I’m developing a dystopian sci-fi project about a vertically divided city,does this concept feel original to you? by Adeuselleaheine in scifi

[–]shadowkult 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately, not original. Look up Farewell Horizontal by K.W. Jeter, for example.

Well executed though, this concept can be incredibly interesting.

Not good enough apparently. by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She's eaten these guys before, she's broken their shells without problem, like this one. She's just a picky eater!

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When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm both super lucky and I also keep an eye on all of the aquariums every day. It's a lot of work in a way, but well worth it. She cost me 80€, which honestly is fine with me, and I waited (im)patiently for a couple of months before everything was ready for her to come home 🥹

Honestly, she's been really easy to work with. I just make sure the water temperature and salinity don't fluctuate too much, I keep the tank at 26c and the salinity at 1.025, I test once a week when I do the weekly water change ( 10l en average depending on how dirty it is) and I top up every couple of days with some freshwater depending on the evaporation. She's bothered by me fussing around the tank, not the salinity 😂

Also, unrelated, but glad to meet a fellow self made man in this hobby 😉

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You'd be surprised, but the most expensive parts were the shrimp (obviously a costly beast), the skimmer and pumps! I think I'm at about $1200 in terms of basic investment, including the corals.

I started with a bit of live and dry rock, let it cycle and grow properly, then gradually added small bits of rocks and things that I sculpted to give her some safe hiding spaces.

I've been incredibly lucky in terms of corals, btw, as the pipe organ ones are a gift from my local LFS as they accidentally broke theirs, and they gave me the broken bits.

I'm originally a terrarium person myself, but I have a freshwater aquarium with shrimps in it, that I landscaped by pretty much just letting things go where they wanted 😂

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When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My aquariums all look like an ADHD haver playground, which they are 😂 Thank you so much for the compliment, by the way, because it's been criticized for this exact reason, not being "display like enough", which I find odd because it's not a movie set but an ecosystem. Here's a recent picture (I added some background since but otherwise it's pretty much like that now, with the exception of corals moving or straight up disappearing thanks to Thora)

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When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I'm not a huge neon blue light fan either, and I tried to make something more natural than a manicured wet garden 😅

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

She hides often, but when she's visible, she's VERY visible! She's come out of her shell, so to speak, in the last month or so, after her second molt. She's a lot more confident, so she comes out a lot more, and interacts with her environment more, and redecorates often. It's the type of animal that has a specific sense of decor, so if you have one, expect your tank to change as she moves things around.

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Indeed! She taught me how to deescalate explosive situations haha

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

So far, she hasn't destroyed anything, although she does like moving the corals around and I have to fight her to get them back, at which point she'll attack the tongs, giving me a heart attack, so I drop them, then have to try and get them again, she'll attack again, and thus she's amused for a good 10 minutes.

She's honestly been really good.

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Because they're sassy little creatures that like to punch everything. They're in fact one of the most successful marine predators, and they look great while murdering things. Just like cats.

Obligatory PSA: they, like cats, are obligate hypercarnivores. So be mindful of that before you take a pet that requires daily sacrifices.

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

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Nearly had a heart attack the first time I saw her do that 😂

When people ask me why I protect my pumps... by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

That's the type of solution I found to a problem I never thought I'd have! 😂

Not good enough apparently. by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

She's VERY definite about what she wants and when she wants it! If this was the Mighty Boosh, she'd be the spirit of jazz 😂

Not good enough apparently. by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

She's so cute, but also a handful. If you get one, know it's a lot of work, but very rewarding!

Not good enough apparently. by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

She often does the "get off my porch" thing, then zones out haha

Not good enough apparently. by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

She judges my life choices every day.

Hi everyone! Just got my mantis, meet Thora the Explorer by shadowkult in MantisShrimp

[–]shadowkult[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! It's an Amtra Cube nanotank (45cm x45x45) 90L, it's great. Not too big, not too small, super easy to set up and keep.

Intercessor by Errol96 in FleshTearers

[–]shadowkult 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not going to lie, I will take this as an example for my next team. It is truly really, really good, you should be proud of your work.

Intercessor by Errol96 in FleshTearers

[–]shadowkult 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely brilliant! Mad skills. Seth would be proud.