What would cuase a Snail shell to be cut in half? (pics)

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Civicman86

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Jun 30, 2005
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Ideas? Just found it in the back of the tank. Also seem to have a few very small oystershell looking shells in the sand. Maybe 3/10 of inch long.
 

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You think my emerald might have done that? Only other crab is a red legged hermit, that is to small to cuase that I think.
 
Unless it is a really large emerald, I don't think he's the cause. Use a red light at night and look for other critters. I had a mantis in my tank for two years before I found out. He never "clicked". I had a preditory crab as well for months before he showed himself.
 
You might have a mantis and not know it. Plus, they can be small and do a (relatively) lot of damage.

-j
 
Is there a way I can lure him out? Something is killing my small goby fish. and now moving to snails (one hermit is missing in action too).
 
Something is killing my small goby fish. and now moving to snails
Could be crab or mantis with the fish but when you add snails to it with broken shells it sounds like a mantis. Time to invest in a trap or do some late night flashlight investigating.
 
Well I made a trap tonight. I broke the string putting it in the tank lol so I dont think its going to work. That and my Nass. Snails are on the bottle like white on rice already so i dont think the shrimp meat will last long enough for the mantis to come out (if there is one). I also freshwater dipped the rock that I thought the mantis might be in (nothing came out).

How long did it usually take people to see the mantis take the bait? Did you just sit there and wait?
 
Could take weeks to catch it. When my two high fin gobies disappeared I saw the mantis shortly after. I pulled out the rock and squirted FW straight into its hole with a baster. After about 2 minutes it came out but quickly darted back when I tried to grab it. I continued to bast the hole with FW but it did not come back out. I ran out of time so I put the rock in the fuge. 2 days later I squirted the hole with tank water and part of him came out. Unless you got the fw in the hole it was in for a extended time it probably did not bother it.
 
Dustin, I freshwater dipped, cold water dipped, soda water dipped, nothing got my mantis to bail. Good luck catching it. I wasn't as patient and since I knew exactly where it was and what it was, I broke the rock and got him out. lol Extreme I know but, he was dang stubborn. :) The rouge crab on the other hand was much, much easier. He stumbled out of his rock and was walking across the sand about an hour after lights out. I just reached in and grabbed him.
 
Well the coke bottle trick doesnt work, I had 5 nass snails in the bottle within 5 mins of putting it in the tank. I guess I cant get mad at them doing their job lol.

I dont know what Im going to do :( Anyone have any other ideas? My tank is so filled with rocks and the way they are postioned its hard for me to get a good look at 50% of the rocks.
 
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