Mantis menace?
07/19/
03
<Hi Tim, PF with you today>
Hi, I think I might have a mantis shrimp, not quit sure. I saw only a glimpse of him peeping out some hole in the rocks, and he seemed to travel from hole to hole, and in different rocks. But, what I did see was this green head with long green eyes that rotated opposite of each other. He never comes all the way out, so I can't get a good look at him. The
LR I bought was from Tampabaysaltwater, and I've heard they're known for it. I do hear a clicking sound but haven't seen any dead snails, and the tank has been cycling without fish for two months now. Is there a way to lure him out so I can see him, or an easier way (I know there is no easy way, unless he breaks the glass) to get him out. I don't want to buy traps that won't work, and to find him in a particular rock means I would have to use my hands. I like my fingers as they are.
Please help.
By the way your new book is next on my list.
Tim Wagner
<Well Tim, first off, the bigger worry is your
LR falling on your glass than that mantis breaking it. The mantis breaking glass is a tale that grows in the telling. It has happened, but the mantises wheren't the little ones like you have but an O. scyallarus that was at least 5" long - and there's a lot more power in 5" of mantis than in 2". As for TBS live rock, Dr. Roy Caldwell (a mantis <stomatopod is their correct name> expert conducted an informal survey and found that most people find 1 mantis/hundred pound of rock regardless of the source (including his own work in the wild), I've had
LR from Fiji that the
LFS "guaranteed" to be mantis free, the mantis didn't listen. Be all that as it may, the little bugger is less of a threat than legend has it. Depending on the size of snails and hermits you have, it may not actually be a threat to them. I can understand your fear though, as they are predacious, and very intelligent predators to boot. I would recommend that you go here:
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis and read up them. There are sections on the site about mantis removal, and if you're so inclined, their care. If you're up for, I'd advise setting up a seperate tank (a 10g nano is plenty big) and keeping the little bugger, or putting him in your sump (I know a number of people who've done that with theirs). Hope this helps, PF the self proffessed stomatophile.
BTW, the new book has a section on mantis shrimp in it, so you can read up on them when you get it.>