Tank Idea

I was wanting to make a "Evil" themed or "Hunter" tank. I want a Lion Fish and a mantis shrimp for sure. I think those two could hold their own in the tank together without killing each other. Even considered two mantis and just a Lion for the whole tank. It's a 55g tank. I would probably have to deal with a smaller species of Lion just to make sure there is adequate room. I may throw in a CUC just so the shrimp can hunt. Anyone have any ideas for this tank? The main things I wanted were the shrimp the Lion has always been a childhood dream but not necessary so I posted here since it was more of a compatibility check with inverts. Any other ideas based around that theme that you think would be cool and safe? I know that if I want any fish in the tank I probably need to make sure the shrimp are punchers and not spearers.

I haven't even started this tank yet so this is speculation and thoughts at this point. I take everything slow to make sure I do it correctly.

 

It could be potentially done but I would think very risky. Both lions and mantis will try to eat anything that they get the desire to fit in thier mouth. Lions eat shrimps & othe fish in the wild, so your pairing it with a natural food source so there would potentially be some natural predatory instinct risk. You would have to have a pretty substantially sized mantis to deter this, but then you run the risk of the mantis snacking on the lion should it decide to try it. If you get one mantis that big, placing a second mantis in the tank now becomes a territory issue between the two mantis.

The idea sounds like a pretty sweet tank, but I think the risks of the bad out weigh the good on this one.

 

Kinda of what I was thinking so I was hoping someone with more experience would chime in, so thank you for doing so. Back to the drawing board. I really want a mantis but I didn't want to just have it alone in a 55g tank. I was thinking if I gave it plenty of LR and let it get a burrow established it could be interesting with even just one. Anyway, thanks again and now I can consider what else I could put with a Mantis or a Lion because I want one of them but I don't want to have two big tanks with just one of each in them because it seems like such a waste of room I could do so much more with. Guess I will just put off getting either of them. Anyone ever done a tank of mostly inverts? Shrimp, crabs, snails ect? I know having enough food for something like that could be iffy but it would almost be a cool idea in its self. I want to have a reef tank with corals ect some day but I have a whole other tank and just deciding what to do with it. Perhaps I will end up doing something weird with the second tank like stacking the 55s and setting up a show fuge in the bottom one.

 

I had a lion fish and a CB shrimp together in a tank for over a year with nothing more than the occasional missing arm on the shrimp... There is no way the lion can eat the mantis as long as you get a decent sized peacock, and clubber mantis tend to just ignore fish all together. (a fully mature lion could, but the ones at your average lfs will be at least 2-3 years or more before it could even get the balls to try)

Maybe a large lion and small mantis but you wouldn't do that.

I would be a couple different species of lion and 1 mantis. If you get two mantis, I'm certain they'll kill each other. Dwarf lion would be absolutely no threat to a mantis.

 

And these are technically reef safe... Meaning coral isn't in there diet. As long as I kept my lions fed, they have been relatively harmless. The peacock will decimate any clean up crew which can be annoying.

 

Thanks for your input as well I will take it into consideration.

By decimate a CUC do you mean in a few weeks, a month, or days? I would see them as a purchase for feeding purposes more than anything. Wouldn't want my shrimp to starve now would I?

 

Probably days, lol... If you kept him fed on bigger meals he may go slower through it. I put 4 hermits and 2 snails in and by the next day only had shells left. But he was also pretty hungry as I hadn't figured out what to feed him yet.

I feed mine live gulf shrimp because it's so readily available. I ride to the bait shop and get some, cook some for dinner and throw him a couple live lol. But not everyone has that luxury. I guess it would all depend on how hungry he is.

 

Well thanks for all the help That's a lot of useful info for me to ponder.

 

IDK if anyone already posted on this, but your mantis' will kill eachother if they arent sold together as a pair already.

 

also, with the mantis and the CUC, he might kill them all in one day, but he'll store them, and eat when he wants to. thats why for mine i only threw in 1-2 hermits a at time.