# mantis shrimp



## laxfanweeb (Mar 2, 2011)

Thinking about getting one of the small specieas of mantis shrimp. Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## KG4mxv (Oct 25, 2011)

The only thing I know is that the larger ones are called thumb splitters for good reason.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Peacock Mantis Shrimp - Facts On The Beautiful Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Smachers need to be kept in a Acrylic tank, they will break the glass ones. They need to be kept with a large load of rubble. The Peacock Mantis is very colorful.


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## laxfanweeb (Mar 2, 2011)

Yeah I was thinking about getting one of the pretty green and pink ones that only get to be about 6 inches. Don't need an 18 incher beraking my tanks and ripping my thumb off. Thanks all for the. Responses


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## Jaybird5 (Apr 27, 2013)

There are two types of mantis shrimp you have smashers and spearers. Smashers are bigger, aggressive and destroy any crab or snail. Spearers eat soft bodied fish. They really are magnificent creatures and I heard its a myth on them breaking glass they can, but why would they attack the glass? If you get one I will really envy you!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

They don't break the glass on purpose, its smashing the rubble that ends up breaking the tanks up. Most tend to keep em in smaller tanks, that don't have very thick glass.


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

there have been VERY few reports of a odontodactylus scyllarus(peacock mantis shrimp) breaking the glass of a ten gallon tank, though it can happen. i have known of several people who have kept them in ten gallon tanks for years without issue. if you have a tank with thicker glass, like a 14 gallon biocube, the danger is even further reduced. i haven't heard of any problems with such a tank. 

if you plan to keep a mantis shrimp, i suggest Neogonodactylus wennerae. they are pretty hardy, are easily obtained from suppliers in florida, will stay relatively small, and are quite active, even during the daytime, which the peacock mantis shrimp is not. not only that, but if you intend to use normal lights, they will be less susceptible to shell rot, a potentially fatal condition that has been associated with the lights that are typical of a marine setting.

the easiest type of mantis shrimp to keep will probably be Lysiosquillina maculata. they don't look that great, and they will forever hide in their burrows, but they can be fed feeder fish and are able to withstand absolutely horrid water parameters. in fact, every winter, they completely close off their burrows and yet still survive for months with an absolute minimum of possible fluid exchange.


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