Mantis Shrimp...Oh My God!!!

[Pegasis]

Hello All,

I have seen something in my tank for the last month or so, but it was a very fleeting glimpse. Once the main lights weren't on, then the lights were on but the thing moved from one hole in the LR to another very quickly and I didn't really get a good look at it.

From what I could tell, I would describe it as an armored catapiller about 1" long and maybe 1/4" or so in width. It seemed to hug the rock like a catapiller would.

Today I saw one of these things again, but it was in the light, under a ledge and I got a flashlight to look at it, it looked dark green in color and when I flashed a light on it, it turned around and "looked" at me. It turned like a "U" shape, not moving it's whole body, just the front half. IT had two bright things in the front of it when it turned around...I don't know it they were eyes, or claws or what, but it was obvious that they were much lighter than the body. It then scurried between the rocks and I couldn't find it.

I have searched the net and found info. and pics that look similar to what I think I saw.

The links are:

http://www.aquarist.net/sea/mantisnf.htm

http://www.matt-chamberlain.ndirect.co.uk/Mantis.htm

I have had my LR for about 4 months and never saw anything like this until recently. I have heard "clicks" but I have seen my Trocus Snails swist and tap the glass and thought it was that which I was hearing.

It seems that I have at least one Mantis Shrimp in my tank. 200lbs of LR for it to hide.

I assume that I shouldn't try to capture it with my hands based on what I have read even though it is small.

Are there any SURE FIRE ways to get rid of this thing? I would even take out rock to do it if I could isolate the rock that it was in.

Thoughts???

[ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: Pegasis ]

[Doug1]

Hmmmm could be but I think the comparison to a caterpiller is a reach. If it is a mantis, you definatly dont want to try and catch it by hand. Commercial fishermen call them thumbsplitter for good reason They are the ultimate reef unfriendly predator but quite smart and interesting in their own right. You may have to build or buy a trap, unless you can find the rock its hiding in and remove it
At the size you mention a LFS trap should work. What to do with it if you catch it, You could put it in a seperate species tank if thats possible. If you really don't want it can you adopt it out,if at all possible. At the very least try to find someone with an "aggressive Fish tank" and let it take its chances in the food chain

[Pegasis]

Hi Doug,

If I can catch it alive, I have no problem offering it up to anyone that would want it.

I have a hospital tank that I could hold it in.

I put in a home made trap (bottle w/ inverted top). Hopefully it will "take the bait".

Thank you,

[Pegasis]

Hello,

I tried the "cut inverted plastic bottle trap " and I caught 3 of my Peppermint Shrimp with it and this morning when I checked the trap they were all DEAD!!!

I am going to have to make the trap Peppermint proof...

[Alice]

Bummer Steven! I'm sorry about the shrimp but I find it very odd that they were dead. I know there's no water flow in a plastic bottle but I can't imagine that having an effect as they're in a shipping bag for longer than that with no ill effect. We hardly lose any pepps to shipping stress.

Hmmmmmm. They were just "dead"? Didn't look like anything had crawled in there with them and used *them* for bait? You might want to even throw out what you used for bait if it was something that you know only the pepps ate, maybe it was bad. Did you just use a pop bottle or other food-safe container? Very strange.

Once again, sorry about the pepps and I hope you can catch the mantis to make their sacrifice have some meaning

~Alice

[Pegasis]

Hello all,

I GOT HIM!!!!!!!! and two Rogue Crabs too!!!

I had to go through allot though. I was watching the tank and saw a slithering creature go from one rock to another and I couldn't really see which rock he went into. So I continued watching and in a couple of minutes, I see two eyes and antenae on a green body looking at me through a hole in a big rock (unfortunately one of the bottom rocks). I decided I was going to get this guy right now. I opened the tank and took the glass off of it and moved 4 rocks and grabed the rock I saw him in and got it out as quickly as I could (all the time watching to see if anything green fell back to the sand). I couldn't see anything inside the hole that he was in so I decided to do a FW dip. I put the rock in a styrofoam container and filled it with RO/DI water...and waited...and waited...and waited, then I saw some movement in the bottom of the container...it was a crab, so I caught that and disposed of it and waited some more...the I saw another crab...I caught that and disposed of it. The Mantis Shrimp still didn't come out, so I left the rock in there for an hour. Still nothing (no more crabs either). I thought maybe it had a pocket of SW inside the rock or something that it was in so the FW didn't bother it. I decided to take the rock out and leave it out of water in another container. I did this and checked on it periodically...another hour passed and NOTHING!!!

I was going to make that creature pay for the loss of 3 of my Peppermints last night!!!!!

I thought ok...I have probably killed allot on and in the rock anyway so I am going to make sure he is DEAD even if he is still inside the rock. I decided to put the rock in the sink (with a stopper) and I turned the HOT water on. I filled up the sink with water that was 110°F and changed that every so often to make sure it stayed hot. After about an hour, I figured that was about all I could do less putting the rock in the oven (which I did think of ), but I thought that it wouldn't survive the water temp if it was still in there.

I still didn't see any sign of him so I figured I might as well cool the rock down and put it back in the tank (I also took this opportunity to scrub off some Brown Wafer Algae).

I cleaned everything and cooled the rock and put it back in the tank. I arranged all of the rockwork again and was disappointed that I had no proof that I had gotten the bugger.

I dicided to look again in the hole that he was in and inside I could see something...it almost looked like a shell, but it seemed to be a little green...I got my flashlight and looked closer and there was a green thing in there...I went and got my dental tools and stuck one in next to the thing. I hooked it and carefully pulled it out and...there it was...I was successful...I didn't get it alive, but I got it. Here are some "post mortum" pics of it...



It is 1" long and about 3/16" in diameter. Such a small thing for so much work. I hope there are no more, but I also don't want to fool myself.

Thanks for listening,

[Alice]

Wow! You are persistent! Was the mantis that green before it got "cooked" in the hot water? Pretty color, kinda looks like some fo the Easter eggs we just did

~Alice

[Pegasis]

Hi Alice,

Thank you for your sentiment. I really like my Peppermints...I have 4 left. They would eat out of my hand and were very friendly. I really like them allot. I will get some more when I can.

I used a 7-up plastic bottle that I have used before to catch crabs and it was clean (not with soap).

My theory is that they died of ammonia poisoning. I put a piece of shrimp in as bait. It was fresh and I had frozen it to keep it. I usually feed the shrimp to my Ritteri (with no ill effects). I just think that with no water flow in the bottle, the ammonia built up and they couldn't handle it.

It is really too bad...I hate to loose my "pets". It makes me want to find that Mantis and put it in the blender!!!

I will hold my anger though and if I catch it alive, I will offer it to anyone that wants it.

Thanks again for your reply,

[Pegasis]

Hi Alice,

As far as I could tell by watching it, it was that green.

Yes, I am pretty persistent. I was not about to let it get mack into the tank when I was 99% sure it was in the rock I had "in my hands".

If/when I see any more, I will catch then too...at ALL costs...but if I can capture any alive, I will offer then up for free...no shipping though.

I was "dissed" a bit on one forum...I guess they like the little critters...I have no problem with them...as long as they are not in MY tank.

Take care,