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@MustAgree I’m not sure I understand, are you asking about glass thickness? A 33 gallon tank is a good size for a Peacock, but I’d feel more comfortable with glass closer to 1/2 inches thick.

I think emerald crabs are cool too. I do try to feed a mix of live foods. But he really likes crabs. In the wild, this is how it is so I just try to give him the best diet that he needs. Nature certainly has some brutal aspects.

True but the other day I think I read something that said emerald crabs legs are poisonous but yea shrimp real Ly like crabs I would like to see the shrimp fight a blue crab I’ve watched videos in the past of it the blue crab fights back but they don’t hurt the peacock shrimp

Ima subscribe

@OMG Fish, I agree the physics are a bit difficult to understand. It’s also true they can vary the strength of their punches. They don’t always hit with full force. Whatever the case may be, it’s amazing how an animal that small can break open crabs and snails by clubbing them repeatedly.

You can use a bio cube, but a 20L or 40B has more room at the bottom of the tank for them to explore.

Just 9 months

@@nmotz06 I have had mine for 6 months

Boogiie3D, I smashed up larger chunks of bulk reef saver rock with a hammer. I bought 20 lbs for this aquarium from bulk reef supply.

I got him from my local fish store. He had been there for almost a month when I finally had to rescue him.

Hmm, let me try to remember…. -$40, tank/light on craigslist -$20 substrate -$10 rock -$30 filter -$50 powerheads -$5 thermometer -$150 stand -$100 ATO -$15 PVC pipe This is all estimated as it’s been several years.

and maybe $25 for the refugium

Thanks great help👍🏽

Welcome to the hobby! They do molt, usually every 3-6 months depending on size. The small one molt more frequently. Peacock mantis shrimp enjoy live emerald crabs, and snails of all kinds plus small clams, brine shrimp or any other hard or soft shelled live food. I have fed live ghost shrimp in many occasions and they are like 10/$1 at most local fish stores. But frozen food is good too. They like frozen krill and I also feed freeze dried krill soaked in Selcon, a vitamin mixture for marine animals. Best of luck to you!

@@nmotz06 thank you 🙏

I scooped up about 1/4 cup of water from the tank and thawed the clam in that for about 3-4 minutes. I would often add a few drops of Selcon too. Then I would pour out the 1/4 cup of water and place the clam on the sand and let the mantis hunt it down by smell.

Normally about a week before the molt, a Peacock's behavior will change. They may begin furiously digging everywhere or moving every small stone and shell in the tank. They also may become very aggressive. Then a couple days before the molt they will stop eating and refuse food if offered. They will completely seal up the burrow the night before the molt. The length of the molt depends on species and age. In Peacocks, a 3.5 inch specimen might emerge ready to go in under a week. Full grown adults may take as much as 10-12 days to finish the molt. They molt less frequently as they age, sometimes only once every 4-6 months. The frequency of molt also depends on feedings and possibly on water temperature (higher temps mean faster metabolism = more feeding = more frequent molts). I make sure I don't do any water changes before or during the molt. I might dose the tank with Seachem. In fact, I recommend regularly doses of Seachem just to neutralize any contaminants in the water. Otherwise, the hardest part is just leaving them alone until they are done. They normally have a big appetite when they emerge and in my experience they seem to regain their full striking power after about another week or so. Until then they benefit from soft prey. Hope that helps!

@@nmotz06 So dose it every day during its molt to prevent the neutralize everything until it’s complete with the molt

@Large Marge Shrimp, I would dose once before the molt begins and again when it’s done. Then dose once in between water changes. It reduces the risk of shell rot.

