Holy Crap...What Is This?????

[NewPortRichey]

After losing my juvi vlamingi tang and noticing that one of my small fire fish had disappeared I was speculating that maybe there was a hitchiking predator in the tank. Oddly enough I noticed this work-like thing in some of the rock. Take a look at the pictures. It's worm-like, can curl up in a ball to turn around and seems slightly hairy. It was weird though because it was hanging out with a fire fish. Is this bad? What is it?

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

mantis shrimp?

not sure

if so it's a predator and you don't want it

 

[tizapolgar]

Looks like a mantis to me. It could certainly explain your missing firefish.

I have to say that I like mantis shrimp, unlike most folks who would probably jsut toss it in the yard. Try to catch him/her and set up a small mantis tank! Then you can feed him/her snails and watch the carnage unfold...

 

[NewPortRichey]

yeah, i'm hoping that's not what it is. i've seen some pretty nasty videos of those things.

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

yea but definetely get it out of your big tank

many people keep them in their own small tank


look on you tube or something at the videos of them, I think it is

 

[NewPortRichey]

it's so small, got the thought of ripping down the rockwork is just killing me.

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

you have to do it though, or entice is out with some shrimp or something and have a net handy, just watch your fingers

 

[tizapolgar]

You can get or make a trap for it...I've never made one for a mantis, so I don't know how, but I'm sure someone does.

I caught one in my tank once - I just pulled the rock it was sitting on right out! Of course, I think that I got really lucky...

 

[NewPortRichey]

You can get or make a trap for it...I've never made one for a mantis, so I don't know how, but I'm sure someone does.

I caught one in my tank once - I just pulled the rock it was sitting on right out! Of course, I think that I got really lucky...

I'm hoping I get lucky with it. When I say small I mean the size of a nickel. Maybe slightly larger. And in my 125 I'm going to have to get the ladder out again, destroy my aquascaping and start over. Dammit. He's actually made a home at the bottom of one of the bases of the rock piles. Atleast I think so anyway. The weird thing was that it was hanging out with a fire fish. Maybe because he was too full to care? I dunno. Tonight should be interesting tho.

 

[Bifferwine]

Sorry to say, but that's definitely a mantis shrimp! Get it out, it will make lunch of your snails, crabs and fish. Watch your fingers! The easiest way to get it out is to identify the rock that it's made its home in, then remove the rock WITH TONGS, not with your hands. Kinda hard to do if the rock is at the bottom of the tank. You can keep it in a separate tank if you want, or your LFS will probably trade it in for something, some people do like keeping them on their own.

 

[Rcpilot]

Sure looks like a mantis shrimp to me. Nasty little buggers. Can split your finger wide open with one strike. BE CAREFUL!!

Leave that thing in your tank, and you can kiss all your fish, snails, crabs BYE-BYE. :frustrat:

Have you ever played Halo online with teams? Ya know when your kicking ass and the computer voice comes on, "KILLING SPREE!!" Thats a mantis shrimp for ya. Go look at some youtube videos.

 

[Alexander]

sounds like you have found out what has taken out one of the coolest fish ever. sorry to hear about that.

 

[NewPortRichey]

Yup, youtube sure does put things into perspective. I'll be sure to post pics of the thing when, and if, I'm able to catch him tonight. Do you think I could put him in my refugium/sump? They look like they get really big, but that might do for now?

 

[Alexander]

they can grow up to 8- 10 inches....... so they need a space probably larger than your sump can offer. they do just speend most of their time in their den so they don't need a huge tank. a nano yes, sump no.

 

[Piggy]

Nasty bugger. I read where they can break a glass tank.

 

[Rcpilot]

I'd be so pissed if one of those broke my tank. Hammer time!

 

[Alexander]

oh and rc I forgot to tell you I laughed real good with the killing spree comment

 

[NewPortRichey]

i wonder if the lfs would take him back. i haven't ever seen any of them for sale before though. seems as though they are extremely undesireable but sounds like it might be fun to keep alone. what kind of price range to these things run?

 

[Alexander]

they usually run about $50 when you actually buy one

 

[Alexander]

sorry I should have specified as I don't know what species you have. a clown mantis will run about fifty and a lime green mantis is only about twenty bucks