# May be able to get a mantis shrimp...



## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

From my wonderful grandmother I just acquired a 15g high tank. It was a pain to clean up (there was hay mixed in with aquarium gravel), but now I look at it and all I can think is: That would look great with a mantis shrimp in it.

So, I've been doing more reading, and I think I got down what I need to know about keeping these guys, in terms of water, feeding, ect. I just had a couple of questions:

What species would I be able to keep in this tank?
In terms of feeding, are spearers and smashers any different?


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

Smashers like things to smash. That would be shrimp and crabs mostly. Slashers like things they can get their claws into, like shrimp or fish. I think it depends on what else you want to keep in the tank. If you want to keep inverts (not a good idea), the slashers would be the best bet. If you want to keep fish, they smasher is probably not going to get them. The problem is food availability. You can always find grass shrimp in your local ponds. If you live on the coast like me, you can walk to the beach and find fiddler crabs that make great food. If that isn't an option, feeder fish is probably the best route.


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## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

So, I've been doing yet more research (best part! I'm funny that way ), and I think I have found the species I want to keep. Gonodactylus smithii, or the Purple Spot Mantis Shrimp. Is this a good species to keep? From what I have read, lurking around on other forums, people seem to like them, so all should be good there I hope. Anyways, I have found a spot that sells them, here, but they are a little... spendy. 

If that's the normal price for one of them, I can get the money together somehow, but if there is a cheaper place to buy them, info is much appreciated. Need to go to the kind-of-LFS, Aquarium Paradise (biggest fish store in the NW), to see if they have any stomapods. They have a large selection of salwater fish, so I wouldn't be at all suprised.

Need to get live rock and sand for the aquarium, as well as a hood, so it will be a little bit before I need to be looking for the actual mantis shrimp, but it's good to be all prepared, you know? Oh, just one more question. How much should I expect to pay for some live rock?

EDIT: Duh, forgot to ask. Generic sand that you get at the hardware store and is used in freshwater tanks all the time will be fine, right?


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## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

Bump to get some answers...


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

G. smithii is a great species to start with. 5-6$ per pound is the usual price for liverock but the quality varies. I would stay away from generic sand... use argonite sand but you don't need much 10lbs maybe.


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## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

Please excuse me for bumping a slightly old thread, but would a *G. smithii *eat freshwater snails if I started a colony of them? What else would be easy enough to get breeding, and stay in good numbers? 

I'm thinking a colony of pond or apple snails, so it would always have a food to smash, and then some kind of fish, so that it would also have something to catch. Maybe guppies? Then I would just have to go to the store every once in a while to get it some additional variety, like frozen shrimp and the like (depends on sales and availability)

Basically, I'm looking for live food that can be easily bred and kept to supply a constant source of food for my mantis. I'd rather not have to make a constant trip to the store for more food, when live could maybe just as easily be provided.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Guppies are good... although live is not essential for their care.


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## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

Yeah, I know. I just want to be able to have something on hand. I don't drive yet, and I can't always count on my parents taking me to the store. That, and sea food can get expensive. I've got enough to worry about buying.


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