Fish's new tank project

[EmilyB]

He's gorgeous !

[Delphinus]

Wow the colours are awesome. Makes me almost want to setup ("yet another") tank so I could keep one too!

[OCDP]

Wow.. what a beauty.

A mantis tank looks like it would be lots of fun....


Do I ever hate this hobby.

[Fish]

Thanks guys!
The original plan for this tank didn't include a mantis. The idea was to have a soft coral garden that I could comfortably work in and prune. I guess I can still do that... just with an element of danger now. Seriously though, after keeping my first mantis I was smitten, they are easily the most rewarding animal that I have ever kept in this hobby (I've never had a puffer though... their owners seem pretty attached to them too).
I have always wanted a peacock but my past nanos were too small for one.

I guess my new goal is something like:

"devote vast sums of time and money to the keeping of a single, small, invertebrate"


- Chad

[Joe Reefer]

Love the mantis!!!

[muck]

Fantastic Chad.. time to invest in some gardening gloves.
I'd go for some stainless steel mesh meat cutting ones..

[justinl]

wow even for a peacock mantis, that baby has gorgeous colours! My tank is all set up, i just need to find my own mantis... the search continues.

I feel obliged to ask though, how thick is the glass? Becaus a large full grown and angry peacock is capable of smashing glass. You could probably get away with unusually thick glass if you don't bother it from the outside. And i assume you know that a mantis might steal a few frags once in a while for its own home?

[untamed]

I notice in the mantis video that you have as many red flatworms as I do!

[rudy]

Looking good Chad!!

Thousands of dollars for a $30 animal....makes sense to me. Ask my octopus and mantis shrimp

[Fish]

Originally Posted by justinl

wow even for a peacock mantis, that baby has gorgeous colours! My tank is all set up, i just need to find my own mantis... the search continues.

I feel obliged to ask though, how thick is the glass? Becaus a large full grown and angry peacock is capable of smashing glass. You could probably get away with unusually thick glass if you don't bother it from the outside. And i assume you know that a mantis might steal a few frags once in a while for its own home?

Thanks Justin,
My tank is at least 1/2" thick. I usually overbuild tanks anyways because I prefer trimless, unbraced tanks so they need to be thicker. I'm not really worried - I don't have any experience with peacocks but from keeping a g. smithii I think that the glass break thing is kinda overhyped. It is really tough to find a real life, confirmed case, but the rumor goes through online forums like wildfire. I can see him putting chips in it if he really works at it but... the day it doesn't take him 15 tries to crack a 1mm thick snail shell is the day I start to worry a bit more.
Once in a while Ike stole birdsnest and digitata frags but that was only when I didn't provide enough building supplies. Just toss in some more LR rubble and shells and everything will be fine.
Best of luck with your search.

- Chad