Hey Ninjafish, it's me again. I was wondering what shrooms and anemone's you kept in your mantis tank. I'm trying to find a balance between the lighting mantis shrimps prefer and other things that prefer brightly lit tanks. You appear to have quite a few of those "feathery" things like the shrooms. I doubt youll want to list them all but if you remember any in particular I'd like to hear what they were.
@wyattthealchemist leathers and zooanthids, mantis' aren't exactly the neatest eaters, so the tank needs alot of upkeep for an anemone to survive. BTW if you buy a clown hosted to the anemone the mantis shouldn't be able to get it unless you dont feed it.
Is this particular mantis shrimp still alive? Most mantis shrimp live 3-4 years in captivity (from what I can tell from research), this video was posted in 2007 and that mantis looked to be reasonably large for not being a zebra or peacock/harlequin. Also, was that Gonadactylus Chigara?
No, Ike is a gonodactylus smithii, which I feel is the best species of mantis shrimp for a nano tank (but I'm biased). I sold Ike to a fellow reefer and after I had built a new 30gal display tank, I tried to buy him back but was informed that Ike had died : (
Aww jeez.... sorry he died. How long did you have him before you sold him? I am trying to discern the life-span of different mantis shrimp types. Currently I'm making a tank for a mantis (14 gal) and am wondering what type to get. I was thinking of the Peacock/Harlequin or Zebra but ill certainly look up smithii on your recommendation. By the way, what lighting did you use? I've heard T8 is appropriate for peacocks but uncertain for others. Thanks for responding.
I have him for at least 2 years prior to selling him and it was about 6 months later that I tried to get him back. Peacocks are beautiful and I would love to have one but I have been a little leery of shell disease. I kept Ike under a 70w halide in the 20K range. The 30gal that I set up was with T8's and I am very impressed with that lighting - especially compared to power compacts.
@N1njaFish what type is ike s speices not the sienctific name the name given or known by pet stores and would a 5gallon tank be big enought for the same spices as ike was
Is that Gonadactylus Chigara? The color matched but that particular species is the least popular when choosing a mantis shrimp for tanks. Was just wondering which type you had. It appeared to be a "smasher" type as well which I know Gonadactylus to be.
Thats good job youve done there. very innovative. i currently own a RSM and will be adding a sump/refugium in the cabinet with a view to host a mantis shrimp in the refugium
I bought the ballast and reflector off of eBay. I cut the insides out of a halogen desk lamp and then attached the reflector to the inside and routed the electrical to the ballast on my desk.
Thank you! The inlet and outlet are bulkheads plumbed directly to the bottom of the tank. They are partially covered by the rockwork and the intake is protected by a filter screen.
I drilled two small holes in the top of my cannister filter, cut the plugs off the ends of a heater and a submersable halogen light, fed the wries through, and then reattached the plugs and sealed it with silicone. Result: heater and fuge light inside the cannister (I grow chaetomorpha in the second compartment).
thats one of the greatest things i've seen on youtube. how many money i have to spend to have similar tank for mantis shrimp? (and what do I need except tank, sand, live rocks & shrimp)
I am using an Eheim filter that I drilled so that I could add a heater and submersible pond lights that I used to grow chaetomorpha macro algae inside the filter.
It's tough to estimate because some of the equipment I got for cheap from other people. The tank was custom built from starfire and the halide retrofit was off of ebay. The really expensive part is the topoff pump that you see. I snagged it off ebay for a good price but they go for around $600 US new.
It looks like the hermits are trying to run for their lives, lol! I love it! I would love to have a Mantis in a small tank! Hmmmmmm! :) I finally got my video on here too, but it doesn't compare to yours! :)
Good thing you didnt catch it, theses things are sometimes nicknamed the thumb breaker :P How much would it cost to build a set-up and have one of theses N1njaFish? I live in Canada too.
Top notch in all ways. Did you build this tank - or the other 8" cube - yourself, or did you have it made, and by whom? Thanks for any advice ... I'm downsizing from a about a 200 gallon reef to a nano, and your setup is a model for what I want to accomplish.
Thanks for the kind words. I took my designs to a local glass shop and they put both tanks together for me and drilled the bulkheads. I had it done out of starfire glass too.
