I CAUGHT IT FINALLY!

[Lance M.]

Well about an hour ago I was looking at my 10 gallon tank then I decided to go look at my 20 gallon, so I took my flashlight over there (the lights were off) and started looking around.

I looked underneath a big rock and saw the unknown crab again. It looks like a mithrax crab. It's black and white blotted and not hairy, but I couldnt see what the pincers looked like so I still dont know if its good or not.

Then I flashed the light a little higher and guess what? There were two eyes staring back at me out of a whole in the rock. Well there's the mantis shrimp I've been trying to catch for close to a year. I haven't seen it in like 4 months. So I turned the lights back on to try and keep it in there since they are nocturnal.

I took a 2 gallon bucket and filled it about halfway with tap water then put 3 cups of salt in there and mixed it with a stick. After checking later the salinity was way off what my hydrometer read and I didn't feel like taking my refractometer out.

I took out the rock it was in and put it in the bucket. After about 5 minutes (it didn't want to come out) it swam out like it was dying ( good ) and I took the rock out and put it back into the tank.

Now the mantis is in the same 2 gallon bucket, which I threw out the like 1.0500 salinity water and put two gallons of my pwc water that was already mixed to 1.025 in there, 78 degrees. I also threw a rock and the shell from a clam I had (I still don't know if he killed it or my pistol did).

So all of that within the past hour. Any suggestions on what to do with him? For right now at least, it's staying in the 2 gallon bucket. They are pretty hard to kill so it should survive. I wouldn't be too upset if it died after all the emerald crabs and two porclein crabs that went mia.

 

[chase33]

Congrats on the capture. Why no try and make a trade with your lfs. They may take him off your hands.

 

[Lance M.]

I talked to my lfs about it about 6 months ago and they said to just kill it. They don't sell them and don't have any place to put them. In their 210 reef tank in the front of the store, they have an at least 2.5'' mantis shrimp they haven't been able to catch.

I just had a thought. I'm going back to college in the spring, so if I can keep him alive til January in the little bucket (I'll put some more rubble in there and feed it), then I can setup a little 5 gallon species tank for him. Heh 6 months away. I'll have to put a little heater in there soon...

 

[MACATUA]

Heres an idea:

http://italianfood.about.com/od/fishdishes/ig/La-Galleria-del-Pesce/Canocchie--or-Mantis-Shrimp.htm

HAHA!

 

[Lance M.]

"To serve 4:
16 Mantis shrimp, about 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) in all
A small clove of garlic, minced
A small bunch parsley
A lemon (optional)
Olive oil
Salt to taste"

Alright, I just need to fatten this one up and find some more and I have myself a meal!



I have a 5 gallon Eclipse tank in my garage, but I dont have anywhere to put it. Maybe I could put it were my printer is on my desk... I'll have to see about that. It was used for freshwater and has a biowheel. Would there be any problems using the biowheel again? It's been dryed out so everything is dead. I'm assuming that would be good to start a cycle, or at least good enough for a 1.5'' mantis shrimp. Just add some sand and lr rubble and it should be good to go?

My dad wonders if the shrimp is actually big enough to kill the emerald crabs. The mantis is just under 1.5'' and the crabs were over 2'' big. I also have a 3'' pistol that could be the culprit but everywhere I've read it says they are just aggressive towards other shrimp, but I'm thinking one my size could kill them. But then there's that one crab in there that's been there since the start and no one has killed him.

 

[MACATUA]

Even that small Mantis are brutal, could very well surprise a larger crab and kill it.

 

[MT79]

If you used meds w/ copper in the 5 gal previously it may affect the mantis. I've heard it stays in the tank in the silicone and leaches back out. It doesn't take much copper to be lethal for inverts. Other than that, looks like an good plan.
Congrats on your catch.

Mmm mantis shrimp for dinner- YUCK! lol

 

[Lance M.]

lol It probably tastes just like a crab or lobster.

Yea I've never used any medication and the tank is acrylic so no seams/silicone. I just need a place to put it.

 

[roka64]

That's interesting he didn't kill the crab. Nice catch. Get a 10G and set him up a tank.

 

[mike3epanda]

omg I just noticed that the mantis shrimp in that pic of the meal planning is what I have been eating before when I lived in Philippines... That's awesome... didn't know I've killed so many XD!!!

 

[Lance M.]

I can't set up another tank cause I dont have any place to put it. But I got to thinking, I can just a refugium underneath my 20 gallon in the stand. I know I can fit a 5 gallon under there. I took out a tape measurer and a ten gallon will fit under there but I dont know if I can get it in the stand without taking the tank off the stand. The door opening is 20 inches high and a standard ten gallon is 20 inches long so it should fit. I can just turn it on it's side shove it in there and place it flat. Do I have to worry about any added stress to the stand? The stand is made for a 20 gallon tank but I dont know the manufacturer because I got it off my neighbor. I can just go to Walmart and get a ten gallon and see if it fits, if not take it back.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on the measurements of the baffles? I can go to Lowes or Home Depot and have some glass cut. I already have a tube of AGA silicone. It's just going to be a refugium so just needs one large compartment so I can put a light over it and the mantis shrimp w/ some cheato or caulerpa since I have lots of caulerpa. I've got some flourescent fixtures in the attic I'll have to get out and see how long they are. One of those should work. Would 15 watts be enough? 3 wpg that should be enough for caulerpa. I have a pump to get the water back up to the tank, but I need a cheap way of getting it down to the refuge, if diy something easy. Any help/suggestions is appreciated.

 

[Lance M.]

Update:

Well I went to my lfs today and talked to one of the guys and he said he knew someone that was looking for a mantis shrimp so he gave the guy a call to see if he wanted it but the guy didnt answer. (lol lots of "he" and "guy"). So I'm taking it to the lfs tomorrow so they can hold it for him.

Now I need to catch that crab...