yes I have been doing a good bit of research on them I was after some hands on experience :2thumb:


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## Fargle (Aug 8, 2013)

In all honesty I wouldn't keep a mantis shrimp. They're actually more pest than anything else. Although they are beautiful creatures they spend 95% of their time in a hole in deep sand and only quickly snap out to capture prey....which is a cool sight but only once every couple of days. They also have a attack that can split open any fingers that happen to get too close while cleaning tanks and it's not unheard of for them to break the glass of their tank and kill themselves.

This is one really best left either in the wild or to some-one who really knows what they're doing and can accommodate something this niche.


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## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

As far as I have read only specimens 8 inch + have the ability to smash glass aquaria with their dactyls, but most accounts are exaggerated. Also apparently the owner has been antagonising them at the glass..spearer type stomatopods tend to sit at the burrow entrance where as smashers come out and forage for shelled prey. Like I said I have done some research, just wanted to see if anyone on here kept one : victory:


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## love_reptiles (Mar 1, 2009)

Well, what is it specifically you're after advise wise other than knowing if anybody else has kept one? 

I have no idea what your knowledge level is so unfortunately I have to ask basic questions before there's any point carrying on. Creating the physical environment for them isn't the problem, the correct water chemistry is. If you've never kept a fish tank before then the actual cycling of the tank and getting the parameters right for marine is where you'll have trouble, which coincides with the "needing pointers on setting their environment up" you asked in the original post. 

Diving straight into marine invertebrates from no practical hands on aquarium experience at all is ambitious at best; haphazard at worst. It's not as simple as buying the saltwater, putting it and putting your mantis shrimp in. You need to be cycling it, testing it during the cycle - you do not want a mantis shrimp in there with ammonia and nitrites. You'll want the correct salinity of course. I can go more in depth on the water chemistry but as I say, I have absolutely no idea what you already know or don't know so don't really want to bombard you, nor condescend you.

How are you planning to cycle it? What sort of size tank do you have, and I assume you're already aware about needing live rock etc. Will you be running a skimmer? 

Mantis shrimp are full of character, and once settled and happy you will find they will peep out to watch you just as often as you peep in to watch them. I personally love them. I've no interest in putting you off keeping them, I'm simply saying marine anything gives you little margin for error in aquarist skills, and since you have none at all it's going to be an ambitious endeavour, though not impossible. 

Sadly no amount of theory research can make up for a small amount of practical experience when it comes to marines. Do bare in mind with Mantis shrimp, if you ever get bored or want to shift it on you may find it a slight challenge, as awesome as they are most marine keepers simply don't want to devote a whole tank to one mantis shrimp.


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## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

As a far as knowledge goes if it was about reptiles or tarantulas, I'm your man haha but yeah as far as fish keeping, aquarist skills etc I am a complete and utter noob :blush: I've never had an interest to keep fish but only recently seen that people keep mantis shrimps as pets, and thought that would be cool. I know what you mean with shifting it on as a lot of people have said they are considered pests and sometimes appear as unwanted hitches in live rock and destroy prize collections of expensive fish. As far as I go I love to learn so hit me with anything info you can, I have heard they are sensitive to water chemistry, light intensity and airborne chemicals.

Tank size I have seen people say 20 gallon will do an adult for life and others say 30 plus?? Have looked at skimmers and a power head, but don't know all the ins and outs as it's still on the 'prototype project phase' at the min. No condescension taken I need every detail however minute :2thumb:


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## spidersteve (Jan 25, 2010)

Mantis shrimps are very messy eaters and will foul the water quickly at meal times. You will need a much better understanding of water chemistry than actual husbandry for the shrimp. Water quality will be the make or break of your set up, Forget the shrimp and concentrate on providing an adequate environment for it to live in. Sometimes you can pick up mantis shrimps free on marine keeping forums or just ask at a retailer that ships in live rock, This is where most of the mantis shrimps hitch hike their way in.


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## Gratenkutzombie (Dec 28, 2012)

Mantis shrimps are delicious, deep fried in batter.:2thumb:


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