Why don't you make an inverted top pop bottle trap. Check it each morning to see what you caught. You may save yourself the trouble of ripping your tank apart. You will also find out what critters you have that roam when the lights go out. Let the harmless ones go and remove the nasties.

I tryed that but didnt get nothin but i used a Full bottle and cut a hole in the side with a pipe Any instructions on makin this trap and what the best bait is to use?

I had a pistol shrimp in my old 90, I swear I would faint all the time thinking the tank was cracking, I got used to it ( a few more gray hair mind you) and it was nice to see it from time to time. If it's a mantis shrimp you can use a standard fish trap after lights out.

Doug

ive read about plenty of cracked tanks from them so it's probably worth worrying about.

Take a pop bottle (1liter or so) and cut the top off where it starts to taper. Spin it around and place it in the bottle. Fix it in place best you can. Drop in an uncooked cocktail shrimp.

ps I also use this but with 2 liter bottles and some orange juice in the summer to get rid of wasps on the deck or yard when they are a problem. Just place it upright instead of on it's side. :rolleyes:

Scavenger, that's the best idea I've ever heard for a fish trap/pest trap. I made one out of old acrlyic tube etc but it's a typical one meaning you have to pull the fishing line to drop the door. Your idea is excellent.

Doug

From pistol shrimp? (I never heard that before.) I have heard of large mantis shrimp breaking glass because they actualy club or stab their prey, but pistol shrimp are different. They stun their prey with sound and don't actualy contact anything to make that sound. That click is done only with their one claw. (Kind of like when you snap your fingers.)

I have a bullseye pistol that clicks quite frequently in my reef aquarium and it lives a symbiotic life with a sleeper goby.

If you are pretty sure it's a pistol shrimp, why not just get a goby buddy to live with and keep it?

It's realy amazing to watch them interact.

I think they're harmless, but I could be wrong I guess. :smile:

yeah i think i got that backwards.. mantis shimp.. doh!

If it is a pistol get a whatchman gobie it is realy cool to see them togeather BUT If it is a Mantis you want it out if you can catch it I tryed every thing traps of all shapes and sizes pulling out single rocks when ever I spoted it I ended up pulling out every rock and doing a fresh water dip and low and behild he was in the last rock. Now as for the problems with a mantis you will find that you go through alot of cleaner crew as it will feed on what it can get also they are very fast the spearing type can nail you in 1/100 of a second and the clubing type is almost as fast a large clubing mantis has the impact of a 22 cal. bullit it can brake your tank or your finger so use caution (dont stick your finger in the hole to try and trap him) Fisher men know them as thumb spliters scuba divers know them as toe spliters

good luck

Now, now....before we get everyone too panicked about the mantis....The mantis we get are generally very small and aren't going to go blowing out tanks or splitting people's fingers in the immediate future.

Besides, you're not even sure yet that you HAVE a mantis. You could have a pistol. There's completely nothing to worry about if you only have a pistol shrimp.

Stay up after dark...try to see the critter and figure out what you're dealing with. It may be nothing. If it is a mantis, you'll get him out eventually at which point tell us because there are a number of people who would love to have him.