The shop is called Bow Valley Aquarium, but they also go by the name Inter American for their sales to the United States. HTH
I see you're awake late like me. I will contact the 'Merican company if my local glass supplier can't deal with it (my custom specs.) Did you get the glass tempered or scratch-resistance-coated, or both, or none of the above? I admire everything about your system, but having the canister filter closed-loop and the auto-evap top-off based on a pre-configured amount ( strokes per hour ? ) is more accurate than my feeble mind and system could account for.
That is a laboratory-grade chemical metering pump. IT is adding ro/di water to the system at the same rate as evaporation. The result, no salinity fluctuations and no water topoffs.
Hi, actually I do have an 8gal biocube by Oceanic. I have a clown and come crabs and corals in it. It is a great tank, but it is always more fun to build something yourself. Because, I think there is more plastic on the BC than there is glass. With my nano, there is nothing to detract from the view.
what kind of filter do u use and where does the water come in from??? this is the coolest thing i've ever seen and i'm sooooo gonna build one lol also how do u keep it so clean?? the glass is amazingly clear
Just a regular eheim cannister filter that I modified to include a submersible light to grow chaeto. The filter is plumbed directly to the bottom of the tank. The glass is starfire glass. Thanks, and let me know if I need to explain things better...
I started with a 150w halogen 'drafting lamp' and removed all of the insides. A 70watt metal halide with reflector fit perfectly in the empty hood. I just routed the chord to the ballast that you see sitting on my desk. There is no fan - the hood is built to take the heat and there is airflow between it and the tank to it didn't raise my tank temp either. Thanks bro.
@SCOBYsnacks There is this misconception about the word "waste" in the English language. It would be a "waste" of money if he neatly stacked the money he earned in a vault to collect dust; never to be spent. Money that isn't used is a "waste".
Uh ya, I realize that. That's the point of having them in the tank. Hermits, krill, frozen mix, and vitamin supplements are how I provided a balanced diet for my mantis.
I'm not sure if you realize this, but unless you keep strictly herbivores, everything in your tank eats something else...
Hey Ninjafish, it's me again. I was wondering what shrooms and anemone's you kept in your mantis tank. I'm trying to find a balance between the lighting mantis shrimps prefer and other things that prefer brightly lit tanks. You appear to have quite a few of those "feathery" things like the shrooms. I doubt youll want to list them all but if you remember any in particular I'd like to hear what they were.
wyattthealchemist 1 year ago
@wyattthealchemist leathers and zooanthids, mantis' aren't exactly the neatest eaters, so the tank needs alot of upkeep for an anemone to survive. BTW if you buy a clown hosted to the anemone the mantis shouldn't be able to get it unless you dont feed it.
rockinbewbs 1 year ago
Is this particular mantis shrimp still alive? Most mantis shrimp live 3-4 years in captivity (from what I can tell from research), this video was posted in 2007 and that mantis looked to be reasonably large for not being a zebra or peacock/harlequin. Also, was that Gonadactylus Chigara?
wyattthealchemist 1 year ago
@wyattthealchemist
No, Ike is a gonodactylus smithii, which I feel is the best species of mantis shrimp for a nano tank (but I'm biased). I sold Ike to a fellow reefer and after I had built a new 30gal display tank, I tried to buy him back but was informed that Ike had died : (
N1njaFish 1 year ago
@N1njaFish
Aww jeez.... sorry he died. How long did you have him before you sold him? I am trying to discern the life-span of different mantis shrimp types. Currently I'm making a tank for a mantis (14 gal) and am wondering what type to get. I was thinking of the Peacock/Harlequin or Zebra but ill certainly look up smithii on your recommendation. By the way, what lighting did you use? I've heard T8 is appropriate for peacocks but uncertain for others. Thanks for responding.
wyattthealchemist 1 year ago
@wyattthealchemist
I have him for at least 2 years prior to selling him and it was about 6 months later that I tried to get him back. Peacocks are beautiful and I would love to have one but I have been a little leery of shell disease. I kept Ike under a 70w halide in the 20K range. The 30gal that I set up was with T8's and I am very impressed with that lighting - especially compared to power compacts.
