One step closer to my Mantis species tank(go to pg 3)

[quarryshark]

Finally caught the mantis that I have been after for 2 weeks!! What a battle!
He is only about an inch long and does not trip the spring in the trap I set. I have been setting the trap every night and I think I have caught every hemit and emerald crab in my tank in the last 2 weeks.
Tonight I set it and was quietly watching him sneaking around it, Finally he inched in and instead of grabbing the food and running (like he usually does and he is very fast) he decided to stay put and eat. That was his mistake. I very slowly grabbed my prongs and quietly tripped the door to the trap before he could run.
Have him in a spare 10 gallon and an airstone, the other qt tanks are being used and I'm not putting him with the fish.
Now the question. I am going to try and talk the wife into keeping him(she is opposed). Fascinating little creature and very smart.
If that doesn't work out, anyone want him?
Got a couple of picks, not very good quality, I will try to get a better one tomorrow and add it to my gallery.

 

[quarryshark]

BTW, he is only about 1" long, the black thing in the first pic is an airstore.

 

[Brad]

Mine's been living in a small 5 gallon now. The only thing in the tank is him, one chuck of LR and a very small powerhead. He's doing ok, but I feel sorry for him because it can't be very interesting in there.

Anyway, he's becoming increasingly tame and my wife is finding him more interesting every day.

 

[revhtree]

Glad you got him Qshark! They are very cool looking.

You know I have 155pds of LR, and I have never come across one, or had any clicking at all. Hmm, go figure.

 

[XXFirefighter]

Sure now after I get my nano goin with Chromis you get one ! ! !
I got clicking and got no idea what is it...
I think it's a pistol... cause no other signs of a mantis...
Wish I knew how you tell the 2 apart...

 

[piggybank2005]

Anyway, he's becoming increasingly tame and my wife is finding him more interesting every day.

it would be sad if she left you for a shrimp

 

[joekoug]

it would be sad if she left you for a shrimp

LMAO

 

[RocketSeason]

wow. thats cool.

I hear a TON of clicking, but no sign of a mantis. Did yours come from LR.com?

I am curious about how much clicking you heard at night?

I would like to set a trap but I am afraid that it may not do any good.

 

[quarryshark]

Yes I got it from LR.com. I even did the soda saltwater dip that Bearfan suggested and he still made it into the tank.
As for the clicking, I would hear a pop once in a while, always thought it was the pistol shrimp I got with the rocks too. In my experience the poping sound turned out not to fit the usual description for a mantis. I just happened to see him one night walking by the tank before he bolted. he had been in there since the end of July and I never saw him before that night.
After this I started looking for him and learned he basically hung out in one area of the tank. In fact I was able to at least catch a glimse of him every day (he became bolder and bolder and would come out a bit at feeding time). He moved between 3 different rock that were on the bottom and I would have been a big disruption to remove these rock, so I purchased the trap. He would go in the trap, but didn't have enough body weight to trigger it, thats what took so long to catch him. I had to watch and wait for him to enter and trigger it myself. Fortunately it worked.
He is cool, very interesting to watch. Would really like to keep him, in his own tank of course. Just gotta get the wife to agree to the idea. She is very much against another tank in the house.
If you suspect you have one, It wouldn't hurt to put the trap in and see. The trap won't hurt anyone.

 

[ClamKnuckle]

What kind of trap did you use and where did you get it?

I hear clicking ever once in a while when the lights are out but I have yet to see anything at all that would do it or have seen any evidence of anything harmful in the tank.

 

[quarryshark]

He only (as far as I know) took out 2 hitchhiker crabs and a couple of snails. Too small yet to do any real damage. I don't remember the name of the trap. I'll check when I get home and post of pick of it too. I payed about $15 at my LFS for it. Basically its a trap door box. You put the bait in the far end on top of a trigger which when touched allows the door to close. I was having trouble because he is too small and light to set off the trigger. I had to catch him while he was in and quickly tap the door trapping him inside. He was getting a free meal for 2 week before I got him.

 

[ClamKnuckle]

Did you have any issues with hermits or anything springing it?

I think a nano with a mantis would be pretty cool.....do you know if are they save to have with any sort of corals?

 

[quarryshark]

I caught at least a half a dozen hermits and my emerald crab twice. The trap doesn't hurt them, no harm there.
I have him in a 10 now. My wife agreed to keep him for a week or 2. My hope is that she will become attached to him (like I'm becoming) and I can do a nice little species tank for him.
If not, you want him?
I have read they are reef safe, but I'm not sure. I know small fish and inverts are potential meals for them. He is a smasher not a spearer so maybe the fish would be OK, especially if you keep them fed.

 

[ClamKnuckle]

I would love to take him if you couldnt keep him but i'm in the same no more tank situation as you are (i brought up the idea of a nano last week and it didnt go over too well, she said she would rather me wait until my birthday which isnt until thanksgiving)

 

[quarryshark]

I understand that!
I'll let you know first if it doesn't work out. I really don't want to take him to the LFS. I'm afraid they might feed him to a trigger or something. 8O

 

[greatgman]

good going quarryshark
all that work paid off !
ugly little buggers
just the thought of getting 1 or more of them when i get to ordering my lr
is just creeping me out
not scared but just soooo creepy looking

 

[RocketSeason]

I may just get a trap myself. have several crabs I want to get rid of anyway.

Hey Quarryshark, can you post a pic of your emerald crab so I can figure out if I have one in my tank. I want to get rid of the bad guys and keep the emerald crab.

 

[BLOODMAN]

What did you bait the trap with? I saw a 3 inch one in my tank today so I am going to get the trap tomorrow.

 

[quarryshark]

Rocketseason, look in my gallery. There is a pick of one of them there,
Bloodman, I used little slices of a scallop. Ill post a pick of the trap in a bit.

 

[quarryshark]

Here is the trap. Its called X-terminator. Not sure who makes it, I pitched the box. Because its light, I used a few marbles at the far end of it to weigh it down so the powerheads wouldn't blow it around.