Fish's new tank project

muck · #1 03-08-2007, 09:15 PM

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

justinl · #2 03-08-2007, 09:36 PM

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 · #3 03-08-2007, 10:05 PM

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

Fish · #4 03-09-2007, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

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

Haha, I had those things forever.. but when I posted the video, another reefer pointed out that they were the dreaded flatworm. I borrowed some flatworm exit from Andy and nuked them all within the week. They actually didn't bother me... but, war is war

- Chad

rudy · #5 03-08-2007, 10:17 PM

Looking good Chad!!

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

Fish · #6 03-09-2007, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudy

Looking good Chad!!

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

LOL I knew you'd understand!

And thanks again for your help,

Cheers!

justinl · #7 03-09-2007, 04:57 AM

Okay, 1/2 an inch of glass will serve just fine. Just to warn ya, G. smithii stay much smaller. Peacocks are as interactive as smithii but bigger. You don't want to hand feed these bad boys. You should know too that you should watch out for shell rot. Peacocks are much more susceptible to it than smithii. Just make sure it has rubble and lr to make a nice dark burrow to escape light and supplement the frozen diet with selcon once in a while. If it ever develops shell rot let me know, Ill let you know what t do. You've had a mantis before so you probably know all this. Im just makin sure you know if you don't already.

yeah i agree I like the trimless look too. I made a 60 gal trimless acrylic recently.

woodcarver · #8 03-09-2007, 05:34 AM

Hey Chad , Looks like they finally got you behind bars

Is that for aiding and abetting that criminal mantis ?
..............................Dave

Fish · #9 03-09-2007, 05:41 AM

Right on thanks Justin. I am trying to feed a fair amount of live food but will be picking up some selcon for frozen krill and some iodine to dose the water. I will definitely get a hold of you.

Dave,
The only thing criminal is how much money I've spent so far -

- Chad

justinl · #10 03-09-2007, 05:51 AM

whoa whoa! stop there and back up a step. Why do you need iodine? Are you one of those people who believe mantids need iodine to molt? just to let you know, iodine dosing in a mantid (or another exoskeleton invert that molts) tank is NOT a good idea.

There is this false rumor going around that it helps a mantis molt. It actually forces premature molts from them. This is bad because there are things a mantis needs to do before a molt like reabsorb nutrients from the old shell and start growing a new one beneath it. Do that too often, it can kill a mantid. For the mantis' sake please don't dose it with iodine.

Ive only ever come accross one case where it seemed an iodine dose helped. But that was a special case where a peacock was ready to molt but was having trouble doing so.