My mantis shrimp is giving me issues - help needed.

[MantisShrimpAgony]

I've had my peacock mantis shrimp for a few weeks now. I've been fascinated by mantis shrimp for ages, from the moment I first saw one on an old BBC documentary. I don't know too much about keeping fish or especially invertebrates, but the first few days it was fine, I followed all the guides and set up the tank and put my mantis shrimp into it, and it was eating normally, mostly stayed in its burrow, and I was happy. My wife thought it was really cool too, and it was a source of interest for both of us.

Within a few days, though, my mantis shrimp started hitting the glass. It seemed random, but it was so loud! I remember my wife was sitting by it and when she got up and left my mantis shrimp just snapped at the glass two or three times. I was wondering if this thing could actually break the glass, and I wanted to make a post, but between a hectic week at work and overall fatigue I just never got to it.

One day my wife came back with some smaller fish (I don't know what they were called), and tried to add them to the tank. Unfortunately (or maybe just obviously) my mantis shrimp destroyed those fish in a matter of a day. It seemed like adding the fish changed something about my mantis shrimp. It seemed much more violent after that, and before I had a chance to ask about whether it could break the tank, I was jarred awake around 3:00am by a loud snapping noise. I ran to the living room and saw that my mantis shrimp had put a crack in the glass of the aquarium. Oh well, what now?

I decided to make it an aquarium out of plexiglass. It was a weekend jog and my mantis shrimp was happy. I was happy. The clangs of it hitting the tank were really mellow compared to the class, and I didn't have to worry about it breaking anything. For a few days things were more or less back to normal.

My wife started spending more time with my mantis shrimp. At the evenings she would sit with it, or sometimes drop it small little clams we'd buy to feed it. I noticed though, that every time my wife left the tank, my mantis shrimp would start snapping at the plexiglass. It wasn't a huge danger anymore, but it was still loud. It would go on literally for minutes.

About a week of this went on, and it actually caused some issues between my wife and I. I asked her to stop sitting with it, because it seemed like that triggered a minutes-long banging session by my mantis shrimp. She felt like we got the thing to enjoy it and interact with it. I'm ashamed to say the relationship was actually significantly strained about this. I considered giving the shrimp away, but at this point, it almost felt like a curse-- and how could I put that on someone else?

My mantis shrimp started hitting the plexiglass more and more over the past few days. In the morning, when my wife and I hug to say goodbye to go to work, my mantis shrimp goes crazy. I can't tell if I'm going crazy. It seems like we exchange any positive interaction in front of it, it goes berserk and starts snapping at the glass. My wife feels bad for my mantis shrimp, and she's totally against giving it away or selling it. She defends my mantis shrimp when we argue, and it's turning into this weird thing where when I'm arguing with her, it's like me against them.

I don't know why I'm posting. This thing is putting stress on me in a way that I didn't imagine. Is this normal or am I just a really unlucky mantis shrimp owner? My wife and I hardly talk anymore, but she's always with my mantis shrimp in the evenings. I'm not sure what the best way to proceed is. All advice is appreciated.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How big is the tank? Do you have any rocks in the tank for it to walk around and explore? Are you maintaining the water quality?

Fish should not be added to a mantis tank.

 

[Euphyllia97]

I would say not so uncommon. Adding fish is not a good idea. I would just research their behaviour and make out whether you are willing to keep it or get rid of it. Would say this behaviour is not uncommon as they are very agressive

 

[VintageReefer]

I owned one for years, this is normal behavior. They are INCREDIBLY intelligent creatures. They have intellect. They think. They plan. They observe. They learn to recognize the owner vs strangers.

Their eyesight is in the top 2 or 3 out of all the creatures on the planet.

Your mantis recognizes your wife as the provider of food, and as a safe person. He’s socialized with her.

They will and can crack glass. They will hit glass and rocks and it’s just part of their life and fun. Plexi tank was a good move.

