My Latest Mantis Shrimp Video

[extreme_tooth_decay]

LINK To Video

 

 

Below is the video info I put on youtube for this video.

 

 

The "watch in high quality" button to the lower right of the video frame is worth it if your bandwidth can handle it.

 

I found this huge (fist sized) hermit crab at a local store. This crab could definitely kill and eat any crab from Crustacean Wars I-IV. The employee didn't want to sell it to me because he said it was too aggressive and would kill anything in my tank. He changed his tune when I told him what I was going to do with it. The crab hurt him when he was bagging it, and hurt me when I was unbagging it. Fast, angry, and strong sucker. I wasn't doing anything to antagonize the crab in the beginning when I show him at the surface of the water. He just did that all the time. I think he was on crab crack!

 

The actual battle went on for more than 30 minutes! I pieced together these clips of the battle, in the same order they happened, but dropped off a lot of the boring stare downs, and times the mantis took a small piece of the crab, went to eat it, and came back. The video editing was brutal. I know I have a couple white frames in there. I bit off way more than I wanted to chew there.

 

You MUST watch the sequence from 3:45-4:00. Funniest thing I've seen for a long time. I also like how the chromis wants more camera time at the end (4:05-4:10).

 

This is the first vid from my new tank. The static you hear is my skimmer. I need to turn that off next time, and get more white lighting.

 

Thanks for watching!

[DDiver]

one word=awesomeness

[Smoothtriqueter]

persistent! well done. PM sent for next idea.

[gsedlack]

Nice work - thanks

 

persistent! well done. PM sent for next idea.

[zoozilla]

Flipped him the "Bird". Nice touch.

[flowerseller]

Very nice.

Ever considered a "best of" vid?

The guy with the sword was great!

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Very nice.

Ever considered a "best of" vid?

The guy with the sword was great!

 

 

That's a good idea. The video editing kills me, I suck at it, I don't have good tools, it takes forever, but I could do it at some point. Maybe after I have more videos. Maybe Crustacean Wars X.

 

Unfortunately, the emerald crab with the sword didn't make for a good video when he actually fought the mantis, so I never published that. He has been digested, though. However, there was one really good scene that would make for a good "best of" clip.

 

I should go to Petland and let the guy who sold me the crab know how it turned out. He seemed interested.

 

As an aside, anyone have experience with youtube? The video I send looks so much better than what youtube ends up with, it's irritating. Even using the "watch in high quality". The red lettering is especially junked up. Any tips for making the final product look nicer? I have tried MPEG-4, DV stream, MOV (they look great, but after youtube processes them, they look degraded). The MPEG-4 for this vid is 55 MB and looks better than the DV stream which is 992MB (and takes less time to upload!). I hate doing all that work just to have youtube junk it up. Even blown up on my 100" screen they look less degraded than on youtube. I feel like I'm watching those big bugs on Starship Troopers.

 

tim

[SeanCallan]

Wow, that's pretty impressive!

 

Do you find the tank gets dirty because of the feedings? I know you have a skimmer, but would it be possible to run a mantis tank without one or would the algae take over?

[blaze98]

that looks like a strawberry hermit, they get huge.

[L8 2 RISE]

lol, nice, was that the hermit at aquaco? I've been there at least 2 if not 3 times that I can think of when someone wanted to buy the hermit but was dissuaded by the fact that it would eat their fish .

Edited January 18, 2009 by L8 2 RISE

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Do you find the tank gets dirty because of the feedings? I know you have a skimmer, but would it be possible to run a mantis tank without one or would the algae take over?

 

Since I only feed him about once a week, I'm not too concerned about water quality (although I don't test it). I usually give him about a marble sized chunk of shrimp from the grocery store.

 

My skimmer, adjusted to the wettest level, produces about a cup of very clear skimmate per week, so I personally would not hesitate to try without a skimmer (especially if it's a bigger-ish tank like this 29). There are also smaller mantis shrimps that you could definitely run in a 5G tank with no skimmer.

 

I also have a short photoperiod, and very weak lighting (currently 20W NO for about 5 hours, 5-10pm). It seems to be enough for my GSP, shrooms, and zoos, which is nice. It may not be enough long term though, will have to see. It was never really an objective to keep corals in this tank. A primary consideration is not to have to screw with nuisance algae.

 

I haven't had one speck of algae in this tank yet. I attribute it to weekly feedings and small lighting. Not so much to the skimmer.

 

 

that looks like a strawberry hermit, they get huge.

