Let the snapping begin!! Mantis has entered the room-Maybe?

[jeffw85]

Well guys and gals--as I get ready to transfer my 75g over to my new 175g bow. My 75g has got a couple new visitors I believe. Sounds like a glass thermometer or hydrometer hitting the side of the tank. Sometimes one, two or three consecutive snaps. Problem is I have no glass in the tank. I hear it a few times throughout the course of the day and I am never around the tank at night--It's at my office. Had this same sound a couple years back and I was told it was a crab. Never knew I had one until a year later when moving some rock and there the little bugger was. Strong too!!!

I'm sure I introduced the culprit with my new liverocks order and have found one sizable hermit crab KIA. I read all the mantis stuff but can crabs do the same thing or similar?

I'll try to discover the bugger as I move the rocks over. My fish and shrimpers are fine.

 

[Brad]

Might be a mantis...might be a pistol shrimp. If it is a pistol, I think they are pretty harmless.

My experience is that if it is a mantis, you'll see him soon enough.

 

[snapcrackler]

I have received several mantis shrimp (stomatopods) with my liverocks.com orders and here is what I have found:

1. When you hear a sound like tinging a drinking glass, it can be a mantis snapping on a crab's carapace. I moved one of my mantises to a 20g mini reef and he chased crabs around in there and when he snapped em it sounded like you were snapping a drinking glass with your fingernail. I saw this, first hand, a LOT. When they ping off rocks and stuff the sound is quite different.

2. They can be fun to keep. The ones from the gulf/keys aren't the humongo ones that grow big enough to get scary and stuff. I literally hand feed mine (most of the time with a little tweezer or plastic tube or something) and they just learn to come out and grab the food. They are very comical and obviously intelligent. I keep one in the main display and he is sort of a PITA because he goes after the little conchs but I can't catch him yet and move him to the 20. I keep another in the 20 and feed him shrimp chunks (the little cannibal!)


Anyway thats all for now but here is a fun link. http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

 

[Brad]

Mine (of the same type) is now living in a 2.5 gal display tank on the mantel. I agree, they are a lot of fun to feed and keep once you get them out of the main tank where they cause trouble.

 

[Bearfan]

I have a pistol in my main tank I did not ever see for about 6 months. And I've only seen him one time. Took a load off my mind. I have 8 mantis in another tank that came off my LR.

 

[Atari]

As I'm typing this I can hear the little bugger clicking away!

I saw a blue legged hermit wandering around with a cracked shell today, guess he lived to tell the story.. I'm pretty sure it's a Mantis and not a Pistol shrimp, although I haven't had a sighting in the 2 weeks I've been hearing the clicking.

I did briefly see a molt fly across the tank that looked like a shrimp but it was impossible to get an ID. It was only 0.5" so I'm not too bothered yet.

How quickly do they grow?

 

[jeffw85]

I am wondering myself how big these little dudes have to be before they have the potential to start craking shells and such. Anyone have any idea?

 

[MantisFreak]

I am wondering myself how big these little dudes have to be before they have the potential to start craking shells and such. Anyone have any idea?

Smaller smasher-type mantis will go after thinner-shelled snails and other smaller critters until they get bigger. However, they will continue to exercise their clubs on harder-shelled critters while they grow even if they are unsuccessful in breaking the shells.

Since you purchased your rock from Liverocks.com, you likely have a Neogonodactylus wennerae which are quite interesting. After a molt, they often change colors to be whatever color they think will be the most useful to them for camoflauge.

Assuming it is able to crack a hermit shell, I'm guessing that your mantis is now full grown. Wennerae tend to stay on the small side (2.5 to 3.5 inches).

http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/isaari_hammers.htm

PS...if you can trap it and put it in a nano tank, you'll be amazed at how fascinating these critters are.

 

[ReefRaff]

PS...if you can trap it and put it in a nano tank, you'll be amazed at how fascinating these critters are.

theres the tricky part. catching the little bugger. I have had mine for a few months now, (liverocks.com) and I have yet to see him. I did get rid of one when my order came in, by letting the rock sit out a bit. and he was all black. I tried to keep him alive while someone was deciding wheather he wanted him or not, but passed away.