Sounds like he’s getting separation anxiety. Try training it like this

Instead of feeding or giving treats when she approaches the tank, feed as she leaves. It will keep him busy and he may learn that leaving is not a bad thing, but a good thing

 

[VintageReefer]

What’s abnormal is how you are handling the “situation”

You get a pet that has dual hammers with the striking force of a bullet. Two hammers capable of hitting an object so hard that it creates cavitation and air and are annoyed that you hear noise from it?And you are upset that your wife likes the animal…So you ask her to stop sitting near it?

What is actually bothering you? The clicking noise is annoying ? Or do you think the mantis is becoming stressed or harmed?

 

[VintageReefer]

Have you givin it snails or hermits so he can smash them instead ? They need to use their hammers. If you are feeding soft foods like clam chunks (which is fine) then they don’t need to hit anything to eat. A varied diet is best and they are hunters, dropping in a few snails or hermits weekly will let them use their natural instincts to smash shells and hunt for food on its own

 

[Stomatopods17]

Need pictures, my guess without photo is;

A) tank is too small, so the tank itself is the burrow and its expanding the tank

B) The burrow designed is using the glass itself as part of the wall structure, so it's obviously going to treat all sides like it would naturally.

The solution is probably redesigning its burrow, not easy but its not typical for mantis to hit the glass sides unless you aquascaped in a way where its attempting to expand the burrow's walls and the walls happened to be glass.

On occasion mine would hit near the powerhead if it saw an amphipod hiding around it, but its not typical for them to just hit and they especially aren't keen on hitting because of the presence of a human, they tend to hide/observe quietly. I've only seen gonodactylaceus behave aggressively to glass with human presence and that still required physically touching the glass for it to strike.

Yes they can break glass, but normally its through burrowing downwards and hitting the bottom panel trying to dig deeper, you just lay a sheet of pexiglass at the bottom and that's enough, there shouldn't ever be concerns for the sides of the aquarium and using acrylic tanks is more of a PITA when it comes to cleaning (around a mantis) then I'd consider worth. I've only ever heard of genuine side breaks via making their burrow positioned in the corner, or in really old tanks with a long history of keeping mantis in them for generations. It'd be a really long time depending on glass thickness for it to break out even with what its doing now, but the behavior on why its doing this has more concern.

 

[littlefoxx]

What exactly is the issue, the shrimp’s behavior or are you upset it seems to like your wife more?

 

[raythereefer]

That shrimp knows what he's doing, he's trying to steal your wife. And your behaviour is gonna send her running in to his arms (claws*)

 

[VintageReefer]

Mantis shrimp agony
Unlucky mantis shrimp owner
It would go on for minutes (and….what?)
Felt like a curse
Putting stress on me in a way I didn’t imagine

Why all the strong verbal drama. The issue isn’t the mantis. It’s you. All I hear out of this, is you got a pet you always wanted, your wife is happy and likes interacting with it; and your response was to tell her not to go near it and then threatening to get rid of it. Why would you get rid of pet your wife loves? That’s pretty petty and somewhat toxic behavior if you ask me

I can’t help but sense there’s a underlying jealousy issue.

Maybe I’m desensitized. I have kids. My house is noise all the time. I wish it was just for minutes.

Is it that this is your dream pet and she’s enjoying it more than you? Is it that she’s spending time with it instead of you? The only info I have is what you posted and you’re looking for help so I’m throwing out unbiased outsider perspective based on what you told us.

Ignore the noise for a few minutes a day. Let her be happy. Let the mantis do it’s thing. Take some time to reflect on yourself and why you are so upset.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Well, it sounds to me like you didn't do your research. And it almost cost the Mantis it's life. It's pretty common knowledge they can break glass on a tank. They strike hard. At this point, your wife wants the shrimp. It's become her pet. Both of you need to learn all there is to know about them and do right by it. Just don't get your hands near it.