Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Any idea of something that can eat hair algae and survive a mantis?
The rock I have in the nano is looking like a chia-rock.

The rock I have in the nano is looking like a chia-rock.

You could just stick some of those plastic eyes on the rocks.....might be fun.

Ok, Ok...I'm kidding.

Are you talking about short or long term? If the latter, then nothing. I have seen them smash a snail's operculum, as well as snatch hermits from their shells. They will really enjoy an emerald crab or a nice sally lightfoot as well . A larger, intimidating tang in with a small mantis might work (assuming the mantis is not a larger species or a "spearing" type). Other than that, practically everything else will be short-lived and not worth spending the money to replace them.

It's a 6" peacock and it is a 6 gallon jbj nano cube, so I think the large tang would feel claustraphobic. I think I'll just take the rock out, run some carbon, do a water change and replace it with one from my reef tank. The rock came from someone who had deplorable conditions with lots of hair-algae, etc.. so there is no telling what is going on. I haven't tested phosphates, but I bet they are high.

I kinda like the way the hair algae blows around in the current though, the eyes might look kinda cool

Do any of the large hermits we have locally eat algae? Some of them have some pretty significant looking shells.

ps: thanks amphiron

Even one of our local hermits (Clibanarius vittatus, I believe) will eventually be a meal for your little mantis. Even if it is not hungry, it will still be territorial. A lumbering, dumb hermit that strolls in a mantis territory is a doomed one. These hermits typically consume a bit of everything, but usually err on the carnivorous/scavenger side. I would just do as you mentioned, the best option IME. BTW, I love peacock mantis shrimp--a beautiful and amazing animal in its own right.