My LFS just got a peacock Mantis. What do I need?

That's just wrong.
:LolLolLol

 

no they are not that bad really. People tend to have that idea that these things are just pure evil and will break your hand, but that is just not true. One of my LFS owners lectured me on how dangerous these are when I first got Bob. When I wasnt overly impressed, he actually went to my mom and told her the horror stories trying to get her to make me get rid of it. He never owned one before and was just telling of stories that he had heard

While you must respect these things for what they are, I am not afraid to have them at all. Peacocks are spearers and smashers. That means that they have the ability to spear their prey and their smashers are very quick and very powerful. The other part that you need to be aware of is their uropods that they have by their tail. These are sharp things they can lift up and stick you with.

With that said, I am not afraid of them and have found them to be very interesting. You learn your mantis and their behavior. There are certain times you just dont mess with them or their tank, period. This is around their molting period......which depending on their size could be monthly or every couple months. During this time, the mantis will den itself in and goes through what I call "PMS" pre-molting syndrome. They are very crabby and you let their tank go. This can last upto a week or almost 2 weeks. This is a very stressful time for the mantis and a time where they are at great risk of complications.

As far as corals, I would say leathers and zoos are alright, especially when the mantis has settled in for a bit. But I still say dont put anything in the tank until they are established at least 6 months or so

One funny story, one day I got careless and was rearranging and cleaning Bobs tank (again 12 inches long). Well I wasnt paying attention and tore down her den where she was. She came out of the den and just tapped me with the tail....no uropods and no smashing. Just a friendly reminder that I needed to respect her!

 

I would never try to hold my mantis. I have seen videos of that, but I just dont understand. I put my hands in the tank all the time to redecorate, clean feed etc.

I have my biocube without a lid and placed a hanging PC light. As far as lighting you dont have to get anything special, just no MH lights. PC lights, t5 etc is fine. I personally prefer the rounded edges of the tanks but there is no reason you cant do a 20g rectangle tank.

Corals can be kept but again wait a bit so he doesnt move it. Again, with fish and corals you can never completely trust the mantis to not be mantis, but in reality most of the time they will learn that you are the food source and eat what you feed them. I keep my stash of snails and crabs in the tank and I ahve to go in and drop them in front of the den for her to eat. However I know that there is the possibilty they will get ate

 

Thanks schackmel. Do you have an pictures of yours and your tank that you'd like to share

 

yeah I will try to find some of Bobs tank and I just got a new one about a month ago and was allowing her to settle in a bit before bothering her with pictures.

Bob like I said was a large one that I had for a couple years. I thought by the color she was a male......hence Bob, however right before she died she laid a clutch of eggs (not fertile) I allowed her to tend to the eggs which was very stressfull on her and she immediately went into a molt. Her molts because of her size were harder and harder on her and she did not have the strength to pull through.

The new mantis is only about 3" long right now.....but she is a piggy and growing very fast! Has already had a molt and is acting like she is going to go into another one

 

lol @ Ashevillian

 

Hahaha I think a lot of us reefers tend to forget that most of the things in the sea edible! Think about the natives in Papua New Guinea, they eat Tang all the time. Can't say I'm a big fan of eating Tang but Hell, if it pisses you off and it's a menace in your tank - fry that sucker with some butter and bread crumbs. Mmmmm