FishChannel Forums / Saltwater Forums / General Saltwater / Rainbow Mantis Shrimp / Latest Posts

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

filipem — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:48:44 GMT

David how is the Mantis doing?

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Lady Percula — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:50:14 GMT

Awesome shrimp! The tail looks like a mini lobster tail in the pictures. Maybe it's related to a lobster

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

CephalopodLover — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:37:26 GMT

YOU HAD AN OCTOPUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?Great pic !!!!!! I just went to my LFS and saw one for the first time! I really want one but what would I need ? How much was yours ? The one at my LFS was $90.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Nep2Ns PlumR — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:07:38 GMT

Another great picture David! Awsome animal.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:01:19 GMT

Just for fun, here is a current pic of "Beau" -- my rainbow mantis shrimp. He is attacking the feeding stick with some pieces of ProSalt IQF Krill on it.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:50:03 GMT

It's easy to understand why folks who end up with one of these creatures as a hitchhiker into their tank are pretty upset. First of all, I think the mantis would eventually wipe out most of the other shrimps, crabs etc in the tank -- they would be dinner. Also, if others are like this guy, the hobbyist would wake up one morning and find everything rearranged in the tank.

Still one of the coolest animals I have ever kept in water. Right up there with mudskippers and octopus.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

filipem — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:42:18 GMT

David, Thank you for updating us on your progress regarding this creature. I will definitely look into getting one and setting up a nano tank like yours once I am ready to venture into saltwater. It's funny how most people who end up with one in a reef or regular saltwater tank consider them pests. Your experiences have helped shed a new night on these shrimp.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:48:27 GMT

When I was out delivering fish to some lfs's today, I picked up 6 glass shrimps. I set the bag down in front of the mantis's tank, and he came out and looked them over greedily. I tossed them into his tank, and he hunted them all down, holding one under his body while nabbing another. He stashed them all in his cave, and is now happily munching on them. What a great animal.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Nep2Ns PlumR — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:31:48 GMT

I appreciate the updates David. I'm seriously looking into setting up a tank to keep one myself. It's really cool to get some insight into their behavior. Beautiful animal. :)

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:43:59 GMT

Someone else asked whether he was stabbing or smashing, and I really don't know. The sand bed was a level 2" -- 3" or so when I set it up, but he just rearranged it the other day so it is about 4" on one side, and the other side of his cave is almost down to nothing. Every once in a while there is this flurry that looks like a snowstorm, and he is moving stuff again. I feed him dead fish and frozen (thawed) krill. One of the neatest animals I've ever kept.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

plecodiscus — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:33:50 GMT

Wow! Beautiful mantis shrimp. Is it the stabbing or smashing kind? I have an old 10-gallon tank... Maybe I'll get one and put it in there. Does it need live food? How deep does the sand bed have to be? Are there any other special reqiurements?

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Conner — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:05:39 GMT

Thanks! It was quite a learning experience, and I hope my experience helps other aquarists. I was glad to be able to share it with you guys, and its very satisfying to have more experienced fish keepers admire my work.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:11:36 GMT

And I am envious of your 125 -- you did a great job putting it together, and it was nice that you shared it with the folks here on FC.com

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Conner — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:17:58 GMT

That is an awesome shrimp! You're making me jealous, although my new 125g is fun enough to satisfy me (at least for now...;))

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Hailey — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:27:43 GMT

Great photo! It's a beautiful creature.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:11:14 GMT

Here is a new photo of the rainbow mantis shrimp. He comes out and makes a "tour" of his little nanocube, and then goes back into his cave.

One of the most interesting animals I've ever had.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Nep2Ns PlumR — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:15:43 GMT

That is a great picture, and an amazingly beautiful animal. I may be seeing a nano of my own in the near future. :)

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

octopuslover — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:48:53 GMT

Love the pic!

