Thanks guys!
The original plan for this tank didn't include a mantis. The idea was to have a soft coral garden that I could comfortably work in and prune. I guess I can still do that... just with an element of danger now. Seriously though, after keeping my first mantis I was smitten, they are easily the most rewarding animal that I have ever kept in this hobby (I've never had a puffer though... their owners seem pretty attached to them too).
I have always wanted a peacock but my past nanos were too small for one.

I guess my new goal is something like:

"devote vast sums of time and money to the keeping of a single, small, invertebrate"
:razz:

- Chad

Love the mantis!!!

Fantastic Chad.. time to invest in some gardening gloves.
I'd go for some stainless steel mesh meat cutting ones.. :lol:

wow even for a peacock mantis, that baby has gorgeous colours! My tank is all set up, i just need to find my own mantis... the search continues.

I feel obliged to ask though, how thick is the glass? Becaus a large full grown and angry peacock is capable of smashing glass. You could probably get away with unusually thick glass if you don't bother it from the outside. And i assume you know that a mantis might steal a few frags once in a while for its own home?

I notice in the mantis video that you have as many red flatworms as I do!

Looking good Chad!!

Thousands of dollars for a $30 animal....makes sense to me. Ask my octopus and mantis shrimp

Thanks Justin,
My tank is at least 1/2" thick. I usually overbuild tanks anyways because I prefer trimless, unbraced tanks so they need to be thicker. I'm not really worried - I don't have any experience with peacocks but from keeping a g. smithii I think that the glass break thing is kinda overhyped. It is really tough to find a real life, confirmed case, but the rumor goes through online forums like wildfire. I can see him putting chips in it if he really works at it but... the day it doesn't take him 15 tries to crack a 1mm thick snail shell is the day I start to worry a bit more.
Once in a while Ike stole birdsnest and digitata frags but that was only when I didn't provide enough building supplies. Just toss in some more LR rubble and shells and everything will be fine.
Best of luck with your search.

- Chad

Haha, I had those things forever.. but when I posted the video, another reefer pointed out that they were the dreaded flatworm. I borrowed some flatworm exit from Andy and nuked them all within the week. They actually didn't bother me... but, war is war :razz:

- Chad

LOL I knew you'd understand!

And thanks again for your help,

Cheers!

Okay, 1/2 an inch of glass will serve just fine. Just to warn ya, G. smithii stay much smaller. Peacocks are as interactive as smithii but bigger. You don't want to hand feed these bad boys. You should know too that you should watch out for shell rot. Peacocks are much more susceptible to it than smithii. Just make sure it has rubble and lr to make a nice dark burrow to escape light and supplement the frozen diet with selcon once in a while. If it ever develops shell rot let me know, Ill let you know what t do. You've had a mantis before so you probably know all this. Im just makin sure you know if you don't already.

yeah i agree I like the trimless look too. I made a 60 gal trimless acrylic recently.