@@nmotz06 Update: So my Peacock has refused food going on three days now. Would usually feed him every 3 days so it looks like he is preparing to molt. He is sitting in my pvc pipe with one of the entrances is completely blocked and the other which he is hanging around is somewhat blocked. I have a towel covering the tank near that entrance but not completely covering the tank. Mine is probably 4-4.5 inches. I have Seachem prime ready so just seeing whenever he starts the molting process

@@calvincoolidge3406 Very good, yep refusing food a sure sign he's about to molt. Hope he pulls through. Molts are necessary in that the risk of shell rot is lessened, but they are also a time of great risk for the animal itself. My current Peacock has a minor case of shell rot right now and I am feeding once and sometimes twice per day to induce a molt. Shell rot is so common among Peacock mantis shrimp that practically every one of us will have to deal with it at one point or another. Of course, poor water quality and bad husbandry can be a reason for shell rot to occur, but even in the ocean most adult Peacocks are constantly dealing with the cycle of shell rot -> molting off the diseased shell -> shell rot -> molting, etc...

Slayer 101, thanks! It's not necessary to have a refugium, or even a protein skimmer. But I discovered that protein skimmer's are most effective for keeping a mantis tank clean. In terms of water quality, here is what I recommend: -stable salinity on the lower end of normal, ~1.023. No large water changes (recommend at most 20% every two weeks, preferably 10%) -low nitrates, less than 10ppm. In my experience, this is best controlled with a skimmer, but there are other ways. A refugium can sometimes help, but what helps the most is if you have a mantis all alone so you don't have to feed fish, who are messy eaters. -low-ish temperature, 78-79F -very high flow to oxygenate the water, recommend 50-70x turnover per hour Hope that helps!

@@nmotz06 this is so helpful man thank you so much. If I have a question I'll know who to ask. Thanks ❤️

Katarina, I've seen people keep Peacocks in some fairly small tanks and in my opinion it's just more enjoyable, and ultimately easier, to have a slightly larger tank. I'd recommend a 30 gallon at least. When I return to this hobby some day, I'm going to have another Peacock mantis in a 50 or 60 gallon tank. One reason is because it is much easier to maintain a stable aquarium if it is a bit larger. Peacocks are not as finicky as some mantis shrimp, but they do benefit from stable parameters like most marine animals. They also grow quite large: up to nearly 7 inches in the case of some full grown males. Also, their foraging behavior diminishes somewhat in a small tank so it might not be as entertaining for you. They really like to hunt away from the burrow. If you go with a tank that small I'd recommend a different species. Neogonodactylus wennerae or N. oerstedii maybe? Gonodactylus smithii too. But having owned several of each of those species, Peacocks are the best in my opinion. Best of luck to you!

@@nmotz06 Thank you for the response! i donthave the budget for a bigger tank sadly, for this reason i have been looking to get the Smithii because theyre smaller, but ive only had luck finding a couple on 2 american websites and none of which can ship to europe... If you know any that do though, or other ways to potentially get one, id definently go with one of those as they were my first option.

@@katarinamy7879 Yeah the larger tanks can be quite expensive, I understand. I lived in Germany a long time ago and was able to find a Smithii at a local pet store, but they are more rare than Gonodactylus chiragra or Peacocks. Best of luck!

Chandler, sorry it took me a while to get back to you. That's a great list of equipment. You've put some thought into this and that's always a good thing. I had more success with dry rock because it helped me keep the cycle more predictable. Die off that occurs from live rock can sometimes prolong a cycle. But others have not had that problem so it's up to you. I still recommend testing each day until you can confirm the cycle is over before adding the mantis. Peacocks can get shell rot if you add them into an improperly cycled tank. I bought a bag of coarse grade sea shell/substrate and just hand selected the shells and pebbles that I wanted. I also broke some dry rock into small pieces with a hammer. I would not recommend any additives for frozen food except Selcon which is helpful. I would put the frozen shrimp in a small cup of water from the tank and add a few drops of Selcon and just let it soak for five minutes or so. Then I would feed and throw the cup of water/Selcon out to avoid adding too much into the tank at once. Ultimately, I recommend live food because it helps the mantis maintain more active behavior.

@@nmotz06 Appreciate the response. My last thing that’s been nagging at me is how thick should the glass be for a peacock? My tank is 1/4 thick and on the bottom it’s tempered.