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

filipem — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:09:54 GMT

That's one weired little creature. :w00t: What a nice little animal to have in a nano tank.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Conner — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:56:20 GMT

Awesome picture! He is a really neat little critter.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

deluxerider — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:32:54 GMT

Awesome picture!!!! Good luck w/ that critter.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Hailey — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:00:36 GMT

Nice pic!

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

TurtleLover — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:25:57 GMT

Awesome! He looks almost alien, but very cool. I'm jealous of your little guy.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:05:12 GMT

Finally got a better picture of him. He hasn't been fed in a couple of days, so he has been out looking for food. I'll give him a dead fish tonite.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

octopuslover — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:15:54 GMT

I wish I had one.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

dmzldame — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:38:43 GMT

Nep2Ns PlumR (3/28/2008)

Viva la difference! :)

Not to mention so little space!.;)

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Conner — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:43:49 GMT

Can't wait to see them. He sounds like a really interesting little shrimp.

At on of my LFS', they have a mature fish tank to show off what some of their stock will look like full grown. I had initially thought there were only fish in the tank, until I saw something waving under one of the rocks. I couldn't see very well, but there was a shrimp under there! It looked about 4-5 inches long, was dark blue (i think), and it had at least 2 pairs of arms tipped with lots of "frills", which it waved through the water constantly, i'm guessing to sweep up microscopic foods. Really cool to watch.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:30:17 GMT

Still trying to get some pix that are the whole beast -- not just a front shot.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Conner — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:59:37 GMT

Got any new pics?

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:50:43 GMT

This animal is really amazing. He comes out from under his piece of coral, and surveys the scene -- with each eye moving individually. The eyes look sorta like each one is a submarine periscope, sticking up and moving in all directions. He just came out and grabbed a turbo snail, but just brought it down and then left it alone -- I think. Actually, it wasn't a turbo, but rather a small hermit. The hermit keeps trying to get himself righted, and every time the shell moves the mantis is out of his coral to investigate. This may bode ill for the hermit crab?

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:17:59 GMT

Actually, I don' tthink that cracking the tank will be a problem -- famous last words. He has started parading around the tank, since I haven't fed him in 2 days. Thanks for the help.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

deluxerider — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:56:42 GMT

David, aren't you worried that it may damage the tank? I've seen video where they have broken bottles to get @ food. Even acrylic tanks are not indestructible. As far as feeding it, try some snails. You may get to see it crack the shell to get to the snail.

Very cool!!

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

dmzldame — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:02:40 GMT

Thanks:D. Guacamole is my favorite invertebrate that I have. Believe it or not, some creature animators use mantis shrimps and eunice worms to design some really cool monsters :w00t:. If you can get the species scientific name you can google it to find out how big it can get. It's amazing reading about them.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

David Lass — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:11:24 GMT

If this thing actually gets to be a foot long I'm gonna get him a starring role in a scifi flick. He's really settling in, having excavated most of the gravel from under the piece of coral, and he is starting to traipse around the tank. Hopefully I'll be able to get a better photo of him.

Thanks for your help.

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

octopuslover — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:13:24 GMT

Cool pic!

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

dmzldame — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:31:52 GMT

Mantis shrimp keeping can be addicting. I have one currently that I found as a hitchhiker in my damsel tank. Apparently it lived there for over a year before it became big enough for me to hear it's infamous clicking noise. When I finally found it, you swore it was Christmas here in September. I take a small snail shell and put some thawed food in it and drop it near the entrance of my mantis's opening. I feed about 2-3 times a week with a variety of marine based food. Squid, fish, clam, scallop, shrimp and periwinkles. Depending on the exact species of Mantis it is. Some species have been known to get around a 1' some stay relatively small. my little guy won't get much bigger than 6".

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Nep2Ns PlumR — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:49:25 GMT

Viva la difference! :)

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

octopuslover — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:23:14 GMT

I like weird things. I think there cute.:)

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

filipem — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:59:08 GMT

How big will that shrimp get?

RE: Rainbow Mantis Shrimp

Hailey — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:06:08 GMT

Cute huh? Not exactly the word I would have chosen...lol. Seriously though, very nice mantis David.