Victory!!! (Hunting the Mantis)

[SpiffyCat]

I caught the mantis shrimp that's been terrorizing my tank. He hid in a tunnel in my live rock that had only two entrances. Unfortunately it was the biggest piece, and under a couple of other pieces, but once I cleared the path I was able to pull the whole thing out and get it into a bucket of salt water.

With both hands full I had to figure a way to chase him out, and pouring my RO water out of it's container wasn't an option. The best thing I could come up with was to stick my fish net under one end while running tap water through the other. I was rewarded with the satisfying sight of the shrimp dropping out of the rock and into my net. Quickly putting my live rock back into the bucket of salt water, I then had both hands to transfer the Mantis shrimp into a mason jar filled with salt water. The jar's now inside a styrofoam container in case he's able to break glass.

As for the live rock--what should I do with it now? Will the exposure to tap water make it a hazard to my tank (i.e. can I just put it back?) Also- I'm going to call my lfs to see if they want it, but if they don't are there any suggestions on what I should do with this thing? I had planned on squashing it, but it is a facinating little creature.

 

[Felf]

they're actually pretty good bait for larger fish. go fishing?

 

[Phyl]

I put my rock right back into my 120 and didn't notice any ill effects. I had gone so far as to pour boiling tap over an aptasia and apart from some die off on the rock, my tank didn't suffer a noticable spike. It was probably 5 of 140# of rock at the time though.

 

[SpiffyCat]

That would be poetic 8)

unfortunatley I don't fish

 

[SpiffyCat]

Phyl- thanks for the info, I'll go put the rock back in

 

[Thumper]

Sell it, on Reef Central their are guys willing to pay good money for them, or trade it for frags with a fish store.

 

[Thumper]

Put the rock back in and I almost forgot, Congratulations on the nice catch.

 

[SpiffyCat]

Thanks!

 

[huey112]

SpiffyCat where did you get your lr from. just wondering.