Really sorry I missed this! Bottom line: impossible to say for sure. I always recommend to give it a try. The personality of different mantis shrimp varies widely. Some will destroy every living thing in a tank. Others let just about everything live. No rhyme or reason to it. Just be prepared to suffer a loss. I had a large fire shrimp in my mantis tank back in the day, and the mantis let him live......for 6 months. Then one day, he just had enough and beat the shrimp to death and ate him. Can't explain it!

@@nmotz06 OK thx for answering

You're right to be careful since acclimation can be stressful for Peacocks. Your plan sounds pretty good. I wouldn't go more than 30 minutes total acclimation. You might want to ask the company what their shipping salinity is so you can prepare. For example, some companies ship at 1.021 bc it's a bit safer in transit, but since many aquariums are usually at 1.025-1.026 it presents a challenge during acclimation. Just call them to check in advance. Also, add a drop or two of Seachem Prime to the acclimation bucket as soon as you get started. That will help detox the water for you. Best of luck!

I know! It makes me laugh every time I watch it.

Yep, she did that all the time!

Thanks for your questions. I once lived in Germany myself and had my first Peacock mantis tank there. I would still recommend water changes at least once per month, but preferably once every two weeks. It's possible to do less but it takes a lot of experience. I think it's just easier to do the water changes. The tank looks more clean (less algae) if you do water changes too. Mantis shrimp are messy eaters because they smash their prey and also sometimes do not eat everything. What they leave behind rots in the tank. I would offer food at least once per week. The size of the food should be about the same as your thumbnail.. Try to keep your tank simple and don't feel like you have to worry about every small detail. Your equipment list sounds good and I think it will work for you. The skimmer will be very helpful. Enjoy having a Peacock, it's lots of fun!

Nathan Motz Dankeschön ;) Im gonna start saving monry now and when i work hardcmaybe have it together in 1/2 months Thank you for your help

Nathan Motz oh, how much water do you normally change?

@@sharkmusic9636 My tank was 40 gallons so I usually changed about 3 gallons every 2 weeks.

@@nmotz06 well, thats ALOT less that i thought, this project might really play in my hands... on my 15 gallon freshwater tank i change around 6 gallons a week. i thought i would always have to fill up my bathtub and then change like 50 % every month... that is a real relief gonna` be the only one at my school with a mantis shrimp 😎

I always try to choose a pipe diameter approximately 1.5 times the width of the mantis shrimp's body. If it's too large it lets in too much light. If it's too small they can't turn inside the pipe while molting. At this point I had a 2.5" wide pipe because she was about 1.5" wide. A full grown Peacock will need at least a 3" diameter pipe, maybe larger.

I got mine from iBluewater but you can also find them at blue zoo aquatics sometimes. Otherwise you may have to ask your local fish store personnel if they can source one for you. Be careful though because many times they will get you a mantis shrimp that is clearly not a Peacock. Misidentification is common with mantis shrimp which is strange because Peacocks have very clear markings.

@@nmotz06 thankyou i have been doing my research and i am very excited to own one of these in the near future

@@landonherrmann2641 Glad you are doing your research. That will really help you to be successful. Best of luck to you !

That's awesome man! Just try to be patient and keep changes to a minimum. If you can, get a skimmer. Read all you can on the mantis shrimp forum on Reef Central. Otherwise, have fun!

@@nmotz06 yep i dont think thats available in my country. but i will try. is anemone safe to add with mantis?

@@actornauts5679 I don't think there's any harm in adding an anemone

I averaged about a 10% water change every two weeks but sometimes it was more like 5% and sometimes I waited 3 weeks between changes.

@@nmotz06 do you use regular tap water and mix it with salt or filter the tap water or buy the water at a shop?

@@ludogienezever For this tank, I bought my own RO/DI filter from bulk reef supply and made my own salt water at home. I used instant ocean salt and another brand, Red Sea, later on in this tank's life. On previous tanks I used treated tap water and have also bought water at a fish store, but I highly recommend getting your own RO/DI filter. I found it to be much cheaper in the long run.