Cheers,
Chad
N1njaFish 1 year ago
@N1njaFish
Aah... thank you very much! I'm rather new to the aquarist hobby so any information is greatly appreciated, this is very helpful.
wyattthealchemist 1 year ago
@N1njaFish what type is ike s speices not the sienctific name the name given or known by pet stores and would a 5gallon tank be big enought for the same spices as ike was
TheBrandonLand 7 months ago
Is that Gonadactylus Chigara? The color matched but that particular species is the least popular when choosing a mantis shrimp for tanks. Was just wondering which type you had. It appeared to be a "smasher" type as well which I know Gonadactylus to be.
wyattthealchemist 1 year ago
yhat is awsome!!!! how much does a 'lil' tank like that cost to build. I want a fuge for my bio cube , any recomendations??
shadow7989 2 years ago
Chad
Thats good job youve done there. very innovative. i currently own a RSM and will be adding a sump/refugium in the cabinet with a view to host a mantis shrimp in the refugium
Avnish76 2 years ago
ahhhh beautiful setup.
Weazell 2 years ago
did u biuld tank itself or was it a kit or store bought?
TheKimzon 2 years ago
I had the tank custom built by a local glass shop to my specs. The other mods I did myself according to my own design.
Chad
N1njaFish 2 years ago
just also wondering.. where did you get that light from?
ICanHasDat 2 years ago
I bought the ballast and reflector off of eBay. I cut the insides out of a halogen desk lamp and then attached the reflector to the inside and routed the electrical to the ballast on my desk.
Chad
N1njaFish 2 years ago
where is the inlet and outlet??
also i cant see the heater on the filter. how did you do it? finally nice video love it!! 5 stars
ICanHasDat 2 years ago
Thank you! The inlet and outlet are bulkheads plumbed directly to the bottom of the tank. They are partially covered by the rockwork and the intake is protected by a filter screen.
I drilled two small holes in the top of my cannister filter, cut the plugs off the ends of a heater and a submersable halogen light, fed the wries through, and then reattached the plugs and sealed it with silicone. Result: heater and fuge light inside the cannister (I grow chaetomorpha in the second compartment).
N1njaFish 2 years ago
awsome tank 5 * !!!! nd a subscribtion return da love
ilikathevids89 2 years ago
extremely nice...is the external filter for your nano cube? great job anyways, im going to build a 10 gallon nano cube soon for my mantis shrimp..
Almost2old4this 2 years ago
Yes the external filter is so that I could eliminate any visible equipment and add water volume and filtration capacity to a small tank.
Thanks for the kind comments everyone.
Chad
N1njaFish 2 years ago
thats one of the greatest things i've seen on youtube. how many money i have to spend to have similar tank for mantis shrimp? (and what do I need except tank, sand, live rocks & shrimp)
felajamnik 2 years ago
probably around $400-500 for a nice set up like this. I've spent $350 without any corals or fish
spacecadetzack 2 years ago
pretty penny for such a small thing but... It looks totally bad asseven though its so small lol this tanks so clean and perfectly decorated
BoY860 2 years ago
What kind of filter u have dude?
anthonymovies4 2 years ago
I am using an Eheim filter that I drilled so that I could add a heater and submersible pond lights that I used to grow chaetomorpha macro algae inside the filter.
- Chad
N1njaFish 2 years ago
so kind of like a fuge/sump? thats a cool idea. i had a mantis hitch hike in on live rock, but i had to get rid of him so i could have a reef
spacecadetzack 2 years ago
I understand that. If you get the chance though, I highly recommend keeping a mantis tank. Most rewarding livestock I've ever kept...
N1njaFish 2 years ago
It's a spectacular tank!
reefsforme 2 years ago
Thanks friend
N1njaFish 2 years ago
how much did the set up cost ya?
killer tank btw!
hockeygmc 2 years ago
It's tough to estimate because some of the equipment I got for cheap from other people. The tank was custom built from starfire and the halide retrofit was off of ebay. The really expensive part is the topoff pump that you see. I snagged it off ebay for a good price but they go for around $600 US new.
Thanks,
Chad
N1njaFish 2 years ago
sharp tank!
Achtunz 2 years ago
beautiful tank
do you have it setup in your office ?
would love to setup a tank for a mantis
greenbull56 3 years ago
nice tank! but how did you setup its filter and water flow pump?
dreuxschwartz 3 years ago
It looks like the hermits are trying to run for their lives, lol! I love it! I would love to have a Mantis in a small tank! Hmmmmmm! :) I finally got my video on here too, but it doesn't compare to yours! :)
coralscraftslady 3 years ago
hi chad, how is doing your tank now? is there any trouble yet?? lol
cebretx 3 years ago
so that's the thing i saw in the tidepool on Oahu. I tried to catch it but it was freaking fast
p3ncilshavings 3 years ago
Good thing you didnt catch it, theses things are sometimes nicknamed the thumb breaker :P How much would it cost to build a set-up and have one of theses N1njaFish? I live in Canada too.
