ctaylor3737 Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Preparing for my fish room I am looking for some advice on setting up a small tank for saltwater and plan on housing a peacock mantis shrimp. Can anyone give advice on how to setup the tank, cycle and what to use? Really not all too familiar with salt and have done my share of reading but looking for tips and if anyone has input on taking care of these guys. High5's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 There pretty easy basic saltwater set up some live rock places to hide. I kept one in a 5 gallon eclipse for 1 years. They are one of the coolest inverts in the world imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 There are countless ways to set up a marine tank . Filters now no longer have metal parts in the filter so you can use even HOB filters . What size tank do you plan? As far as cycling goes . Live rock is your best bet . Live rock not only looks nice but it gives the inverts places to hide and if you later decide to replace the mantis with fish, fish also love it and feather dusters , etc attach themselves to it . I am not a fan of mantis because you cant keep much of anything else but High5 would disagree as far as some find them pets . Either way I always cycled my tanks (decades ago) with live rock and I liked 1/2 lb per gallon no more that ,1/4 lb per gallon might be all you want as far as some don't like too much rock in the tank and 1/4 lb per gallon is plenty as far as cycling . If you do not want live rock , you can cycle it with mollies or even a few dead freshwater fish will work . I have used all those methods and they all worked great but the live rock is the best . Some people buy the small pvc tubes with 1 inch opening and place the rock around that for mantis cave. High5 would know more as I only got rid of mantis never wanted them in the tank . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 High5, Have you ever caught them by the piers or shallow inlets? When we used to catch sea horses, etc we would see them in bottles , and they love piers (so do moray eels lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countryboy12484 Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 How hard is a nano saltwater tank to care for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 No never caught one I had a 5 gallon with some live rock and 2 fish the 2 fish disappeared one day. I was like wtf happened about a week later I saw a blue streak thought I was seeing things so I sat there and watched and a lil inch 1/2 mantis shrimp poked his head out of some rocks. Our eyes met and it was love at first sight. I know it's a shrimp but there are very intelligent you can almost see there little gears going most people hate them but I love them. They got that all in attitude and I relate to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 High5, I have blinding hate for them lol but I know people like yourself who say they are the best and smart inverts. I know some who have kept them with fish and said they did not bother the fish till they find their fish dead or bruised . When I first got my rock it was straight from the Miami reef , uncured with tons of life but it had mantis which I trapped (some killed each other)over a period of weeks . One thing I saw was that when smasher mantis meets slasher mantis. The smasher wins . Some were very pretty and some were drab but I agree as far as "smart" and if you don't catch them the first time in a trap they than avoid it . I caught them all over time in bottle trap with a trigger door except one which avoided the traps and finally I saw him go in a small piece of live rock which I than removed from the tank . How is your set up, what type filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countryboy12484 Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Yeah please share... you guys have my gears turning now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 I don't have salt water tanks anymore. I wouldn't mind a nano cube for my desk with a pair of Australian Black Percula Clownfish . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 High5 said he has an eclipse. I forgot what they were but looked it up and they have been around for ages . Marineland eclipse . They also make 10 gallon size . They come with light and filter . Not reef light for coral but fine for fish, live rock and imagine even easy mushroom corals . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 High, What happened to your mantis , passed away ? If you ever go to Exotic aquariums by Bird road , they have the most amazing Picasso clowns ,who a guy I know bred . The Australian Black Perculas are stunning . They look like they are velvet. Salt has one big plus which appeals to men ,which we don't realize and that is the fish have personality . Most little freshwater fish do not . Most little marine fish have Central/South American cichlid personality and if you get into gobies or blennies they are amazing . I had a pair of Harlequin shrimp and they were a tight pair which worked together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpo Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Preparing for my fish room I am looking for some advice on setting up a small tank for saltwater and plan on housing a peacock mantis shrimp. Can anyone give advice on how to setup the tank, cycle and what to use? Really not all too familiar with salt and have done my share of reading but looking for tips and if anyone has input