mantis shrimp

[beano]

i think i have one. any tips on trapping them short of removing the rock to a bare aquarium. ive been hunting for a week now and the best ive seen was a pair of shrimp hands for a split second before it backed completely under a rock at the bottom of my stack. not looking forward to digging it out...also, how often do they break glass? ever happened to anyone here?

 

[dustin_P74]

yes they can break glass but your real concern should be that he will make a snack out of everything that moves in your tank

 

[daugherty]

dont use your hands to take the rock out use a pair of tongs. they will split your finger open.

 

[yote]

Good luck on even getting it.Even if you end up removing all the rock.If you dont know exactly which rock its in,its pretty much hopeless.Unless you can get lucky with a trap.
I've been after one in my tank for a couple of months now with no luck.

 

[Bifferwine]

You can try luring him out with a piece of food in a trap. But if you have other animals in your tank, he's more likely to try and eat those first. Really, as difficult as it sounds, isolating and removing his rock is the easiest way. They are really tricky.

 

[PufferGuy]

how do you just GET a mantis shrimp in there without buying one? did it spawn in there or somethin ha? im just curious

 

[dustin_P74]

they hide in the rocks

 

[yote]

They hitch hike their way in on live rock.

 

[beano]

so i have done some investigating, still havent seen anybody in there... but i think i may have a pistol shrimp. the clicking on the glass is very frequent, from what ive gathered a mantis will only click while hunting and pistols will click when digging, and this happens during the day when the lights are on...any thoughts on pistol shrimps? also, if a mantis were eating snails, would the shells be cracked apart? would they be scattered near the opening of his house?

also, my first decision when i got this tank was that i wanted a shrimp goby/shrimp pair. is there a chance that i can set a goby loose in there and he will find the shrimp and it will come out to play?

 

[dustin_P74]

if it is a mantis the shells will be cracked open

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Not if it a slasher.

 

[yote]

if it is a mantis the shells will be cracked open

Agreed.If you got a mantis,Snail and crab shells will probably be cracked open.
Its possible to get a pistol as a hitch hiker.They come from the same areas as the mantis shrimp.But a pistol dont have as loud a pop as a mantis.
From what I've read,most of the slasher mantis are geared more toward fish predation.

 

[beano]

i saw it today, its a pistol for sure. yea.

 

[dustin_P74]

good news

 

[yote]

Great news.