Chewy1980 3 years ago
Top notch in all ways. Did you build this tank - or the other 8" cube - yourself, or did you have it made, and by whom? Thanks for any advice ... I'm downsizing from a about a 200 gallon reef to a nano, and your setup is a model for what I want to accomplish.
scouncil2028 3 years ago
Thanks for the kind words. I took my designs to a local glass shop and they put both tanks together for me and drilled the bulkheads. I had it done out of starfire glass too.
The shop is called Bow Valley Aquarium, but they also go by the name Inter American for their sales to the United States. HTH
N1njaFish 3 years ago
I see you're awake late like me. I will contact the 'Merican company if my local glass supplier can't deal with it (my custom specs.) Did you get the glass tempered or scratch-resistance-coated, or both, or none of the above? I admire everything about your system, but having the canister filter closed-loop and the auto-evap top-off based on a pre-configured amount ( strokes per hour ? ) is more accurate than my feeble mind and system could account for.
Thanks,
slc
From 'Merica
scouncil2028 3 years ago
how big are mantis shrimp?
thEsPamer106 3 years ago
What is the thing that says 45 stroke/hour?
ace1204 3 years ago
That is a laboratory-grade chemical metering pump. IT is adding ro/di water to the system at the same rate as evaporation. The result, no salinity fluctuations and no water topoffs.
Chad
ninjaf1sh 3 years ago
What a cool tank. If I may ask, why not just get an 8 gallon Biocube?
Your mantis has to be the happiest mantis on the planet lol. Its nice to see videos from people who know what their doing.
FenderBender79 3 years ago
Hi, actually I do have an 8gal biocube by Oceanic. I have a clown and come crabs and corals in it. It is a great tank, but it is always more fun to build something yourself. Because, I think there is more plastic on the BC than there is glass. With my nano, there is nothing to detract from the view.
Chad
ninjaf1sh 3 years ago
awesome set up!
caseyjames09 3 years ago
what kind of filter do u use and where does the water come in from??? this is the coolest thing i've ever seen and i'm sooooo gonna build one lol also how do u keep it so clean?? the glass is amazingly clear
marinefish94 3 years ago
Just a regular eheim cannister filter that I modified to include a submersible light to grow chaeto. The filter is plumbed directly to the bottom of the tank. The glass is starfire glass. Thanks, and let me know if I need to explain things better...
Chad
N1njaFish 3 years ago
thanx for the info
marinefish94 3 years ago
Hey how did you retro that Lamp to fit the halides? You have a fan in there to? what is the wattage?
Thanks. Nice tank its bad ass.
flipperisgay 3 years ago
I started with a 150w halogen 'drafting lamp' and removed all of the insides. A 70watt metal halide with reflector fit perfectly in the empty hood. I just routed the chord to the ballast that you see sitting on my desk. There is no fan - the hood is built to take the heat and there is airflow between it and the tank to it didn't raise my tank temp either. Thanks bro.
- Chad
N1njaFish 3 years ago
lol all that gear for so small tank waste off money lol next time buy bigger filter i guesss
SCOBYsnacks 4 years ago
@SCOBYsnacks There is this misconception about the word "waste" in the English language. It would be a "waste" of money if he neatly stacked the money he earned in a vault to collect dust; never to be spent. Money that isn't used is a "waste".
muffemod 9 months ago
great set up, probably the nicest ive ever seen for a mantis, and love the G. Smithii ive been trying to get my hands on one great tank
jumpinjackc 4 years ago
Cool Mantis. I love your setup. Btw who sings this song?
gena24ok 4 years ago
Uh ya, I realize that. That's the point of having them in the tank. Hermits, krill, frozen mix, and vitamin supplements are how I provided a balanced diet for my mantis.
I'm not sure if you realize this, but unless you keep strictly herbivores, everything in your tank eats something else...
?
- Chad
N1njaFish 4 years ago
So um... when do we get to watch the death of your hermits.. you do know that your mantis will KILL them, don't you?
preety14u 4 years ago