Hi Guys! Hi Gary! I've been working some crazy hours and getting home with just enough time to grab 4 hours of sleep and then back out so I haven't had time to check my email or log on for a few days. But today I am off (Tracy has to work..... sorry Honey!!) so I've been catching up........ Gary, it wouldn't be right for me to tell your "new fish" tail but we certainly would like you too and of course to see a photo of it!! We're actually thinking that you can post it all here if you want..... please!! (I have read Gary's email about his new fish and I can only say that it sure is a good one!!)
Well, I'm sitting here too tired to even make coffee but with one eye propped open and barely focusing on Tracy's mantis tank. The little fella is all over the tank going from one rock to another, in and out of all the tunnels, across the substrate and even going up the corners of the tank almost to the waters surface. A very active little mantis! (Did I mention that I'm home and Tracy is at work? Sorry Honey!! Hope you have had a chance to see some of this wild mantis activity!) So now the learning all about Mantis Shrimp begins!
We had mentioned earlier that the Yellow Tail Damsel fish have been observed going into the tunnels that the mantis shrimp was making and carrying out gravel in their mouths and depositing that gravel several inches away from the tunnel opening. Some of the gravel pieces are quite large and the damsel will carry it with their lips. We have also been observing the damsels when the lights go off and all three of them will retire too a separate tunnel and remain there for the night until the lights come back on, then they come out and school in the water column together. The mantis, so far, does not seem to bother with the damsels. We do not know very much about Damsel fish but they certainly are displaying what we find to be a unique and interesting behavior.
We had read that the spearing mantis will take fish and that the clubbing mantis will more likely go after shelled crustaceans and such. The damsels are to provide some movement and colour in the tank and hopefully "Manny" leaves them be, but if he eats them.... well they are quite large compared to "Manny" so he will be well fed!
If anyone has any links to mantis and/or damsel info.... feel free to throw them up here!