 

That thing was a monster, and SO aggressive. I've seen bigger ones (at least bigger shells) a few times at Roozen's, but this guy was nearly the size of my fist. I'm going to leave that shell in there like a gravestone. I've noticed it moves around. The mantis must still be playing with it.

 

 

lol, nice, was that the hermit at aquaco? I've been there at least 2 if not 3 times that I can think of when someone wanted to buy the hermit but was dissuaded by the fact that it would eat their fish .

 

This one came from Petland in Fairfax. See my comments in Vendor Experience. If you haven't been there in the last year, I recommend taking a look. I was shocked.

 

They had 4 of these hermits in cubes, probably will have them forever since the guy there tries to dissuade customers from buying them (as he should).

 

I was at AquaCo for the first time last weekend (it's too far from me). I didn't see any giant hermit crab. Must of missed it somehow

 

 

 

tim

Edited January 18, 2009 by extreme_tooth_decay

[L8 2 RISE]

This one came from Petland in Fairfax. See my comments in Vendor Experience. If you haven't been there in the last year, I recommend taking a look. I was shocked.

 

They had 4 of these hermits in cubes, probably will have them forever since the guy there tries to dissuade customers from buying them (as he should).

 

I was at AquaCo for the first time last weekend (it's too far from me). I didn't see any giant hermit crab. Must of missed it somehow

 

 

 

tim

 

Aquaco is a must! The giant hermit isn't actually giant I guess its more like very big, maybe about 3/4 the size of my palm. It's in his biocube display with the damsel and snow flake moray...

[lhcorals]

Very nice. I guess that finger did him in. Cant wait until the next fight. Getting better than MMA.

[fosterspike]

pretty good stuff, when i get my tank working right im going to get a mantis shrimp

[octopus]

pretty good stuff, when i get my tank working right im going to get a mantis shrimp

 

EPIC! I lol'd when he fliped the bird! Well done can't wait for the next vid.

[MisterTang]

When that thing eats your family, you'll wish you hadn't kept it.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

When that thing eats your family, you'll wish you hadn't kept it.

 

 

You've obviously never met my family

[Sugar Magnolia]

I love these videos!

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I love these videos!

 

 

Thanks folks, it's fun.

 

I was out at some LFS today and saw all kinds of potential future contestants. Even bought one, grin.

[chefthomasr]

That was quality entertainment! Love it!

[extreme_tooth_decay]

That was quality entertainment! Love it!

 

 

The least I can do for all that caulerpa you gave me. I can't tell you how many bucket's worth I grew out of it, and my (now Valeria's) tang ate. Crazy stuff!

[ctenophore]

What video tools are you using?

 

If you want me to put a high res version of the video(s) on one of my servers just shoot me a PM.

 

Thanks for all the hard work you put into these, they are very entertaining!

[extreme_tooth_decay]

What video tools are you using?

 

I'm one of those Mac guys you hear about, so I'm using iMovie and something HyperEngine-AV. Both applications have at least one major deficiency and at least one major advantage over the other. Using them both I can do everything. Unfortunately, I only have iMovie at my desk at work.

 

I also tried iMovieHD a while back, but had some problem. Can't recall what it is.

 

In the end, it is a hassle to use 2 apps, but I do create a video that looks as good as possible given the original data from my camera. So, the apps do the job, albeit inefficiently.

 

If you want me to put a high res version of the video(s) on one of my servers just shoot me a PM.

 

Thanks for the offer, but I do prefer to use youtube. I just don't understand why other youtube videos seem to have so much sharper lettering than mine. Mine look sharp before youtube processes them. I feel like I must be missing something simple.

 

Thanks for all the hard work you put into these, they are very entertaining!

 

Thanks man

 

 

tim

[ctenophore]

I watched the demo for the new version of iMovie, it may be worth a look. I'd be curious to hear if/how it works for you, to see if it lives up to the macworld hype.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I watched the demo for the new version of iMovie, it may be worth a look. I'd be curious to hear if/how it works for you, to see if it lives up to the macworld hype.

 

Are you talking about Imovie09?

 

I am using 3.0.3, which is ok, but it does not allow me to add text to the movie. I need the ability to say "insert x seconds of text with this font, size, style, background, transparency". It looks like iMovie09 might do this with the "new titles and transitions" stuff. If so, I would be able to just use iMovie.

 

Another problem is iMovie does not accept a muxxed MPEG, which is what comes out of my camera. So, I have to convert it to something else first, which is irritating and lossy.