on taking care of these guys. You need: - Live rock and live sand. - Good salt mix - 2 power heads for circulation. - Refugium with macro algae. - Clean up crew (snails, hermit crabs...) - Top off system to keep the salinity stable. Set up the tank, add some fish food and let it run for a while , after a week or so when the diatom start to appear do 50% water change and add the clean up crew. I can't help you on Mantis shrimp, never had one before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Shrimpo, A refugium isn't necc or top off system . Granted there are countless ways to do it and that is what works for you thus you suggest it but he can easily do a mantis with just a powerfilter and live rock . Mantis will kill snails and other crabs. Out of curiosity how does your top off system work , you have it hooked to RO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Mantis shrimp are pretty much bullet proof in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpo Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Shrimpo, A refugium isn't necc or top off system . Granted there are countless ways to do it and that is what works for you thus you suggest it but he can easily do a mantis with just a powerfilter and live rock . Mantis will kill snails and other crabs. Out of curiosity how does your top off system work , you have it hooked to RO? At the moment I only have 2 gallon nano, back when I had 36 and 40 gallon reefs I used floating switch to activate lift pump inside distilled water container. I had great results with using refugiums as macro algae will absorb the nasty stuff that accumulate over time. Will all types of Mantis go after snails and crabs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 How did you run your refugium as far as light, substrate and no carbon or any other media used? Imagine it was paradise for baby starfish , snails, etc . I remember when they came out and Julian Sprung had the "magic mud" which was sand/mud taken by mangrove swamps and they added a few things to it . I never kept Mantis as pets as disdain them but the one's I had in my 55 killed every hermit and snail that came near their cave . They would dart out grab it and kill it . After they ran out of food they went after each other . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpo Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I hope Taylors Aquatics is learning here and we are not hijacking this topic Louie. I put about 1'' to 2'' live sand along with some rubble rock and Chaeto algae, no carbon or media. Any light around 6500k will do, some people run the light 10 ~ 12 hours the opposite from the main tank light cycle to keep PH stable when lights are off, others will leave the lights on 24/7. The refugium also help in controlling the unwanted algae in the main tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaylor3737 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I hope Taylors Aquatics is learning here and we are not hijacking this topic Louie. I put about 1'' to 2'' live sand along with some rubble rock and Chaeto algae, no carbon or media. Any light around 6500k will do, some people run the light 10 ~ 12 hours the opposite from the main tank light cycle to keep PH stable when lights are off, others will leave the lights on 24/7. The refugium also help in controlling the unwanted algae in the main tank. Feel free to give info, I'm always ready to learn about anything lol-Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaylor3737 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I hope Taylors Aquatics is learning here and we are not hijacking this topic Louie. I put about 1'' to 2'' live sand along with some rubble rock and Chaeto algae, no carbon or media. Any light around 6500k will do, some people run the light 10 ~ 12 hours the opposite from the main tank light cycle to keep PH stable when lights are off, others will leave the lights on 24/7. The refugium also help in controlling the unwanted algae in the main tank. Feel free to give info, I'm always ready to learn about anything lol-Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpo Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 How big is the tank you are planing to set up Chris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaylor3737 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 How big is the tank you are planing to set up Chris?I'm thinking a 20g,for the mantis. have concerns the 10g or below would be to fragile. I have a 20g acrylic I'm going to use. I saw one at my LFS and was probably the coolest/intelligent shrimp/ fish I have seen. loved watching it smash clams to lol-Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpo Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 For that size tank and If you go with the refugium route, I think the hang on back will work great, like this one: High5's and Louie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I would definitely go acrylic, they can shatter glass one shot. Man now I want another one now. Louie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaylor3737 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I would definitely go acrylic, they can shatter glass one shot. Man now I want another one now.Yea that's what I was thinking-Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 @Louie I gave him away at 3 1/2 inches he was out growing his tank and I was moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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