InvertIntermediate care30g minimum
Peacock mantis shrimp reef compatibility check
Odontodactylus scyllarus
A showpiece predator for its own tank: colorful, smart and destructive.
Minimum tank
30 gallons
Care level
Intermediate
Reef safety
Not Safe
Bioload score
1.2
Stocking stage
Late
Flow need
Varied
Light need
None
Compatibility warnings
- Species-only: it smashes snails, crabs and shrimp.
- Powerful strike; use acrylic or thick glass and never hand-feed.
- Check adult size against the final tank, not the fish or coral at purchase size.
- Add livestock slowly so the bioload and nutrient export can keep up.
- Use the planner when this animal changes the tank-size, flow, lighting, or stocking plan.
Professional planning context
- Use the 30 gallon minimum as an adult-planning floor; display length, aquascape, and existing tankmates can raise that floor.
- Hold this entry until the system has at least 3 months of maturity or equivalent stability evidence.
- Invert plans should account for copper exposure, acclimation sensitivity, predation risk, and whether the tank can actually feed the animal.
Tank fit and maturity gate
Tank minimum
30 gallons
ReefCrafter uses 30 gallons as the planning floor for adult size, swimming room, nutrient load, and aggression margin.
Maturity gate
3 months
This animal should wait until the tank has enough age, food web stability, or parameter history.
Care notes
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Reef safety
- Not Safe
- Adult size
- 7 in
- Placement
- A burrow of rubble and sand it can rebuild.
- Diet
- Frozen shrimp, clams and snails, offered with tongs.
- Flow
- Varied
- Light
- None
- Bioload
- 1.2