Mantis Shrimp

[jhmuse]

Ok, it is official. I have a mantis shrimp. This is the second one I found on an order of live rock. The first is living happily in my 'fuge and was caught roaming around in the packaging the live rock came in. I could not bring myself to flush him so in he went. Anyway, now that the second one has made it into the tank, I was wondering how to get him out. There is a great deal of live rock and I'm not sure I want to go in and grab the one he's in to get him out. I have a trap in the tank now, but he has not taken the bait. Does anyone have any better options?

Thanks....Jake

 

[BillyZ]

what I've heard works pretty well is a quick dip in a bucket of fresh RO water. Watch the tank and as soon as you see him, grab the piece of LR he's in and dip the rock in the bucket of RO water. 9 out 10 times he'll dart out of the rock to get away from the FW and you can then simply replace the rock in the tank and you have the mantis in a seperate bucket to deal with as you see necessary.

HTH

 

[jhmuse]

Thanks BillyZ, I remember reading that someone used lemon juice to kill their mantis. I didn't want to kill mine, so I squirted a small amount into the hole he was living in. He came darting out of the hole like he was on fire. Anyway, I wasn't quick enough to catch him, but he would not go back to that hole and kept swimming around the tank. I had to move my rock around and I did eventually net him.

In the process of catching him, I discovered a SECOND one in the tank 8O . I know which rock he is in and your method seems to be easier. Next time I see him in his hole, I will try to get him out of there with a fresh water dip.

 

[jhmuse]

BillyZ, I used the freshwater dip you told me about and the second one came running out like its britches were on fire. It was netted, but it seems like it has passed. Thanks for the advice and just wanted to let you know that it worked.

Jake

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

mantis eats fish??

 

[jamal-188]

mantis eats fish??

They pretty much eat anything and everything, hence the reason they are such a pain and should only be kept in a tank by themself. Although, I've had one in with a urchin for several months and he's never bothered it?

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

Oh, ok phew! Ive had my fish in my tank for a few weeks since I got the huge load of lr and no fish has ever died in my tank...well maybe my firefish but that wsnt the tank it was that he wanted to go carpet surfing

 

[Brad]

Bait and trap

I'm trying to bait and trap mine right now using a film cannister and a drinking straw. Might work, might not, might take some time.... I'm not going to risk the other life on my LR by dipping it in anything.

 

[XXFirefighter]

Where did you get yoru LR from?
The Mantis from liverocks.com aren't the BAD ones that break glass...
I have a BABY one, maybe a inch long...
No problems so far...

 

[Brad]

where?

My rock came from Liverocks.com. I'm not concerned about breaking glass, he's much too small. I've had one before and they are killers when they grow up. That's why I'm trying to get him now.

Not that they kill fish (often), but they'll get any number of other crabs, shrimp or whatever they can catch.

 

[jhmuse]

I brought home 3 blue reef chromis from my LFS and they were fine. One day I noticed there were only 2, then 1, then none. All seemed healthy and were eating well. I talked with my LFS about it, and they said that it was indicitive of a mantis shrimp. Sure enough I started noticing those beady little eyes looking at me through a hole in the live rock. I think the chromis were small enough, and slept close enough to its hole, to become prey at night for the mantis I caught. Meals of opportunity I guess.