Our hitchhiker Mantis update

[quarryshark]

Well, though I was in the clear. its been 2 months since I added the last batch of rock...thought wrong.
Was walking by my tank tonight and something caught my eye in the sand. So I stop and carefully take a closer look. Yup, a 1" Mantis Shrimp. He didn't appear to notice me at first (the room lights were off) so I was able to get a good look. As soon as he did see me he was gone in a flash.
Been hearing intermittent clicking sound, thought it was my pistol shrimp....guess not,
Gotta get him out while He's small and I don't know where he resided yet. Anyone try those mantis traps?
Too bad, would love to keep him in there, he is a very pretty redish color. Anyone know what kind that would be?
Once caught (if I can) anyone want him? If not, I'll either put him in the sump or take him to my LFS.
Only casualty so far that I have seen was a pulverized hitchiker crab I fould the other day. But I am worried about my Peppermints, they are pretty small.
Need help catching. Thanks!!! 8)

 

[RocketSeason]

I have heard some clicking. every once in a while I will hear 2 or 3 in a row. I think It may be a pistol shrimp, but I have found 3 dead crabs. no sign of trama on any of them, so who knows. :|

 

[4enzix]

i didnt try the traps but if at all possible that freshwater dip worked wonders... but that will be ahrd for u to do seeing as im sure there will be complications... cant hurt to have him in ur sump i wouldnt thing... extra entertainment hes prolly really pretty

 

[Bearfan]

I know a carbonated water dip did wonders for my mantis population. Then an all out war in the mantis/undesirable crab tank was fun.

 

[quarryshark]

I know a carbonated water dip did wonders for my mantis population. Then an all out war in the mantis/undesirable crab tank was fun.

Thanks Bearfan, I thought about you when I found him.
I read that thread and used that method when the rock came in. Got pistols and crabs but this little stinker never came out.
The more I think about the more I am considering setting up a 10 for him. Done a lot of readiing, they are a cool animals.....but not in my main.

 

[diverdown69]

If you are referring to the mantis shrimp (a.k.a. shrimp snapper) then it may be a Squilla mantis, family Squillidae. I am sure you have seen the enlarged claw at work. Shrimpers here call them shrimp snappers and they hate them because that claw is lightning fast and can lacerate a finger really quickly. I hear they are good to eat too...

 

[quarryshark]

I see you dive. I am booking a week in Cozumel for Jan 05. Ever been there?
Just went it July and need another fix already.

 

[diverdown69]

I haven't had the chance to dive Cozumel yet. I have been to St. Maarten, Saba, Palma de Mallorca (Spain), and Antalya (Turkey) as well as here in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Virginia coast at Va. Beach.
I am doing a dive this weekend (weather permitting) off the Port Aransas jetties to collect some new rock and inverts for my tank and a friend's tank.
EDIT: As a sidenote, it looks like I may get the chance to do a two week trip to the Si'an Ka'an Marine Preserve (in Mexico) this summer as part of my LAST classes for my Master's degree. It is a course on Coral Reef Ecology that requires the two-week trip before a grade will be released. Oh no...twist my arm and make me spend two weeks diving on a coral reef off the tropical Mexican coast...

 

[Bearfan]

I think I am going back in March and staying at El Coz for like the 100th time

 

[diverdown69]

I think we are drifting off the subject here...
That Squilla would be cool in a tank, but it will eat just about anything it can get. They are very predatory and quite aggressive. In general, shrimp are predatory and often cannibalistic. Penaeid shrimp (Family Penaeidae) will readily eat smaller members of the same species. They will also eat dead shrimp of the same species. This is a double-edged sword if you want to keep your shrimp population up. On one hand, it helps keep the nutrients in the biomass and not in your water. The flip side to that is that you will end up with a decimated shrimp population in short order if you aren't careful with stocking density. I would bet that the Squilla exhibits at least in part the same sort of behaviors. It is definitely equipped to do so.

 

[quarryshark]

I think I am going back in March and staying at El Coz for like the 100th time

Were going back to El Coz in Jan, figures!!
I'll leave a margarita for you. 8)
As for the Mantis, when I get him he will have his own tank. Or will got to someone on this board who wants him.
If all else fails, my LFS will take him.

 

[diverdown69]

Once I get out of grad school and have a decent paying job, I may join you guys on one of those dive trips. Being a grad student with kids is not easy on the bank account.
Maybe we could manage to bring back some stuff for our tanks. (J/K) Hmmm...I do have a pretty good paper from the journal Aquaculture that goes into pretty good detail on the various methods of transporting live specimens over long distances.

 

[quarryshark]

Sounds good, a few of us have discussed a trip already.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=28467&highlight=cozumel
You can't take anything out of Cozumel's, waters (unless you want to see a Mexican jail). All the reefs are protected.

 

[diverdown69]

I know. I was just kinda playing around. Mexican jail doesn't sound like a lot of fun. There are ways to get the same sort of stuff here in the U.S., though. An acquaintance of mine actually propagates corals in his basement and is apparently pretty good at it.
Anyway, I'd be in for a trip if I can afford it and can break away from work/research to join. I'll definitely be diving here this weekend...if we don't have a tropical storm sitting over us.
EDIT: QS, those pics are awesome! I would love to have been on that dive.

 

[quarryshark]

Mantis Hitchiker update

Well, I found his cave. Of course he is in one of the bottom rocks, no way am I gonna try and get to it. I set a trap by his hole with a juicy piece of shrimp, so we'll see what happens.
Its pretty cool, we can see his cave from one end of the tank. My daughter has been sitting there most of the night watching him. He's actually not very shy. 8O