Just Great

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Something Fishy

Member
Watching the tank this afternoon after work. Just as I am thinking every thing is going perfectly. I look behind the rock at the back of the tank. And guess what. I find a small Mantis Shrimp feasting on one of the hermit crabs we just picked up. Luckily he is small so I am not worried about fish, yet. I am watching him to find out his home so I can catch him. This one is blue and only about a inch long head to tail

Anyone want him?
 
M

mwrager

Active Member
I would say yes, but I would have to set up yet another tank. If I did that my kids would kill me, I already have 4 tanks going. But I think Mantis Shrimps are cool looking. I am sure someone would want it.
 
NaH2O

NaH2O

Contributing Member
Good luck in your quest to capture the mantis. Hopefully you will find it's den so you can catch it.

Do some research on them...you may decide to keep it in a species tank - and become a part of the ever growing group of Mantis Rights Activists. Here is a link to: The Lurker's Guide To Stomatopods

Here is a link to a Mantis Forum on another site - you could post Free Mantis: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=37

Also, here is a link to a Mantis Wanted thread on another site: http://www.fragexchange.com/Forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=977&posts=32
 
S

Something Fishy

Member
Quest complete.

After reading some of the links you listed NaH2O, I caught him and put him in the small tank. We still hadnt drained it, and everything is still running. So he can stay in there for a little bit till I decide what to do.

He was really easy to catch too. Used two nets, moved a bunch of rock, made clowns and gobys mad. But got him out.

Now to find a good home for him or keep him. I think I am leaning towards choice A.
 
NaH2O

NaH2O

Contributing Member
Awesome! Hopefully, we'll be able to find someone to take it.......

Edit: I forgot to mention - Great job in catching it....not too many people can get them so easily!! Post pictures if you can!
 
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Maxx

Maxx

Well-Known Member
Nikki's right...GREAT JOB in catching that beast!!! There are a couple of people here in the St Louis area that might be interested in a mantis.....posat some pics up and we'll see what we can do.
Nick
 
S

Something Fishy

Member
I will have to get dads digital camera. I have a very good 35mm SLR but no macro lens. So after the snow tonight I will grab his digi cam and get some pics up.
 
RogueCorps

RogueCorps

Member
Hi Something Fishy,

Congrats on the capture and karma for thoughtful treatment of it. I'd love to see a picture of it also. Do you happen to know the origin of your live rock and can you tell if it's a spearer or smasher? It's most likely that it's a smasher and you should see enlarged dacty heels on the raptorial appendages (round hammer like knobs). Other things to look for to identify it are the color of the meral spots, or the circles on the inside of the raptorial appendages, and the number of spiked points on the telson (tail).

Here's a picture of a one inch long Fiji hitchhiker that unfortunately didn't survive the trip. The "hammers" are pretty easy to see here.
2054Juvenile_mantis.JPG


You've gotten great info and it should be fairly easy to find a home for it on the above links from Nikki. If you don't find a home, I'm really tempted to ask for this one myself... :p

-Rogue :)
 
S

Something Fishy

Member
It is, from what I can tell. A blue peacock mantis. The live rock is from Key West. With the way he was killing hermits he is a spearer. No shells are broken, just pulled out.

Two maybe three spikes on the tail.

I will get some pics ASAP.
 
TDEVIL

TDEVIL

Well-Known Member
some people have all the luck ;)

and Karma, for 1. catching it, 2. for the way you caught it, 3. and thinking about the wealfare of the MS

awaiting the pics

to bad you didnt live in Indiana ;)

TD
 
fidojoe

fidojoe

Fish Addict
I hope thats not what I'm hearing in my LR today! I think I might have gotten one in my new LR, I hear a dull clicking, it doesn't sound too loud, but it is distinct.

Congrats on catching it quickly and humanely(sp?).
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
Good Job...
I've had a mantis shrimp at our display tank at work for a long time. Makes it a PITA to keep the tank clean because it kills so much of the clean up crew.
Still haven't figured out which rock it lives in and I don't want to take apart the tank, being on of the tank we sell corals out of it has to be ready to sell stuff all the time, and the stupid traps I make out of water bottles don't catch anything...
Mike
 
NaH2O

NaH2O

Contributing Member
TDevil - If you're REALLY interested, Inland Aquatics had an Odontodactylus scyllarus when I was there a few weekends ago. Check out the Inland Aquatics thread on this site for a picture of the Peacock Beauty!!
 
Maxx

Maxx

Well-Known Member
That thing was HUGE....it was a big green lobster that wanted to eat people. I could see it in her evil lil eye stalks.
I still thought about taking her home tho'.....
I'm slowly converting to the darkside.....
Nick
 
Maxx

Maxx

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I'm waiting for the snow to start/stop here too....sigh, you say its a blue peacock?
Interesting...hmmm.....
 
Maxx

Maxx

Well-Known Member
Could you tell me where you saw the imagfe that caused you to think its a blue peacock? I'd like to see what they look like.
Nick
 
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