What can I put with a Mantis?
- Thread starter Built347
- Start date
Lol slip him a Mickie....
Lionfish Lair
Member
They won't touch a long spine urchin and that'll take care of your hair algae.... and every bit of caralline you may have. When the urchin when over the front of his den, you could see he was disgusted. But what was he going to do, he can't get near the core.
Our Chiragra killed a damsel and a pencil urchin after being roomies for a year.
Our Chiragra killed a damsel and a pencil urchin after being roomies for a year.
PIMPALA
Well-Known Member
I had an opposite experience with the following urchins:
Pencil (larger than a tennis ball)
Long spine (over 8" from tip to tip)
Tuxedo
All 3 smashed in, and the meat scooped out like an ice cream cone. although it did take a few weeks for each one to become a meal. and they DID eat some GHA.
He has also eaten every kind of snail, shrimp, and crab that ive put in the tank.
Pencil (larger than a tennis ball)
Long spine (over 8" from tip to tip)
Tuxedo
All 3 smashed in, and the meat scooped out like an ice cream cone. although it did take a few weeks for each one to become a meal. and they DID eat some GHA.
He has also eaten every kind of snail, shrimp, and crab that ive put in the tank.
Lionfish Lair
Member
Mine was always confused by the long spine. They lived together for 3 years. Everything else he ate.
BLADEYAMAHA
Well-Known Member
Get a Sea Snake!
PIMPALA
Well-Known Member
they get 6-7" long. i'd say a 55 gallon tank would be about the smallest. a 40 breeder would be ok too... but i dont know if they would be super happy in anything much smaller than that.
they dont really swim around a ton. so i'm sure you could get away with it. but its just not "recommended" per say.
they dont really swim around a ton. so i'm sure you could get away with it. but its just not "recommended" per say.
Lionfish Lair
Member
My fuzzies are in 28g nanocubes. I have 4 at the moment. I'm going to move some around tonight. You won't end up with one of those huge brutes that will meet there max size potential unless you buy them that way. Buy small, they stay smaller. It's a diet thing, IMO. If it's not optimum when they are tiny, they can be stunted. I changed up the diet of a three year old volitans while he was in a QT situation for 3 months. He grew out of his tank in that time.... 3 years old and he has a growth spurt. Be creative with your rockwork to include overhangs as they will utilize them. But aquascape to maximize swimming room.
Lionfish Lair
Member
Wait now... this is in a mantis thread. Why are we talking about fuzzies?
Lionfish Lair
Member
Doooood, that's not a good mix. You'll get more longevity out of a fish that doesn't spend the majority of their day perched on the rock and in caves. You need a fish that spends most of it's time in the water column.
Lionfish Lair
Member
The smaller the tank, the bigger the risk. Too big, IMO.
What size is your tank, Pimpala?
I've had all my mantis' eventually end up eating their fish mates. Tanks all 25g a below, besides a split 40g. Ya, nothing like the ciliata, who went all ninja on the damsel. I actually felt too bad to do it a second time and I'm not usually soft like that :-/
What size is your tank, Pimpala?
I've had all my mantis' eventually end up eating their fish mates. Tanks all 25g a below, besides a split 40g. Ya, nothing like the ciliata, who went all ninja on the damsel. I actually felt too bad to do it a second time and I'm not usually soft like that :-/