Haha, yeah that would be a great name for a mantis shrimp.

@@nmotz06 haha cool tank tho man! ✌✌

Frase, thanks for your comment. I understand your sentiments, many people feel that way in fact. My thoughts are that in the wild this type of encounter - between a mantis and a cleaner/fire shrimp - would be relatively common so I don't view it as unnatural or a sacrifice. In this case they survived in my tank until the Peacock grew large enough and eventually killed and ate them both. It was interesting to me both that they could all coexist for a while and how my Peacock finally decided enough was enough. She was a carnivore par excellence! After she ate them I only introduced more shrimps on a much more rare basis because I quickly realized she wouldn't tolerate any other invertebrates. But yeah she killed coral banded shrimps, pistol shrimps, anemone shrimps, all kinds of crabs, etc... It seemed to me she grew more violent as she aged.

Nathan Motz ......Nathan keep in mind in the wild there is much more chance of escape compared to the confines of an aquarium......as a responsible aquarist you have to know that not all “in the wild “ encounters can be reproduced in the aquarium. Keep the mantis by itself. The way it should be in the aquarium.

@@thefrase7884 Though I don't see things exactly the way you do, I thank you for your thoughts and will consider them in the future.

Nathan Motz ........and also talking about the wild. The shrimp are natural cleaners. Don’t see anything in there where they can provide this so what you have isn’t close to reproducing any close to the wild. Good luck with everything. Peace out

I definitely don't think it's a bad idea to go acrylic with a large Peacock mantis or Gonodactylus chiragra. With the smaller individuals there's pretty low threat.

Inch of safety glass! Doubt it, you have a link to the video? Cant find a video of a peacock breaking anything but thin 1mm glass from a beaker or microscope slide.

They can't break through an inch of safety glass. I've read up on these guys for the past 2 years before actually finding and getting one. They can break glass under 10mm thick, I've never seen anything to confirm otherwise.

Depends on the species, feeding routine, and water conditions. This Peacock grew from just over 2 inches to nearly 4 inches in about 2 years. At that rate I feel like she would've lived another few years at least. But if you feed more, the animal will molt and grow more quickly. Also, I have heard that warmer water makes for a faster metabolism and higher growth rate. So if your water is on the cool side the animal will not reach full size as quickly. Other species generally grow pretty fast in my experience, especially at the rate they are usually fed in the home aquarium.

Good comment and an important point for Peacock mantis shrimp keepers: in the wild, Peacocks do not build complex burrows. They are utilitarian, simple, and U-shaped. One entrance, one exit, practically no variation. The mantis shrimp keepers I know that try to provide multiple entrances normally find that the animal will simply block the other entrances just like yours did until there is one way in and one way out. I have seen only isolated cases in which a Peacock will use a really complex burrow. U-shaped is the way to go, at least 2-3 body lengths long and 1.5 times the width of the animal. I also prefer black PVC because less light is reflected inside the burrow, but white PVC is ok too.

@@colesnyder9783 Yes. I would avoid water changes or abutting drastic, unless it really needs it. Hopefully he has a burrow to hide in. Mine would usually barricade himself inside his burrow when getting ready to molt. When he does molt, leave his molt in there. He will eat it.

Yeah a 40G breeder is a really ideal tank for practically any smasher-type mantis and has thick enough glass to contain even a very large Peacock. It's very, very rare for Peacocks to deliberately smack the tank glass repeatedly and a 40G breeder is well equipped to deal with random strikes. The tank in the video was an old, used tank and it was perfect. But just to be safe I always say to avoid "encouraging" the mantis to strike like some people do by running their fingers along the glass or something like that.

