HELP! Low Budget, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Soft Coral - Combo!

[André Brasil]

Hello fellow (in my case soon to be) reefers!

Im from a beautifull set of islands in the middle of the Atlantic, the Azores, and i'm glad to enter your community.

Im just getting started with saltwater aquariums.

What im going for is, like the title states, a low cost system that can support a Peacock Mantis Shrimp and some low light soft corals. Its my understanding that these two go very well together, as these particular mantis doesnt like light very much.

This would be set up in 50 gallon tank (100 x 41 x 47). I would try to aquascape it a bit like the picture bellow (mushroom type of structure) so that the corals can get maximum light as the mantis gets maximum shade.



Would im having trouble with is determining what would be the best low cost ligthing option for this (very) particular situation / setup.

Any help would be greatly aprecciated!

(Forgive my english)

 

[DaveK]

This just isn't going to work in it's present form.

The example tank your showing is an all out reef system, growing SPS corals. It's got extremely powerful lighting, and a massive filtration system. Your not going to do this as "a low cost system".

It is possible to keep a mantis shrimp in the tank size your suggesting, but the aquascape is typically going to be rocks. Not that you can't try some corals, but it's harder, because of the requirement for the mantis shrimp. Even soft corals need quite a bit of light.

The mushroom type structure you want is possible. Usually this requires some sort of frame work, and the rocks are placed on it or connected to it one way or another.

Think long term on what your planning. Is this something your going to be happy with a few years out? Your dedicating your tank to having just the mantis shrimp. Because it will attack most other fish and inverts, that's about all you can have in the tank.

If that's the sort of system you want, and a lot of people do, then go for it.

As for your specific question about lighting, this depends upon several factors. You need to know the corals you want to keep. The mantis itself just needs enough to see it's food. There are so many option with lighting, and so many different opinions on the subject, that you can read about it for weeks and still have no idea what you want.

If I were doing something like this, I would likely use a 2 bulb T5 strip light fixture. Here is one example, but there are other units as good (offsite) - http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...quariums-AquaticLife-AK01301-FILTFIT5-vi.html This is a fairly dim light by reef system standards. Your mantis will love it, and the lower light will help keep algae down.

If you needed additional light, you could add a second fixture, or upgrade the lighting to something else.

 

[Squatch XXL]

As a former owner of a wonderful peacock mantis, I can tell you a few things.

Mantis don't require much in the way of care, but they like rocks. They like to climb in over and around. I would also consider a burrow imperative.

The idea for the rockwork is great in theory, but it may not be cheap.

As @DaveK said, a dual t5-ho fixture would do with as shallow a tank as that for soft corals and possibly some hard if they are at the top of the reef.

IF you must keep a mantis, design its environment for it. After that, if it can support corals then add them. It does not matter what corals you keep, if there is a mantis shrimp in a tank it is certainly a mantis tank. They have a bold character that pretty much owns any tank they are in.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

When you get a tank, start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

 

[André Brasil]

Thanks for all the input guys!

@DaveK When i used the picture as an example, i had only the structure shape in mind, nothing else ^^. I would like some low maintenance corals such as:

Green Star Polyps
Toadstool Leather Corals
Kenya Tree Corals
Mushroom Corals
Button Polyps

@Squatch XXL I really do mainly want it to be a Mantis Tank; all the rest of the elements will have to adapt xD

As a side note, I've got all equipment and itens for my setup, except the for live rock.

As i live in a small island and shipping fees are high, im considering the following alternatives:

• Pumice - i can find it pretty much anywhere in the island (considering "white" pumice, to be specific)

• DIY Rock - Using Hydraulic Cement + Oyster Shells

• Buying fewer actual dry rock than would be ideal.

Please share your views on this!