Questions about peacock mantis

[howdy20012002]

Today I finally saw the cause of the constant clicking and empty shells in one of my tanks.
I found a 2 inch peacock mantis and want to keep it.
so..
How big of a tank should I buy to keep it in.
I would prefer to get something that I won't need to update in the future.
and is it safe to put corals in with it?
thanks
Neal

[ponokareefer]

I was looking at doing the exact same thing and had the same questions, so I thought I would bump along for the ride.

[Moogled]

Some say that you'll want to keep a Peacock in a 33 but for a 2 incher, a 20 gallon will do fine for a long time unless your mantis grows to a monster size. Unless you're planning to keep low maintenance corals in with the mantis, corals would be a bad idea as mantis shrimp often like to move things around in the tank. Furthermore, they do not appreciate the high intensity lighting that some corals do - fluorescent bulbs will do fine.

If you want to pretty up the tank, use macroalgae for a decent effect. Some mantis shrimp like p.ciliata like to play in it.

Keep in mind that mantis shrimp are very messy eaters; they'll probably eat about 1/4 of a piece of shrimp and dump the rest. Polluted water from uneaten food + high lighting are both contributors to mantis shell disease.

Most smashers are resilient so just shove an Aquaclear for circulation and maintain water quality by removing uneaten foods/water changes. A skimmer is a definitely plus but not necessary.

[Psyire]

They generally won't bother corals and most smashers will even ignore fish. (unless it's a really small fish and the mantis is really big)

[Skimmer Juice]

My peacock would not let anything in its tank, I would say corals are finr (no lps) but softies should be fine. I had one for almost 3 years he killed evrything that ever came close to him.

[justinl]

What tells you it's a peacock mantis? Got pic? Does it have the blue eye stalks and leopard spotting? Ive never heard of a peacock hitching before. usually, they burrow in the sand under the rocks. if it isnt a peacock, it simplifies things.

If it is really a peacock, at 2 inches it should be fine in a small tank. once it hits 5 inches though, you should have an upgrade ready for it. 5 inches is where it will be able to break glass. imo peacocks just get too big to be reef safe, but you could try it out. remember that a mantis is a messy eater. take that into account. I would keep away from an sps tank because peacocks are more deepwater and can develop shell rot more easily under really bright lights. For an adult peacock (6 inches or so) i recommend a 30 gal at least. acrylic is best, but you *can* get away with glass if you reinforce the bottom pane with strips of acrylic and beads of silicone.

fish is a maybe with mantids... test it out first to see if the mantis is tolerant of fish (they differ in personality greatly). to increase the chance of success, stick to fast fish that stick to the water column. damsel would be a good choice.