What damage does a LR seltzer water dip do???

[JamesR]

I am pretty sure I have a mantis, as 2 of my 4 hermti crab shells are now empty. Before my tank cracked (another post ) I could hear it when the lights went off.

I have all my rock in a rubbermaid container awaiting my replacement nano and am seriously considering the "seltzerwater dip" for my LR (the x-terminator trap hasn't caught it yet) before the rock goes into the nano.

How much damage will the seltzer water (with the proper sg) do to my beneficial bacteria, feather dusters, coraline, etc?


Thanks to all who reply,
Jim

 

[Phyl]

Was the snail shell cracked? I thought that was the signature of a mantis slaying. Hopefully someone will confirm that. I have empty snail shells all over my aquarium but I'm pretty sure it's been a hermit feast.

Ahhh, the circle of life.

Sorry I can't answer about the seltzer dip. I can tell you that I've pulled rock and squirted it with tap water (usually only one rock at a time though) and put it back in and my tank hasn't missed a beat. I even took out one of the rocks and scalded it in hot water to rid myself of a monster sized aptasia just after I first got my rock. That rock had some loss to the coraline and other growths but it has all grown back with a vengance.

Good luck catching him if it is a mantis!

 

[Fluff]

If you make sure the salinity of the seltzer water matches the water it is in, it should be fine. I did a seltzer dip without negative effects to my rock.

 

[quarryshark]

Agree with Fluff, I did the same thing with no visible damage. Got most of the critters out, but did miss one mantis.
Make sure it is soda water with no sweeteners.

 

[JamesR]

Thanks folks!

 

[Brad]

I paid too much for my rock to allow it to be damaged in any way by dips in anything but SW. I don't think anyone can tell you what effects a carbonated dip has on microscopic life on the rock...only that it doesn't kill some things. I've not seen any scientific study done on it's affects.

 

[Steves55]

A couple of years ago- I had a Mantis come in on a lg piece of LR loaded w/ nice mushrooms I couldn't resist. I tried everything to get it, including traps. So, in desparation- I submerged a blacked out plastic soda bottle w/ a string tied at the neck- stuck a piece of fresh scallop in it & dropped it in the tank an hour after the lights went out. 2 hours later, I snuck up on the tank & jerked the bottle to the top of tank & the mantis was in the bottle chowing down! Maybe I got lucky, but worked for me.