WOW, finally spotted the Mantis

[WildFlower]

Johnny Mantis does indeed exist..

I knew it was a Mantis.. damn, how I wish I was wrong... Just found it, no fish tale here, but this sucker has to be just under 2", freaked me out when I spotted him. I got a really good look at him, he's really quite colorful and, yup big ole' eyes 8O .

Will be tough getting him, if where he is now is it's permanent home no chance of getting to him where he is. He is living at the bottom of one of my LR between the rock and the sand base bottom.

I gather my only option to get a good trap, the one I got from my LFS is kinda primitive. If anyone has any ideas, please share them ASAP, before Johnny Mantis makes a meal out of one of my fish or I lose my sense of humor. Thanks all for any assistance you can offer... WildFlower

 

[ReefRaff]

chk here to learn more about them and trapping stratigies. http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

 

[WildFlower]

thanks ReefRaff... interesting site, I learned a lot. Shame that I have to do battle with this guy as they are actually kinda neat creatures, BUT I must.

Now..... all I have to do is get Johnny Mantis out of the tank without maiming my tank and doing more damage then the critter can do, and do it before Johnny does. 8)

 

[cookiemn]

Wildflower,
I had the same experience 2 years ago. Except, I spotted two of them. I got a 2 liter soda bottle. I cut the bottle 3/4 of the way up to the to. So, I kept most of the lower body as the trap. I then took the top piece with the screw on opening and turned it around and inserted the screw opening first into the lower body. I then placed some food in the trap. What happens is that the mantis will go after the food and crawl into the trap. The only problem is that once he is in the trap, he isn't smart enough to get out. It may take a week or so, but it is the easiest method. You could also spend some $$$ buying a mantis trap that does the same thing.

BTW, I found Dr. Pepper bottles to work the best!

 

[WildFlower]

Thanks Cookiemn

Thanks for your suggestions Cookiemn, I will be setting up the trap this evening. I'm hoping there are not 2 Mantis in my tank as well... yesterday while feeding, in the blink of an eye I saw something swoop a tid-bit of food. I don't know how attached the Mantis get to their homes, but this movement came from a different rock then where I originally spotted the Mantis.

BTW.. I wonder how well the plastic 750 mil Smirnoff bottle I'm fixing to finish off will work... and.. I wonder if the Mantis prefer Beef or Shrimp Kabobs for their appetizer??

WildFlower

 

[manialkie]

Careful, they can be dangerous. They can destroy one of your fingers with one snap.

 

[srgetz]

wildflower, where did you get the lr and what type is it? i ask because i just setup a 45g with lfs fiji / tonga lr and i am missing 2 damsels in last week, no sign of them anywere... baffling, i suspect a mantis now (unless juvie damsels can eat one another), but i have seen nothing (the only thing in the tank is the lr & 4 damsels)

good luck

 

[cookiemn]

wildflower,
one thing that I forgot to mention is that one of the shrimp cracked my 65 gallon tank. I have read an article a while back that said that their clubs can impact with the same force as a .22 caliber bullet. I am not sure if this is true, but he did crack my tank. After I found the small leak at the bottom of my tank, I tore that thing down in a matter of hours! With the shrimp that small you could probably get by with a smaller bottle. I also cause some hermit crabs in the trap going after5 the food.

 

[WildFlower]

Thanks again Cookiemn.. I read a few of your earlier posts about the Mantis you had in your tank and saw that you thought one was responsible for the leak in your tank..

I put the trap in last nite with two halfs of Silversides as bait, this morning, one 1/2 was gone and nothing in the bottle cept for a few unknown tiny mirco-critters.. If the Mantis got in and out at least he got a days worth of comfort with the trap, going to set a larger trap this evening.. Wish me luck...

And to Srgetz... When I first set up my SW.. I had 4 damsels.. no LR in the tank at that time, the very next day one of my damsels was missing.. I looked everywhere, and finally found the skeleton.. I suspect my Domino got him in the night.

But read on Srgetz..... Damsels are know to be aggressive to the same exact species as well as to other damsels... what I found interesting is that the Domino I wanted to flush down the crapper has turned out to be the best fish in my tank... He continually guards my clown..

Maybe it's just a bit of survival of the fittest?? If you've heard the clicking or tapping sound against your glass, be persistent in your search for a Mantis or if your lucky a Pistol shrimp... otherwise and perhaps fortunate a damsel is only performing part of nature.

I am so new here that I don't want anyone taking my word for anything.. please read, and research every opportunity you get..

May your tank prosper.. WildFlower

 

[srgetz]

ok well that could be my problem, one of my survivers is a domino! very cool but chases the other guys all over (didn't think he'd bite though), i set the plastic bottle trap in there and quarantined the fish so we will see if theres a hungry little monster in there - basically my fiance is emotional about loosing 2 and we'd like some closure rather than just buying more stock or returning the bully fish

what kinda clown does he protec? what else do you have and what size tank?

 

[WildFlower]

Hey Srgetz... hate to say it but you can not act too quickly bout a mantis or pistol shrimp, have you heard popping or something that sounds like a coin from inside your tank.. but you can't tell exactly where the noise is coming from???

And Don't automatically blame the Domino.. lol. though I highly suspect he was my culprit. But like I said.. u never know. Give your fish time to settle down...

Bout my tank.. I am trying to up date my tank profile.. perhaps I will have the time in the next year... in the meanwhile.

46 gal bowfront, set it up about 2 months ago.. since adding fish I have lost 3 fish.. one Clown, that I suspect I purchased sick to begin with. and the 2 damsels I told you about.. all 3 losses happened within less then 6 days of my adding them to tank.. since then no loses 8) currently feom my start up what remains is 1 Clown (west indies?? it is black, white, yellow).. my Domino damsel bitch.. Yellow tail damel, and a serpent star.

Now that I have added my LR.. I have all kinds of other creatures, many of which I need to figure out what the heck they are..

May your tank prosper.. WildFlower