Stomatopod fever

[gem]

Well...I had the opportunity to pic up a Mantis shrimp today from a fellow reef club member. I had been following their Stomatopod thread when they did a group buy some time ago. Since then I have really gotten hooked on watching Mantis shrimp videos and reading info on them. I wasn't planning on going out looking for one, but apparently I had something my fellow reef club member wanted and that just happened to be what he had to available to trade for it. So....I'm still trying to come up with names for her. She is a female Gonodactylus chiragra. Apparently there are several different species of Mantis shrimp. This one being somewhat colorful but not as colorful as a Peacock Mantis. I haven't been able to spot her out of her cave yet, but I did manage to get a pic of her kind of peeking out. Best I can do for now....sorry.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Very cool. Should be a fun little challange for you. They are very cool to watch eat. Just keep your fingers out of the tank. LOL

[gem]

LOL They don't call 'em "thumb splitters" for nothin'

[Drumachine09]

Name it Drumachine09.



Or, name it Lorena Bobbit.

*Waits for someone to get that reference*

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

yikes. I told her to keep her fingers out of there Drum....

[Halelorf]

Or, name it Lorena Bobbit.


If you are sticking THAT part of the human body into any tank, let alone one with a mantis shrimp, you need to get your head check on by a clinic!

[gem]

He'll need more than just his...nevermind.....:14:

[gem]

Name it Drumachine09.



Or, name it Lorena Bobbit.

*Waits for someone to get that reference*

LMAO....Drum....I'm not gonna name her after you. LOL
But Lorena...hmmmmm that's actually funny!

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

you need to get your head check on by a clinic!
Don't worry, the shrimp will check it for you. :)

[gem]

got more pics....hehehehehe She came out after lights off.

[spudbuds]

Very cool! So, can you tell me more how you plan on caring for it? What do you feed those things when trying to keep one alive? :sbiggrin: I assume just regularly carnivore food, but I didn't know if they preferred live food or if frozen is acceptable. And is it the spearing kind or the claw kind (descriptive, huh)? It looks like the claw variety from the pics, but thought I'd double check.

- Bill

[unleashed]

looks like a smasher to me. I have a similar one about 2.5-3cm in my sump.

[gem]

G. Chiragra is a smasher. They will take frozen food. Mysid and brine for smaller specimens and Krill and silversides for larger ones. As far as live food...they should be allowed to "hunt" a couple times a week to keep "excercised". They'll eat snails such as Margaritas and ceriths as well as emerald and mythrax crabs. Also, when they can catch them...and they can, a damsel or chromis.

[spudbuds]

Thanks for the info gem. I believe a video of the live feeding is in order. :sbiggrin:

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

There is one on Youtube spud. If you search for Mantis Shrimp you should be able to find it.

[spudbuds]

Yep, I've seen a bunch of them. That's why I requested a new one. :sbiggrin:

[gem]

I'll have to work on that for ya. ; )

[Kayla-Bug]

I was wanting to buy one of those a while back!! They are soo cool!!! She's beautiful btw.

[Ocellaris]

The best video ever about mantis shrimp in my opinion is this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHTTIg7HY80


It's 18 minutes long but it's a really good research lecture that goes into great detail about the mantis shrimp. It films one striking at 5000 frames per second.
The "smasher" goes so fast it vaporizes water behind it. It goes about 45 mph

[squirt_12]

Man..where have I been..I never knew you got a mantis shrimp gem. Very nice! How much sand do you have in there?? They need alot as they will dig a hole and hide in it awaiting for something to walk by so they can catch it and snack on it.
Have you thought of a name yet?

[Halelorf]

The best video ever about mantis shrimp in my opinion is this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHTTIg7HY80


It's 18 minutes long but it's a really good research lecture that goes into great detail about the mantis shrimp. It films one striking at 5000 frames per second.
The "smasher" goes so fast it vaporizes water behind it. It goes about 45 mph

That is a really cool video!

[Ocellaris]

That is a really cool video!

I was bored looking up Mantis Shrimp on Youtube and found that video. My gf couldn't believe I was watching a lecture. But I was so fascinated with it. If I ever set up a tank for one, I'd definitely have to show the video to anyone who asks me about the shrimp.

[gem]

Man..where have I been..I never knew you got a mantis shrimp gem. Very nice! How much sand do you have in there?? They need alot as they will dig a hole and hide in it awaiting for something to walk by so they can catch it and snack on it.
Have you thought of a name yet?


Yup, I wasn't out looking for one or anything, Squirt. I had something to trade and that was what the guy had to trade. I figured "what the heck". She's got about 2 inches of sand and has done quite a bit of excavating, yes. There are two piles of rock for her to choose from. One is a large apartment that I built out of rock, so she has her choice as to how to decorate. She seems to like that one the best, and has made her home in there and uses the other to play hide and seek when she's out and about. She's dug out under one of the rocks to tuck herself in. They're in there quite sturdy so it really can't collapse on her. At first there were multiple entrances and exits in the cave, but she has rearranged sand, rubble, empty hermit crab shells, and even a couple zoa frags to block some off or open others up. I imagine the zoas she buried will probably not make it. I should have glued them down. I may go after them and give her a little extra rubble to play with instead.
I think she's getting ready to molt, as she has holed herself up for days and has lost her appetite. I'm sure she'll be hungry when she comes out again!
As for the video I said I would work on....not happening so far. Sorry. LOL