Zebra mantis

fishoholic · #1 01-12-2009, 07:27 PM

I always thought that mantis's shouldn't be kept together because one would kill the other but I don't know for sure.

muck · #2 01-12-2009, 08:25 PM

Chris_A has a HUGE one...

Photos??

albert_dao · #3 01-12-2009, 08:26 PM

I acquired last year from a friend. Lost it when my tank was smashed.

Can't really say I was super enthusiastic about it. Stayed under the substrate or in tubes all day and only came out for a couple seconds when I threw in food.

It was really pretty though.

my2rotties · #4 01-13-2009, 02:22 AM

There are photos of Grendel (yeah I gave her a name)on my link below. SHe does not do very much but loves to dig tunnels and caves. I think she uses saliva or something to make the sand sticky. She lays on her back with her tail curled under, or flat out on her side. I only saw her strike once and it was so fast, I hardly saw it.

You could actually hear the water move in the tank. Her reach is longer then her body I believe and she does not miss. When she nailed the damsel fish I mentioned, she pretty much slit it's throat area. I don't mind how she looks when she is sitting, but when she goes mobile to swim aroubnd the tank, she looks pretty freaky. Her equipment is so top heavy she struggles a little to keep from sinking in the front. When she climbs up on the blower, I get ready to run out of the room...

I don't know what I would do if she climbed out on me.

At least she stays out in the open for me too see her. I have to say she is the coolest Christmas gift I have ever gotten.

my2rotties · #5 01-13-2009, 02:26 AM

I kind of figured the same thing, but I saw a post that mentioned they had more then one. The only thing living with mine is a gorilla crab (really gross)Doug from the LFS gave me for my puffer. I could not go through skewering the crab to a stick for Griff, and I was warned not to let it get away in my display. So Grendel has a buddy with body armor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishoholic

I always thought that mantis's shouldn't be kept together because one would kill the other but I don't know for sure.

Borderjumper · #6 01-13-2009, 03:05 AM

very cool! I would be worried about bringing home dead fish for it IF your refug is plumbed into a system with fish in it.. ya just never know why the fish died!

my2rotties · #7 01-13-2009, 03:10 AM

Very good point indeed... They are frozen and thawed before giving them her. Does that help any? The fuge is plumbed into the entire system, and I never even thought of it. I am feeling pretty stupid now.

QUOTE=Borderjumper;376981]very cool! I would be worried about bringing home dead fish for it IF your refug is plumbed into a system with fish in it.. ya just never know why the fish died![/quote]

Borderjumper · #8 01-13-2009, 03:12 AM

I wouldnt... they are dead for a reason!

my2rotties · #9 01-13-2009, 03:17 AM

I won't be doing that any more. I guess my next question is how often do I need to feed her, since I have not found any useful info on keeping a zebra mantis. My hubby's buddy comes over with a couple of damsels when he pops over to watch Grendel hunt... she never does it for him. The last time he came by he mentioned the guy at the LFS he was at said to buy mollies for the shrimp. I jsut did not think that sounded right since they are fresh water fish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borderjumper

I wouldnt... they are dead for a reason!

Borderjumper · #10 01-13-2009, 03:21 AM

Ive never had a mantis so I know nothing about feeding them... but I have kept mollys in my reef tanks before when I had an algae problem. They did very well ( in fact better than my freshwater ones) and produced mass quantities of live food ( the fry) for my fish.