Just found Hitchiker Crab - Good or Bad

[bluespotjawfish]

It's in a huge rock!@ Why seltzer water?

[Dentoid]

My understanding is that the bubbling scares the shrimp out of hiding, otherwise it may just stay in the hole and die. They do not like to leave their hole, especially when frightened. They are smart.

[bluespotjawfish]

Sucking him out with a big wet/dry vac sounds very tempting. This rock is huge! This isn't going to be fun!

[Dentoid]

Perhaps the Hoover will do! My rock was larger in length and width than a five gallon bucket. It overhung the bucket by a good 6 inches all around. I just made sure that the the mantis' hole was over the bucket, and within seconds of pouring the seltzer he dropped out in the bucket. It's messy, but it works. I took it to the LFS where an employee took it home and has it in an acrylic nano by itself. My second mantis, the rock was smaller, but I was out of seltzer. So I poured fresh RO/DI water over the rock and it didn't come out. So I submerged the whole rock in the fresh water, it still didn't come out but instead died in the rock. Fortunately, I was able to remove it with a pair of tweezers. I still have one or two, can't find them. I guess you need to decide if you want it dead or alive.

[bluespotjawfish]

Found another goriolla crab today - these crabs are sneaky. I am starting to suspect that they were what attacked my Bluespot and why my Bluepspots keep moving around. Be careful with yours!

[bluespotjawfish]

I am dancing a happy dance - I got my Mantis out! Waited for him to go play along the bottom of the sump and then snatched the rock out of the sump, leaving no place for him to hide.

[Dentoid]

Did you get it out of the rock? I am also dancing a jig. I got the bigest, hairiest Gorilla crab tonight. I believe the one that chomped a hole in my BTA. Caught him in a trap. He was so big he actually grabbed the trap and shook it. He is now at the LFS-(didn't want its death on my conscience, but I did consider flushing it). Great job Blue!

[bluespotjawfish]

He was just playing so I took advantage of that and stole his rock out from on top of him (so to speak). I'm just glad he was in the sump. I think I still have a Gorilla Crab in there, but I have had a succesful day. I'm glad you got your Gorilla. I wonder if that is what got my anenome. How is your's BTW?

[Dentoid]

It's an emotional roller coaster. One time it looks half way decent and another it looks like a blob of snot. Yuck! I moved the power head nozzle and it didn't like it so it moved to the lee side of the rock. I added a new light to the QT. A power compact fluoresent. Cost more than the anemone. Probably not the best, but better than the one I had there. Yesterday, I thought it was trying to get higher on the rock to reach the light. Today, it's just hanging out, still wont inflate its tenticles. I think it is in chill mode while trying to heal. On the other hand it could be a slow death. I just don't know what to think. It's still attached though, and as long it's holding on, I'm going to be there.

[bluespotjawfish]

Attached is good. Gooey snot is bad. Attached gooey snot is only half bad.

[Dentoid]

[rDr4g0n]

i also have pulled about 4 or 5 gorilla crabs out of my TBS rock. for the most part i see them in the morning when i flip the lights on and i grab them with tweezers and toss them in the fuge.

the only thing that bothers me is that fuge is supposed to be refugium, the root of which is refuge. if i put a fishie in there for whatever reason, i doubt it would be very safe for him with all the hairy crabs running around.

[bluespotjawfish]

I think the mantis got me one day when I had my arm in the sump. At the time I thought I shocked myself somehow, but I was right by his rock. The sump is a refuge for me to be safe! No bad stuff in my sump!

[Dentoid]

They have been called "thumb splitters".