Mantis!

vubben

vubben

Member
Sitting on the couch this morning about 20 feet from my tank and I kept hearing a "click click" I finally realized it was coming from the RSM. On closer inspection I finally saw something with long feelers probing out from the inside of a 1/8" hole in some LR at the front of the tank. There is a small hitchiking hermit sitting in front of this hole and every so often the feelers come out, feel the crab and "click click" Mantis, right?

I have watched for a while and there seems to be another adjacent hole connected to this one as it occasionally appears at both.

How do I get him out of the tank? I was thinking of simply plugging the two holes with something but who knows if there are other holes attached.

Help!
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Seems they are both trying for a meal. I just watched the crab reach into the hole trying to get the shrimp. They had a little duel and are now waiting each other out.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
Could be a Mantis or a Pistol Shrimp. Pistol Shrimp would have longer antennae, and I'd rather have a Pistol than a Mantis. Both can click. You could try plugging both holes with some epoxy putty and hope there are no other exits.
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Went back to move the hermit... too late he was already missing a leg and had decided to move on his own. No contest between hermit and mantis I guess. Any way, I removed the rock and didn't see anything escape while doing it. (Who knows) No life on this rock other than coralline and algae (and Mantis I guess) that I can see. I didn't have any soda water to pour in the hole so I just have it in fresh water right now. Also poked a sharp stick in the two holes and it seems they are only attached to each other. Problem is, no sign of the shrimp.
 
vubben

vubben

Member
very interesting!! Remember to take pictures if you can!!
Click to expand...

Tried to get a picture but the size and position made it impossible.

If I see it come out of the rock in the dip, no pics, it's goin down!!! ;)
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Hi Tony. I gave that a shot with a sharp stick. No luck. He may have dropped out while I was pulling the rock from the tank and I missed it. Hopefully it's just buried it the rock somewhere.

A fat worm did come out in the FW but that's it so far. If the rock is dead that's okay. It was a small piece and aside from the assumed mantis it's the only rock in the tank that I have seen what I've suspected to be small Aptasia cropping up. (think that's the spelling)
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
Maybe it died in the hole or you mashed it with the stick. If that was an Aiptasia hopefully that got wiped out too! Hopefully no more clicks.
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Mantis update...
Well, the only thing that came out in the FW was a 2 inch bristly looking worm. I'm pretty sure the Mantis came out with the rock. Hopefully went down the drain when I first poured fresh water in the holes. (I didn't think of using a bucket till later. Hey, it's my first strange critter experience!) As I said, it was a small rock that I'm pretty sure had Aiptasia growing as well.

In other news, my sot so local FS got my Tunze skimmer in. Now just waiting for my Media Basket to arrive from Steve and hopefully I will stop hemorrhaging money... for a while. :)

Thanks for all the Mantis tips.

Have fun.
 
D

David Shaw

Well-Known Member
Good news, no mantis and you flushed a worm.

I always dip my rock to get rid of the worms before i put them into the tank.

Well done!
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Forgot.
I picked up another small rock with the Tunes since the Mantis rock never really worked for what it was meant to be... a shim to stop what was on top of it from having any chance of tipping over. The Mantis rock will stay in the bucket for now.
 
vubben

vubben

Member
Ha!

David, from reading some of your posts I thought you might approve of the worm flushing! He was cute in a hideous sort of way. :)
 
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