Mantis shrimp setup

Well I am looking to setup a species tank for a mantis shrimp, I'm in australia and my lfs said the only one there sure they can get is a peacock mantis which I would absolutely love. 2 questions for the guys who have had them, what's the ideal tank size? I don't want to set
up another big tank, was looking for something around 15 gallons or
so, what's the smallest tank I could house one in? And secondly the only thing that puts me off is reading they are prone to shell disease, how big a problem is this and how common is it really?

 

I wouldn't go any smaller then a 20 gallon long for a peacock mantis. If you decide to go with glass put a bottom layer of acrylic sheets in the tank to help absorb the shock of digging. Keep your lights low to avoid the shell rot. Some people use only actinics.

 

Psiclone's advice is very good.* Here's some more info from an article I wrote a couple years back.* http://www.seasl.org/wave/Vol 1 Num 3 Final.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

 

Peacock would not do well in a 15 gal. 30 is recommended. Floor space is more important than water volume so anything with about as much floor area will do.

There are many other species of mantis shrimp from australia. I bet if you shopped around you could find other species. Gonodactylus Smithii can be found in australia and that is one of the best species to have. It would work perfectly in a 15 gal, even a 10. It is smaller but it is one of the most interactive species.

 

I'd say absolute minimum for a peacock would be 20 gallon LONG (they need the extra real estate). A 29 biocube is also acceptable if you want to go that route, or a 29 standard aquarium. Or you can search for something custom...I've always wanted a 20x20x20 aquarium cube, and that'd put you at 34 gallons.

And I agree with Stepho, look for a smithii if you can. You won't regret it. They can easily handle 10 or 15 gallons because they only grow to about 3 or 4 inches long maximum. They are also one of the most interactive and hardy species to find.

Stepho and I both attempted to find a smithii, and both failed. However, we both ended up with a Neogonodactylus Wennerae (Caribbean Rock Mantis) and are quite pleased with them. They're popular hitch hikers in Florida Live Rock...but considering you're in the land down under, you guys probably get your LR from the GB Reef. Which means you have an even better chance of tracking down a smithii

Whichever you choose. Just remember that a Peacock will be easier to find, but I would never place them in anything smaller than a 20 long. And a Smithii would be harder to find, but easier when it comes to setup and aquarium size.

 

gonadactylus smitthi, is that the purple spot mantis? because they look to have a nice coloration and i have read they are very interactive. this could be a much better alternative to a peacock because i just want to buy an all in one setup nano with filtration, pump and heating included so i can just plug and play. i dont want another big loud tank that requires alot of setting up like my 55 gallon reef haha
so if i get a smitthi they will be fine in a 10 gallon? that would be perfect for me really. how much do they go for over there in the USA because no fish shops in sydney, australia even stock mantis shrimp.. if you want one you gotta order it, and they dont even know what species they can get, there order list just says mantis so who knows what u might get haha

 

Smitthi will do fine in a 10 gallon. Yes they are known as purple spot mantis. I can never find a LFS that stocks them, I had to drive 2 hours to get my mantis shrimp from a live rock supplier (could have had it shipped but I'd rather pick it up). I bet you would have better luck there though as they are a native species to australia. If you live near the beach you can try collecting them yourself? That would be fun. I have heard of someone who found one in a tide pool at the beach.

For some reason Mantis shrimp have not really caught on yet as pets for most people, so LFS don't typically stock them.

 

Not much chance of collecting one, I live in Sydney where the water temps are only like 18-20 degrees celcius.. I'm not near the great barrier reef so I'm gonna have to see if my lfs can order me one. I'm just gonna buy an all in one nano so it's got everythin I need. Built in filtration, pump, and pc lighting.. What else do I need besides a few inches of
sand and a PVC burrow? I've got live rock from my reef to seed the tank for a quick setup!

 

That is about all you need. Nothing special really for a mantis other than the PVC burrow.

 

Yep that's all you need. Except for food...krill...mysis...other sea meaty stuff. And/or snails. And that's about it. You'd have better luck in Australia finding a purple spot. It's really hard in the states.