@@nmotz06 awsome thanks

@Rye Bread only the largest Peacocks or very large Gonodactylus chiragra can damage a glass aquarium and mine was only about 4" at the time I broke down this aquarium. Other smaller species just don't have the strike power to break hard aquarium glass. It's a matter of personal comfort. Most Peacocks leave the sides and bottom of the tank alone, especially if they have a PVC pipe burrow. That said, some people tease Peacocks into striking the glass and that can be a problem.

Hey Mekatrig, I always feed a mixture of live and frozen foods. The frozen foods are pretty cheap. I normally get a pack of frozen shrimp, krill, squid, or brine shrimp. I thaw it in a small cup of water from the tank then feed using a pair of tongs. I feed 2 or 3 times per week. Live food is more expensive, but it's important for their health in my opinion. I like to buy small emerald crabs (see some of my other videos) and brine shrimp, also small ghost shrimp. The mantis shrimp in the video was a female, and usually female Peacocks do better because they don't get shell rot as easily as the males. Shell rot is a disease that affects many Peacocks even in the wild. Hope that helps!

Proper burrow space is definitely the most fundamental concern for mantis shrimp keeping, but it isn't quite as simple as just adding more sand/coral. The reason is because adding a very deep layer of substrate will eventually throw off water chemistry. Also Peacock mantis shrimp grow to over 6 inches in length and build fairly large U-shaped burrows in the wild. It would take a very large aquarium to replicate that environment. That's why Dr. Caldwell, a mantis shrimp expert recently retired from Cal Berkeley, recommends the use of PVC pipe for a burrow. But you're right, without some substrate to dig and a dark place to withdraw these creatures don't do well. I would never recommend a bare bottom tank for a mantis although I have seen some people make that work too somehow. Thanks for the comment!

So a 6" little mantis shrimp needs more than a 40 long? Maybe some sort of predator tank with fisk that are piscavorous since these guys need a big tank. It seems odd something 6" would need such a large home being that its brain isn't even the size a varanid/reptile (what I keep). Do they need stimulation or are they less complex than they are being advertised on the Discovery channel?

Not sure exactly how they are being advertised on the Discovery Channel, but here are a couple observations I made about Peacock mantis shrimp during my time keeping them as pets: -They are intelligent and very aware of their surroundings compared to most other aquatic animals of a similar size. Not sure how they compare with a varanid/reptile to be honest. I don't know that they "need" stimulation, but they respond positively to it. They are quite interactive and establish an actual bond with their caretaker. -They roam a LOT. Watch dive videos on youtube of mantis shrimp exploring. I would say they cover football fields worth of space per day in the wild. That's one reason I recommend a fairly large tank with a long footprint. The other reason is water chemistry. More water = more stability, and this species is more sensitive than most other mantis shrimp in this hobby. Honestly, there is no tank big enough for a Peacock, but what I've found is that those kept in small tanks generally are more reclusive and less healthy overall. A good, dark burrow and a decent amount of space to hunt are two core essentials to building a healthy environment for this animal.

It is the Finnex refugium and costs $27 from Amazon. I think I got the Stingray light to go with it if I remember correctly.

Thank you

Sounds like a nice setup you have. My nitrates seemed to be more a product of my HOB filter. Once I got rid of that the macroalgae and protein skimmer handled the rest. Glad you enjoyed the video!

Sorry about that, I used to live in Germany and managed to order one through an LFS there, but can't help you too much in England. Definitely do a video series once you get a mantis because there really aren't many videos of that type on RUclips. Get on Reef Central and post links there so other prospective hobbyists can get ideas too. Best of luck to you!

Nathan Motz thanks for the reply! I'm hoping my friend at the local Maidenhead will get lucky. He's putting a request in with their suppliers, so fingers crossed!

