Best way to catch a mantis?

[JoeJoe]

Alright so I have witnessed two mantis shrimp in my tank who hitchhiked in on my LR. One I got rid of as he was just sittin in his hole. The other guy however is not as easy to get to. Whenever I see the critter, he darts off. He is probably around 3/4 of an inch and I guess he's trying to find himself a home since I hear alot of clicking goin on. Anyone have any ideas on how to get the little bugger? I tried doing the dead shrimp in a glass tilting it a little but he was probably just laughing at me. Someone also suggested that I put a piece of shrimp in some panty hose (don't ask) and that when he goes after it, he'll get stuck.

I was honestly thinking about taking the rocks out of the tank tomorrow and looking through them for him. Someone said I can dip the rocks in freshwater and he would dart out. Is this a good idea, and would it kill off all the other live stuff on the rocks?

If anyone has any successful ways to capture the guy, please do share b/c he's annoying the heck outta me in the middle of the night when I'm tryin to get some shut eye. Thanks!!

[jesspaul]

If you can isolate him to one rock suspend the rock in in a bucket of tank water. He will crawl out of the rock and fall to the bottom. I think its worth the trouble to catch him unharmed since they are an incrediable animal to watch. Be carefull, they are called thumbsplitters for a very good reason.

[JoeJoe]

Bump for more suggestions. My tank is currently goin through it's cycle, do you think he'll live through it? I didn't hear him at all last night which was very odd.

[Ray1214]

Yeah he will. Things you don't want will live through anything. Anyways the netting trick kinda works. I use it for bristle worms...(i don't like them, no matter how good they are for my tank), One other way is the glass with a piece of krill trick. Lean over a drinking glass, drop some krill or something really smelly into the bottom of the tank. Make sure the glass is leaning on live rock so he can climb up and peer into the rim. They normally can't climb out on the glass.

Ray

[Dallas]

I went to ALL extremes to try and rid myself of the satan spawn mantis, just remember they are VERY smart any trick you use to capture it and fail, it will remember that and you will not be able to capture him that way.
We go one by waiting at the hole he was in my wife had a pair of sissors and i lured him out with a piece of cut squid and SNIP he was gone.
Number two i chased into a hole and plugged it with epoxy.
Number three got himself into the overflow and i pulled him out to a spongebob tank of his own. and a very tiny rock to hide in.
Good luck

[mantisshrimp]

If you catch him,I'll take him off your hands.