Is It A Mantis Shrimp?????

[dermp]

IS IT A MANTIS SHRIMP He seems to keep his arm tucked under his body is that a sign. I got him out of the tank on a piece of rock. I can't get him everytime he gets back into this very tiny hole. It looks green now and the body of it seems pretty long.

[Reefer Addict]

Well, if it looks anything like the picture I attached then it probably is a Mantis. The picture is of the two hitchhikers I got when I received a shipment of live rock when starting my reef... both are no good for the tank (the other is a hairy rock crab).
If you have it isolated to a single rock, give it a quick dip in fresh water (usually doesn't take too long) and the mantis will scurry out of its hole trying to get away from the fresh water. Then you can net it and put it in a container with saltwater.
That's how I got mine out, but unfortunately I couldn't catch him until he was half-dead... that's the only reason the crab was able to get near it in the first place... would've gotten bashed otherwise.
HTH

[dermp]

I think that looks alot like it, its been 5 minutes in the fresh water he don't want to come out.

[Reefer Addict]

Hrm... don't you hate it when the animal doesn't know the drill...
I wouldn't leave the live rock in the freshwater too long, since it may harm the beneficial bacteria in it (not sure, but it sounds logical).
Some people have luck using seltzer water also (like club soda) since the carbonation flushes them out pretty fast (they aren't very fond of CO2). Just put the rock in an empty bowl and apply it with a turkey baster or syringe aimed in the hole it's hiding in.
Otherwise, I don't know what else you could try... somebody else might have a suggestion.

[dermp]

Luckly its only a few small rock he is in, I put it back into the saltwater and he has come out yet. I will wait and see.

[Buzz_Hog]

You sure that's a Mantis shrimp RA??? That looks more like a crab to me...

This is what I know Mantis shrimp to look like....

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/at...&postid=135966

[Reefer Addict]

LOL Buzz...
I'm talking about what the crab is holding... unless the other guy is a Mantis in crab's clothing...
The tail of the Mantis is pointed toward the crab's mouth, and it's head is toward the side of the container.

[thefatman]

lol i was thinking the same thing

on the other hand, that's one awesome looking crab!! if i ever got one of those hitchhiked in, i'd give it a tank all for itlsef. that thing rocks!

[Buzz_Hog]

HAHAHAHA.... sorry bout that RA.... for a second, I was wondering if there was a clone of you also....

and I agree with Jay, that crab rocks!!!

[cath]

on that crab! hehehehe the green thing in it's mouth looke like a green Cheetos®

[Reefer Addict]

I really like the crab too... so he's my official sump king.
I didn't want to take the chance of him getting any of my fish as they slept, and with Hairy Rock Crabs, the bigger they get, the meaner they get.
He does a good job cleaning up the stuff that makes it down to the sump at feeding time, so he's actually beneficial.

[Doug1]

Its a freakin killer crab, if it eats mantis its a BMF but its a **** crab, see my many archived posts re my feelings on crabs in tanks