Depends on a lot of factors...it could cost $300 or $1000 depending on what type of equipment/brands/tank material, etc....I recommend you do the research on the individual items you want, but here's roughly what you'll need: -Glass/acrylic tank -substrate (reference the video) -PVC pipe -filtration, preferably a protein skimmer bc it's a Peacock tank -powerheads for water movement -heater -tongs for feeding -live rock -RO/DI, you need good water chemistry for a Peacock There are other "nice-to-haves" like an auto top-off system. But these are the basics. I also would strongly recommend getting a tank with a better footprint than a standard 20-30 gallon tank. There are 30 gallon breeder tanks out there that are exactly like a 40B just shorter. Otherwise I would recommend just getting a 40 gallon breeder. In my opinion, a 20 gallon tank is far too small for a Peacock, especially a full grown specimen. You won't enjoy it as much because they'll remain in the burrow a lot more (less space to explore). Best of luck to you!

Nathan Motz Ending up getting a smithii or a wennerae. So now going for a simple ten gallon thank you!

Get on the wait list at bluezooaquatics, they get them in sometimes. Also try iBluewater, that's where I got mine. You can try to order through your LFS but you'll want to be very clear with them that you want a real Peacock mantis. Often they'll get in another species such as G. Chiragra and sell it to people as a Peacock. Identification of mantis shrimp in this hobby is really poor IMO. Another cool species to try out is Odontodactylus Havanensis, basically a smaller version of a Peacock. You can get them in the spring and summer from kpaquatics. They are a great company and also sell several other types of mantis shrimp. Best of luck to you!

Nathan Motz wow thanks man! Ill post videos and we should chat sometime once he comes in!

i just ordered one from ibluewater! The guy sent me photos and everything. I am picking him up on saturday at the airport. I would really like to pick your brain later if we could exchange facebook info or something over PM as i will have many questions. Thank you for your recommendation!

Cool, you won't regret it, Peacocks are awesome pets. You can find me on FB, name is the same as on RUclips. I also recommend getting on Reef Central and going to the mantis shrimp forum for good information. I learned everything I know about mantis shrimp from the people on that forum.

im on reef central! My name is Mr. Manty

She will move corals that aren't glued down well and I have noticed that she will even try to dislodge some of the well-fixed corals. Most Peacocks aren't as inclined to move coral around as mine. She also hacked up one of my birdsnest corals, but only after it bleached out. She left the SPS corals alone mostly. She really liked trying to put Xenias in front of her burrow entrances. Like you said, it's personality driven. But I think it's a risk worth taking. You might lose a coral or two but the mantis won't tear up the entire tank. In the wild, they use whatever they can find to disguise their burrows and that can include coral.

haha, yeah that's a pretty typical reaction from her whenever she finds an emerald wandering around in the tank.

I ordered mine online at iBluewater.com. You can also get them at bluezooaquatics. Additionally, you can try asking your LFS if they will special order one. Just make sure you show them a picture and explain that you want that particular species (Odontodactylus Scyllarus). LFS' have a bad habit of ordering mantis shrimp and calling them "Peacocks" even though they clearly aren't. Good luck!

Good question! Obviously, it's a unique creature, colorful both in its appearance and personality. Also, they are relatively easy to keep once you get the hang of things. There are some restrictions of course. To keep a mantis, especially a Peacock, you do have to be willing to forgo having lots of fish or other inverts. But they aren't a danger to coral and are an absolutely fascinating species of predator that I think almost any reefkeeper would enjoy. I guess I would summarize by saying that I got into this particular segment of the reefkeeping hobby because I was attracted by the mantis shrimp's natural curiosity, intelligence, and active behavior.

I'm actually not too sure about that honestly. You're right that it is rare to see anyone use plastic/ceramic statues of any kind. At one point I had considered a "Greek temple" model but decided that I wanted the tank to look natural instead. Just make sure you have room for a good burrow. That is very important. Best of luck to you!

+Nathan Motz thanks man, my main concern is what if the salt water corrodes the paint or something and makes my mantis sick. Probably unlikely but I wanted to bring it up.

+Nathan Motz I got a tank set up :) the pet store said to let it run for a few days and bring in a water sample, then I can bring my mantis home.

just aslong as it's marine safe in other words, will the paint used peel off under salt water, if not it's ok

Natural looks way better in my opinion. And the live rock is a natural biological filter also.