Mantis

[clowninround]

Ok, I bought a mantis trap for the mantis I have in my tank, two of them actually. Well it was broken! So today we are having a birthday party for a friend and for some reason these mantis are coming out of the woodwork...which obvouisly put morre people than could fit in front of my fish tank...you'd think with all that commotion they would hide until everyone left. Nope, the larger one was hunting down a poor little crab...it was just running for it's little life. When the crab got out in the open and out from around the rocks, the mantis stayed in the furthest rock and watched from a far. Now the rock itself was like a little island by itself with my wood's polyps growing all over it. It had holes in it which the mantis shot in and out of each hole waiting for his audience to dissappear. Obvoiuisly, we did not. I sighed and explained that it killed another crab and that I had missing snails and a missing $40 fish . So, my friends daughter said why not just take the rock out. I told her that I would not like to get my fingers split open lol, so she suggested salad tongs. At first I thought it was a crazy idea. Mantis are smart, fast and if it were that easy why would they sell traps. But I had a few drinks in me and thought, why not. So my friend Maria (who also does SW) got a net just in case the shrimp jumped out...which I exspected if to do really. It did not. Once we got the rock out, we put it in a bucket of water and Maria began to inspect it to see if she could see it, out it came and dropped into the bucket. It was huge! I could not beleive it was that easy. I spent 18.99 on a trap and got it out for free : )...but I still have a smaller one in there...I am hoping thats the only one left. Now, I am looking at it's appendages and they are thick and somewhat but not totally flat, they have almost a rounded shape on the top. Will these type kill fish? I was told by the guy at Liverock's.com they do not...but I can not find my anthia

 

[i have crabs]

fish whent somewhere didnt it pop him in the sump or back to the lfs im shure someone will take him

 

[Nate C]

If he is a smasher it is unlikely that it killed one of your fish.

It wouldn't matter to me if it killed any fish or not - If I can catch the one in my tank he's going in the sump, or to another reefer who can give him a good home. Mine has already eaten more than his worth in snails and hermits.

 

[quarryshark]

Sounds like a smasher, most that hide in rock are. Thats what I got from my LR.com rock. Smashers will take out inverts, but have a tough time with fish.
Caught mine with a trap and he now resided in a nano on my LFS's counter.
Good job, exciting party.

 

[clowninround]

I thought it was the mantis because my anthia is very shy and also hides in the rocks. It's been 2 days now, I hope I find her...

 

[clowninround]

I think i may take my friends duaghter to get her nails done any way she likes, getting those suckers out is worth anything to me

 

[clowninround]

Well, I found my anthia...it will be hard to tell the cause of death because the hemits have her now. I can tell you however that it was NOT disease. I saw her two days ago with absolutely nothing wrong with her. I am so sad, she was so bueatiful. I have a pic of her in my gallery. Sigh...I guess I'll take her out now.

 

[ScottVinVA]

Japanese

Did you all know that the japanese restaraunts by Mantis when they get large and eat them? There is a place off Indian Head Hwy in Maryland that sells SW in the back of their Nursery. Very large place...and they get them in often, these things are just WOW beutiful. The ones they get in are about 4-5" long and about as big around as a thick hot dog. Talk about the little guys splitting your finger...I would not even want to think about putting anything close to these guys.

BTW did you take any pictures? I like to see them.

 

[clowninround]

I was going to but my LFS asked if he could have him (he is frozen though), to show his costumers when they ask "what is this thing in my tank?"

 

[clowninround]

I have another one in my tank though and when I get it out I will post pictures. My husband heard when we left to exchange the broken trap. Of which I found bangii (am I spelling that wrong) cardinals (the black and silver striped ones) for $11 apeice. They are in QT now...doesn't replace my sunburst though...

 

[Brad]

They make really entertaining tank-mates if you're willing to keep them in a tank by themselves. Mine lives in one of those off-the-shelf plastic 5 gallon systems. He comes out for hand feeding and is getting quite large. As he grows, he's turning green-blue and actually becoming quite pretty.

 

[EBR]

I was able to catch one of the mantis that came with my LR.com order. I found an idea for a trap here, made from a 2 liter soda bottle:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/LettersMantisShrimp.html

He wound up finding a nice home at the LFS, but his buddy is much more reclusive. I haven't paid much attention to him since he keeps to himself (I caught the one in the picture in a day -- he was MUCH more adventurous and bold), but now that I'm looking to add some more cleaning critters, I want him out.

Anyway, thought I'd share.
Matt

 

[EBR]

And here's a close up of the little guy.

 

[Brad]

Ohh...you should have set up a small tank and kept him. He looks like he's going to get really attractive.

 

[EBR]

Yeah, I really wanted to, but I just don't have the space for a second full-time tank. It's tough enough to set up the QT as needed. Oh well.
Matt

 

[Brad]

Too bad. Maybe next time. Mine lived for 6 months in a 2.5 gallon tank with no heater and only 1 lump of LR and a PH.

Now, I've moved him to luxury quarters...a 5 gallon that has a hang-on filter AND...a light and a heater! (one of those cheap plastic all-in-one kits for $39...well...I had the heater already). It's about 15" wide x 8" deep.

I'll put his picture in my gallery when I can manage to photograph him.

 

[clowninround]

Ok, so i have to wait a while to catch this other one. I was just telling Quarryshark, I wonder how many i have. It's funny, when I was reading this article, I remeber seeing several clouds of dust in my tank 8O . Well I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is the last one. I just got a new batch of snails from online because the first one was so easy to catch and thought I would have caught the other one by now...dumb move .

 

[quarryshark]

Here is a bad pic of mine, he now resides in a nano on my LFS's front counter. Cool little guy.

 

[first-timer89]

I have caught 4 mantis shrimp in my 75 gallon. they came from my lr order from lr.com. I caught them all with shrimp nets. I think they are eayser to get than damsels!
I am setting up a 5 gallon for them. They have been living picefully in my QT tank so i want to get them a new home!

 

[Brad]

Quarry...you mantis' living quarters make mine look luxurious.