mantis shrimp jsut shwoed up out of nowhere ??!!

Vanquishxxxx · 06/13/2009, 11:39 AM

i have had the tank up for months, i always look at it at night, and today during the day i saw a mantis on one of my rocks, cant believe i have neevr seen him before. I do wnt him out he is tiny, probally why i missed him for so long. Wat is a good way to catch them, i heard somethign about a bottle and bait?? not sure where he lives yet since i saw him for like 1 minutes in 5 months the tank has been up

jenglish · 06/13/2009, 11:54 AM

They are pretty sneaky little devils. It probably came in the rock. I would either build a bottle trap (cut the top an flip it so it is a funnel into the bottle), use a commercial trap or pull the rock and remove it with a FW dip or seltzer water.

noahm · 06/13/2009, 12:46 PM

Here is kind of a compilation of trapping methods. Feel free to add your esperience.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...eadid=1630201:)

ser_renely · 06/13/2009, 12:51 PM

Alot of times they are no problems....will take snails and crabs as they grow.

I had about 8 in my tank, slowly took them out, in hindsight they were not causing any problems, but they were smaller ones.

When you pull it out, just don't kill it. Give it to a store or someone. I watch for it to go in a rock then pull that rock out put it in a something with salt water from the tank and get a straw and blow in the holes till he pops out. Worked on all of mine.

Amazing creatures.

jedimpt · 06/13/2009, 02:27 PM

have you lost any livestock? If not, just try serenes method of watching for which rock he makes his den in and take him out that way. most mantis stay rather small so he may not be a threat to larger fish. Especially if he can scavenge some missed brine and other food.

ATL_Jess · 06/13/2009, 07:15 PM

We had one that we couldn't catch for about nine months. He got almost two inches long. After he was gone and we added some sand sifters, I found DOZENS of snail shells busted open. He of course couldn't crack the larger ones, but the smaller more common ones all had the ends cracked open.

Vanquishxxxx · 06/14/2009, 03:58 PM

ok i am going to try the bottel method for now, nothign has gone missing he was only about 2 inchs so he was pretty small, so i going to watch see wat happens. if i ever see him again

wat works best for bait, shrimp? live or dead?

Tangalong · 06/14/2009, 08:33 PM

They're not stupid...much more intelligent than you can even imagine. Seltzer water is toxic to them....they are invertebrates and more sensitive than fish to changes. The blowing salt water through the holes sounds like a good plan...just wear gloves. What color is he/she? A hermit crab is good bait...the ones with thinner shells and also snails...margaritas. Good luck...you lucky reefer!!!

06/13/2009, 11:39 AM	#1
Vanquishxxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Island Posts: 998	mantis shrimp jsut shwoed up out of nowhere ??!! i have had the tank up for months, i always look at it at night, and today during the day i saw a mantis on one of my rocks, cant believe i have neevr seen him before. I do wnt him out he is tiny, probally why i missed him for so long. Wat is a good way to catch them, i heard somethign about a bottle and bait?? not sure where he lives yet since i saw him for like 1 minutes in 5 months the tank has been up

06/13/2009, 11:54 AM	#2
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	They are pretty sneaky little devils. It probably came in the rock. I would either build a bottle trap (cut the top an flip it so it is a funnel into the bottle), use a commercial trap or pull the rock and remove it with a FW dip or seltzer water. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

06/13/2009, 12:51 PM	#4
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	Alot of times they are no problems....will take snails and crabs as they grow. I had about 8 in my tank, slowly took them out, in hindsight they were not causing any problems, but they were smaller ones. When you pull it out, just don't kill it. Give it to a store or someone. I watch for it to go in a rock then pull that rock out put it in a something with salt water from the tank and get a straw and blow in the holes till he pops out. Worked on all of mine. Amazing creatures. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

06/13/2009, 02:27 PM	#5
jedimpt Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: McAllen, TX Posts: 260	have you lost any livestock? If not, just try serenes method of watching for which rock he makes his den in and take him out that way. most mantis stay rather small so he may not be a threat to larger fish. Especially if he can scavenge some missed brine and other food. __________________ joe Current Tank Info: 58g reef

06/14/2009, 08:33 PM	#8
Tangalong Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Northern KY Posts: 635	They're not stupid...much more intelligent than you can even imagine. Seltzer water is toxic to them....they are invertebrates and more sensitive than fish to changes. The blowing salt water through the holes sounds like a good plan...just wear gloves. What color is he/she? A hermit crab is good bait...the ones with thinner shells and also snails...margaritas. Good luck...you lucky reefer!!! __________________ I wish I could walk my fish Current Tank Info: 75 SW FOWLR (for now) Hippo Tang, Scopas Tang, Clarkii Clown, 3 Sissortail Goby, 1 Golden-Head Sleep, 2 Cleaners/4 Gobiosoma Oceanops!!!/10 Gal Blue-spot Watchman/2 blue-fin Damsel/20 gal 1 Tangarora Goby 1 red band Pistol/35 Hex Future Goby Breeder

06/13/2009, 12:46 PM	#3
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Here is kind of a compilation of trapping methods. Feel free to add your esperience. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...eadid=1630201:)

06/13/2009, 07:15 PM	#6
ATL_Jess Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 6	We had one that we couldn't catch for about nine months. He got almost two inches long. After he was gone and we added some sand sifters, I found DOZENS of snail shells busted open. He of course couldn't crack the larger ones, but the smaller more common ones all had the ends cracked open.

06/14/2009, 03:58 PM	#7
Vanquishxxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Island Posts: 998	ok i am going to try the bottel method for now, nothign has gone missing he was only about 2 inchs so he was pretty small, so i going to watch see wat happens. if i ever see him again wat works best for bait, shrimp? live or dead?