File :-(, x, )
Mantis Shrimp as Pets Anonymous
Hey /an/ I'm thinking about getting a Mantis Shrimp as a pet. I'm completely new to aquarium and or sea life keeping.
What are some things I should know?
What are the names of the more colorful species? Do they need live food?
How often?
What kind of tank should I use?
Should I get a basher or stabber (sorry I can't think of a more articulate way to describe them)
What kinds of filteration stuff will I need?(remember I've NEVER had an aquarium before)
Preferred habitats?
Are they difficult to manage?
Can they coexist with anything? (I'm not really looking to get many other living things in the tank but maybe)
Recommended websites for information and/or purchasing?


Can I do this with a 200-300$ budget?

Comment too long. Clickhereto view the full text.
>> Anonymous
First you shall require a gun with .50 caliber ammunition. Next you will need 3" thick lexan and industrial strength epoxy to construct a tank
reinforcing the tank with nylon rope, begin to fill it with saltwater
coral the shrimp from its shipping container into its new habitat
should anything go wrong, do not attempt to shoot the mantis, as bullets will only anger it. the gun shall be used on yourself to save you from the coming hell
>> Anonymous
>Can I do this with a 200-300$ budget?

Pobably not. You'd have a hard time getting even a stocked nanotank up and running for under 300, and most commonly available stomatopods get pretty big. Not to mention they've been getting pricier due to increased popularity. Unless you know someone who received one as an unwanted hitchhiker, expect to pay >$50, plus shipping if you order online. If you're lucky you may be able to get a proper secondhand acrylic (you do NOT want glass for a stomatopod) aquarium and filter from the classifieds or Craigslist for under $200.
>> Anonymous
First off, most of the questions you asked can be answered much better with some google searching and reading some basic websites on saltwater aquaria.

Mantis shrimp are good beginner saltwater pets. They are much more tolerant to less-than-perfect water chemistry than most marine fish are.

Also, while an acrylic tank is a good choice due to it's obvious strenth advantage compared to glass, the idea of mantis shrimp breaking tanks is very overblown. Although the /an/ regulars love to say ZOMG you need acrylic for sure, that isn't true. While glass breaks CAN happen, it takes a very big shrimp, a flimsy aquarium, and a good amount of bad luck. Tank breakage is very rare, but people love to talk about due to the "oh wow" factor.

Lots of good info for your specific questions here:

http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/faq.htm
>> Anonymous
http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/home.php
Tons of good conversations about Mantis shrimp here. You'll want a Peacock Mantis for the colors in that picture.
The Reef Tank also has a lot of DIY info, which is great for running on such a tight budget.
>> Anonymous
>>238514
>Mantis that are below a certain size (around 9-10 cm) are probably not be capable of breaking your glass tank. Even mantis shrimp that are larger very RARELY will be agitated enough to try breaking the glass. Dr Caldwell notes that he has seen only Odontodactylus, Gonodactylus chiragra, and Hemisquilla do this.

>Odontodactylus

The 'more colorful species' that OP refers to and has a pic of is Odontodactylus scyllarus, which grows to 18cm, and is one of the half-dozen species known to be capable of breaking cracking aquarium glass. They're also particularly aggressive and can strike with the force of a .22 calibur bullet. It isn't just a matter of agitation, though they will attempt to kill their reflection, but that articular species is known to attempt to smash the aquarium bottom to burrow deeper as well. Most species don't require acrylic tanks but with O. scyllarus or G. chiragra it would be stupid to risk using glass.