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Dez
11-21-2002, 06:04 PM
My worst nightmare came true. I was in denial for about 4 or 5 months. I kept hearing a snapping sound in my tank for the last 4-5 months. No fish mysteriuously dissappearing, so I assumed it was a pistol shrimp. I walked by me tank last night and I couldn't believe it. I saw a Peacock Mantis Shrimp. One of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen before. My heart sank though, knowing that I'd have to get him out one day and set up a nano for it. I watched it for a bit and saw it crawl into a hole in the rock near the top. I popped my hood open and pulled the rock out right away, but I think I was too slow...no mantis in the rock. It was a small rock and I could see through all available holes. I don't know when I'll ever see him again, but I've heard him for about 5 months. It's about 2" long. Beautiful. Anybody have any experience getting them out? Any style of traps work best? I'm not about to take my reef apart. It's a 150 Gallon tall tank. (48long,24 deep, 30 tall). Any suggestions? And also....what exactly is so harmful about them besides them eating small fish and killing off your hermit crab population?

Thanks so much for your help.

Desmond
Aquattro
11-21-2002, 06:13 PM
Dez, they'll eat anything in the tank the can smack. And they're really fast, so they can smack anything they like!
Have you seen the pop bottle style trap? You cut the top off the bottle and glue it inverted back into the bottle. Shrimp can go in but gets confused coming out. Mantis are really smart though, so if you miss the first time, you won't get a second chance :P
You might get it to come to the surface to feed from a stick and maybe net it. Adam used to twirl his around on the end of a feeding stick!! It would just hang on forever :D
Good luck though, and if you do catch it, they make interesting "pets" in their own tank
Delphinus
11-21-2002, 07:45 PM
When they get big enough, they can smash through glass too. What's the phrase for them, thumb-splitters or something like that? Apparently it's a very literal nickname...

Good luck with whatever you end up deciding to do!
Bob I
11-22-2002, 12:55 AM
I bought a Mantis trap from MOPS. I have no use for it, because as far as I know I have no Mantis. :D
Dez
11-22-2002, 03:12 PM
Bob, maybe I'll have to borrow it from you when I come to Calgary next weekend (30th). The only thing I caught last night was my biggest starfish in my inverted-pop-bottle trap. Darn. I don't even know how he fit in the stupid hole....he was all scrunched up inside the bottle and I had to rescue him this morning. Would that be okay Bob? Thanks.

Des
Bob I
11-22-2002, 08:33 PM
Bob, maybe I'll have to borrow it from you when I come to Calgary next weekend (30th).

Probably. and what can you do for me :?: :?: :lol: :lol: :lol:
StirCrazy
11-22-2002, 11:06 PM
Probably. and what can you do for me :?: :?: :lol: :lol: :lol:

:shock: starting to sound like my wife Bob :wink: :lol: :lol:

Steve
Bob I
11-22-2002, 11:21 PM
:shock: starting to sound like my wife Bob :wink: :lol: :lol:

Steve

Ouch!!!! You Westeners starting to develop a sense of humour. :?: :?: :?: :?: :P
StirCrazy
11-22-2002, 11:25 PM
Ouch!!!! You Westeners starting to develop a sense of humour. :?: :?: :?: :?: :P

hehe we have always had one.. just look at Brad :shock:

Steve
Aquattro
11-23-2002, 01:51 AM
Steve, remember those snails you thought you were getting....?
StirCrazy
11-23-2002, 02:52 AM
Steve, remember those snails you thought you were getting....?

Doh, :shock: I ment , ya lookat Brad.... he has to put up with us so he has a real good sence of humor!!! 8)

Steve
Dez
11-23-2002, 04:38 PM
Maybe I'll just give you a frag for it...
Bob I
11-23-2002, 05:44 PM
I would not worry about it. I have enough corals. Maybe you can give me the shrimp when you catch it? :wink: :wink: :wink:
Dez
11-23-2002, 06:21 PM
If I ever catch it, it's going in a nano that I'd set up.
Dez
11-25-2002, 03:20 PM
Caught it!!!!! ha ha. I actually took every single piece of rock out of my reef. And I searched each rock. It was about 6 inches in one of my rocks in a hole less than the size of a dime. I didn't see it, then I started squirting hot water into each hole that I couldn't see through, and I hear it. I Cracked open the rock and there it was. It now resides in a 10 gallon tank. It's beautiful. :)

Thanks for the suggestions.

Des
Aquattro
11-25-2002, 03:48 PM
need to see some pics now!!!
Delphinus
11-25-2002, 04:06 PM
Neat story. Good luck with the new setup! :)
chicki
11-26-2002, 02:19 AM
You dismantled that tank???? :shock:
Congradulations!!! Yeah, I want to see a pic of it!
Dez
11-26-2002, 03:40 PM
Yeah, I took the opportunity to remove every single polyp and soft coral and it didn't take me that long to set it up, just tough with cloudy water. I'll try to get my hands on a dig camera....or lynn, you could pop over with yours and post a pic of him for me...

Thanks..

des
chicki
11-26-2002, 11:22 PM
Be happy to, I give you a call...soon
Dez
11-29-2002, 03:55 PM
I've identified the species of Mantis in my nano now. It's a Gonodactylis Smithi. It's really neat. It's made 3 little burrows already. So far I've got some Halimeda with it and a couple of mushrooms and a toadstool.

Des
Delphinus
11-29-2002, 04:04 PM
Neat stuff, does it look like this guy?

http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/smitrc.htm
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/bio/bluff.htm
Dez
11-29-2002, 07:49 PM
Exactly, perfect twin :)
EmilyB
11-30-2002, 09:15 PM
I suppose a beautiful little condy is out of the question in there........

(Hey, my neighbor put his house up for sale Dez....I win !! :wink: )
Dez
12-01-2002, 05:34 AM
That is super funny!!! Your MEAN MEAN neighbour.... ha ha. I think the condy would do better in someone else's home. Too bad you couldn't make it tonight.. I'm sure we'll meet over the Christmas holidays, I took a week and a half off between Christmas into the early new year and we're spending it in Calgary. Oh, btw, we got a Sohal Tang....close enough to the Clown Tang :)