new mantis tank... roommate suggestions!!!!!!!!

[fiorano]

so i am upgrading my mantis tank from a 15 gallon to a 29 gallon.since there is all this extra space now i was thinking of adding something else to the tank as well. i was thinking maybe a dwarf lionfish but though him and the mantis might kill one another ... g smithii mantis. sooo any insight on that idea would be awesome, so would other suggestions as well thanks!!!!!

[Polscot]

mantis exspecially smashers arent really agressive towards fish, if you are spot feeding him there is a good chance he wont even look at the fish, and even if your not you should be safe, mine only eats what i feed him and takes the occasional crab that goes into his lair....i keep mine in a 10g (upgrading to a 29) wish 2 small gobys a ton of crabs and he dosent even look at the gobys even when they swim right by the opening of his home

[AHHope]

personally i think angles and clowns are the best tankmates for mantises due to their personality but you have to make sure they have no intrest in cheaper fish first. At first i only kept my smithii with damsels but after i got more comfortable with him i can even keep cleaner shrimp with him and he leaves them alone.

[fiorano]

thanks guys!!! i didnt even think of an angel. that might actually be cooler then a lionfish ha ha. just got my 29 running last night so pumped now :)

[reefwars]

any angel will be too small for a 29g even a dwarf imo, their active fish like tangs and need room .i would stay away from grazers as theyll be around your mantis's rock alot.personally i would get a fast moving open water fish ,even if it doesnt have an appetite now it may change later its a predator and its built in to its genes:) also stay away from ground fish unless your tank is acrylic because if he goes after a crab or something and misses their strike is strong enough to break your glass:)i also have a g.smithi he doesnt move much in the tank but he hunts at night and will open his food menu more as he gets bigger and needs more food:)cheers

[AHHope]

any angel will be too small for a 29g even a dwarf imo, their active fish like tangs and need room .i would stay away from grazers as theyll be around your mantis's rock alot.personally i would get a fast moving open water fish ,even if it doesnt have an appetite now it may change later its a predator and its built in to its genes:) also stay away from ground fish unless your tank is acrylic because if he goes after a crab or something and misses their strike is strong enough to break your glass:)i also have a g.smithi he doesnt move much in the tank but he hunts at night and will open his food menu more as he gets bigger and needs more food:)cheers

the whole thing about a mantis being able to crack glass is bs. Ive been chatting with Dr Roy Cadwell about that very topic. Yes it is possible for a mantis to crack glass but you would never keep a full sized peacock in a 5g. Ive had my peacock hit the glass of my 32g and i felt it but no crack.