Loud sounds at night!

[justinl]

any mantis that you'll ever see will be diurnal; very unlikely you'll actually see it at night although my mantis has been up late clicking away before (not often though). pistol shrimp are secretive pretty much all of the time. some pistols will make pretty obvious tunnels in the sand. watch around the tank for broken shells of hermits/crabs/snails (mantis).

[Chowder]

Also a Mantis usually sounds like something clicking on glass where a Pistol Shrimp has more of a snapping sound.

[Reefhawk1]

Sounds like you have a hidden pest in your tank. If it is a mantis and it is aggressive like my old mantis you could use some bait to try and lure out.

[Steeves]

What would lure him out. Shrimp? Mysis shrimp? Would this work for the pistol shrimp as well?

[justinl]

http://www.stomatopod.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=71

mantids aren't picky. pretty much any meaty marine meat. I would avoid any bivalvemeat if it stays in there for a long time... that stuff degrades faster than others. dunno bout pistols though.

[Reefhawk1]

Originally Posted by Steeves

What would lure him out. Shrimp? Mysis shrimp? Would this work for the pistol shrimp as well?

I used clams to lure my mantis out. I purchased the cold water variety from the grocery store and placed it in the open sand area. The mantis would appear instantly to snatch it up.

I don't know if pistol shrimp are that aggressive since I have never owned one. The lure method might not work.

[fishoholic]

[quote=Reefhawk1;301340]I used clams to lure my mantis out. I purchased the cold water variety from the grocery store and placed it in the open sand area. The mantis would appear instantly to snatch it up.

QUOTE]

Sorry to cut in but I have a mantis and he eats mysis. I'm wondering, could I give him a clam every now and then for a treat?

[justinl]

mantids should be fed a variety of frozen foods. they aren't picky, so clams, krill, mysis, silversides, etc. are fine. If the mantis is a smasher it should be fed a hard shelled meaty food at least once or twice a month. hermits and snails serve well and so would clams.

I use snails and hermits because the clams would be much messier and are probably aren't the cleanest things around... clams (as suspension feeders) are notorious for accumulating unhealthy crap.