Tonight our eyes met.... and I did not like what I saw

[Kam]

Since adding live rock to my 55 gal a little over 2 weeks ago, I have had a clicking sound in my tank. It was just once and a while. I remembered seeing a small reddish brown shrimp and had been hoping it was a pistol shrimp.

Today I saw the "shrimp in question" between a couple of rocks towards the top of the tank. It was in fact a mantis shrimp. Small, about 1 - 1.25" long. I grabbed the net and went after it. I tried to get it out, but was not able to find it again once I started pulling out rocks.

Time to start setting traps. I'd like to catch it and keep it in a small tank.

 

[Scatcat]

Good luck with catching it. Man I had to catch a crab on time I didn't sleep for 3 nights LOL.

 

[Kam]

Thanks!!

I think I remember reading your posts. Didnt you make a thread titled "we have crabs" or something like that, then about a week later post about trying to catch the little fellow?

 

[Kam]

UPDATE: Today I saw the mantis eating a piece of shrimp I had left in a trap. It quickly jumped out of the trap, but then it watched me. When I went after it with the net, I watched it hide in a rock. The rock is now out in a bucket with salt water from the tank, heater and power head.

I tried to fluch it out with fresh water, but that did not work.

 

[badfish]

what kind of trap did you set, try the coke bottle trap, cut the pointed end off the bottle and flip it around so it creates a funnel into the bottle, not out of the bottle. Secure the top with a shrimp inside it. HTH

 

[Kam]

I used the tall shot method, but my overly agressive Emerald Crab knocked it over.

 

[schoeplein]

Yeah, I used a regular 710mL Ozarka bottle to catch numerous Damsels. Just filled it with tank water, dropped a cube inside, and set it on the bottom.

Hopefully your convict is still in the rock in the bucket.

 

[badfish]

yeah, if you use the bottle method it will be 100 times harder for him to get out.

 

[gooyferret]

Hmm why does everyone buy LR from liverock.com if all you see is critters that are unwanted? For the price you can buy the LR cheaper in other places without the hassle of unwantd critters?

 

[Kam]

Hmm why does everyone buy LR from liverock.com if all you see is critters that are unwanted? For the price you can buy the LR cheaper in other places without the hassle of unwantd critters?

Who says it's unwanted??

I want it, just not in this tank. I have a nice little 10 gal that it would be happy in.

 

[Scatcat]

Yes that was me. I didn't know at the time that my crab would kill everything in the tank. I caught him, however, I was not able to catch him alive. Looks like you are on your way to solving your problem. You have it seperated at least. I too tried to flush my crab out with fresh water, all it did was kill my mushrooms.

 

[badfish]

the buddy that had the mantis got his LR from his LFS, the mantis beleive it or not took out a bicolor angel, and a yellow tang before he was caught, yes, a YELLOW TANG 8O. He woke up to the yelllow tang being devoured by the Mantis. Im told that Mantis from LR.com are less of a problem then others from other countries. I have heard popping in my tank for the past month with no deaths, it could be a pistol, but can also be a mantis.

 

[Kam]

I had a heater melt down and had to put the rock and mantis back in the main tank. It appears that the thermostat on my extra heater is broken as the water just kept getting warmer and warmer.

I have reset the trap.

I am off to the lfs to buy a quarantine tank big enough to hold the rock and a new heater. If I catch the mantis, I will keep it alive.

 

[gooyferret]

Who says it's unwanted??

I want it, just not in this tank. I have a nice little 10 gal that it would be happy in.

Yes thats true but most people in the hobby dont want them.... I know i dont! I have heard alot of people talking about unwanted guests on LR that they purchased from LR.com So i was just curious why so many people keep buying it?

 

[maxamillion]

I assume because its pretty cheap, safe for the enviorment, and it has been proven time and time again as a costomer friendly company.

That would be my view on it. I havent purchased from them yet, but I will be doing so soon.

 

[Wolf]

Because it's beautiful corralline covered rock at a great price filled with algae eating snails, hermits, stars, crabs, urchins, anemones, corals etc., not just mantis shrimp.