Mantis Shrimp!?!??

[Albino]

Hey all. Over the past couple of weeks I've noticed that there is something living inside on of my rocks in a hole. Over the past week I have been finding piles of dust right next to the little opening and a couple of my snails died over night. So today I asked my lfs what it could be and he was almost 100% sure it was a mantis shrimp. Now he told me remove the rock and smash it with a hammer to remove him but there is a coral attached to this rock I can't remove and don't really want to smash it. Is there any other way to get him out of his hiding hole? And should I just flush this thing? I really have no idea what to expect lol. Any ideas?

 

[Crystal A]

Don't flush it. They are way to cool to just flush it. As far as getting it out I hope someone else chimes in.

 

[Beengirl]

I've heard that you can put a glass in the sand, tilted a little bit with a piece of shrimp or seafood of some type in the bottom. Hopefully he'll crawl in for the food and it'll be too slippery for him to crawl out. Then you can remove the glass and take it back to the LFS and they can sell it to someone who actually wants one. Good luck!!

 

[phishfriend]

If I happen to find out it I was the proud new owner of a free mantis shrimp. The last thing I would do would be to trap it and take it to the lfs. No way!! I'd keep him and name him George.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Take the rock out if possible and clean out the holes with weedeater line,fishing line or something of the sort to flush him out then name him George!

 

[Hondachico]

If I happen to find out it I was the proud new owner of a free mantis shrimp. The last thing I would do would be to trap it and take it to the lfs. No way!! I'd keep him and name him George.

Lol or Pedro

 

[Albino]

Cool thanks guys. I've called 2 lfs in my area and neither of them want it and I'm scared if I put it in qt it may decided to try punching some glass. So at a loss with what to do with it. What sort of tank do I need to keep him? I think I'll try the glass thing beengirl suggested and see how it goes, but hes been in there a couple of months and I've realized he has a lot of holes and caves made and I've still not even seen him. This could be interesting lol!

 

[Albino]

Oh and if I catch him alive ill name him George, no worried there

 

[phishfriend]

Oh and if I catch him alive ill name him George, no worried there

You! Rock!

 

[LaWoWee]

Mantis shrimps are very stubborn about leaving their rock. I tried to get one out before doing a FW dip, hypo salinity dip. In the end i just put the rock outside and let it dry out. Still never saw it after. Ive read threads where people claimed that squirting soda in the rock worked.

 

[Phranque]

Wouldn't cost much to set him up his own little tank... they don't need expensive lighting. Find yourself a $50-$100 deal on craigslist & give George a good home!!!!!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Cool thanks guys. I've called 2 lfs in my area and neither of them want it and I'm scared if I put it in qt it may decided to try punching some glass. So at a loss with what to do with it. What sort of tank do I need to keep him? I think I'll try the glass thing beengirl suggested and see how it goes, but hes been in there a couple of months and I've realized he has a lot of holes and caves made and I've still not even seen him. This could be interesting lol!

Guys the odds of him breaking glass are very very slim. People think that just because it can happen that it will happen. Plus do you think they just try to break the class for no reason at all? They need to be provoked to do it, or have prey thats near the glass.

 

[Albino]

Guys the odds of him breaking glass are very very slim. People think that just because it can happen that it will happen. Plus do you think they just try to break the class for no reason at all? They need to be provoked to do it, or have prey thats near the glass.

Good to know. From what I've been reading they sound like they can just go punching glass for fun. I'm on my way home from work now to catch this guy. So u think if I put him in my qt with so rock he will be ok in there for a couple of day till I make the lfs?

 

[Kyle 88]

I hear there bad boys can crack the tank glass if its thin enough is that true?

 

[Albino]

Yeah it's true from what I've been reading. There punch can be as fast and hard as a 2cal bullet. But I think if they have enough rock there normally pretty tame. He's been hiding in my tank at least a month now and I only just figured out it was in there lol.

 

[Kyle 88]

Wow that's amazing! That's some awesome hiding it has been doing lol. My uncle has been pestering me to get one but I have no idea where I would get one from. From what I've read they come as a +1 with the live rocks sometimes, I don't have any room for weapon like that though

 

[Albino]

Well u live in melb says ur profile, so if u want him u can have him lol. I'm throwing up keeping or taking him to the lfs. I don't really have $200 to get him his own setup right now, the girl will have me buy the balls haha

 

[Kyle 88]

Unfortunately the only tank I have that I could put him in is about 10L in size and it would destroy it for sure! Don't suppose you have any green star polyp frags?

 

[Albino]

I really wish. My tank is fairly new so just starting my coral collection. But in the future I'd love to do some swaps of frags I don't know many people in Melbourne into the hobby.

 

[Kyle 88]

Sounds great mate I'm new to reef tanks as well! So that would be awesome to swap frags in the future. The only thing that I have that has multiplied so far is a fluffy mushroom, but it's pretty cool!