Is this a Mantis Shrimp?
 

Have had a 150 gallon tank up and running for 6 months now, and finally spotted and photographed a critter that has been in the tank from day 1, I believe. We think it is a type of shrimp (Mantis Shrimp?) that came with my live rock. It is about 2 inches long and we caught him making a clicking noise on my new SPS Monti coral. This, I am sure, explains why the 10 little crabs I got about a month ago all dissappeared within a week, while most of the snails are still alive and well. My smaller cleaner shrimp stays high in my tank corner and rarely ventures down. Is anyone familiar with this shrimp and is it going to be a problem? Pics are not great as he is very quick and does not like his picture taken. Appreciate any help:)

Most definately a mantis.try this link
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthrop...html#directory
HTH

Yup, it's a mantis

mantis
 

my guess is a chiragra

Mantis, no doubt in my mind.

Looks like I am going Mantis shrimp fishing tonight
 

By all accounts, it appears he needs to be removed from my reef aquarium. Very interesting animal, however. Has anyone kept these in a separate tank, and if so, would a small 33 gallon tank be sufficient? What would he be ok with in terms of tank mates?

Anything you want to feed it. :)

I think that a 33gal would be more then enough, and as Scavenger said whatever you want to feed it.

Its one of those creatures that does not play very well with others but I think they are super cool.

Yep a 33 is plenty but any tank mates are really gonna be food someday.:twised:

i keep a g smithii in a 15 gallon in my room. i have a large reef tank but i tend to find myself much more interested in the mantis. they are ridiculusly smart and entertaining i would definitly recommend keeping him in a seperate tank

If I use the 'bottle method' of catching the little bugger
 

What bait should I use and would he be ok dining on brine shrimp (of which I have lots) or does he really eat only live prey?

My suggestion is a bottle trap baited with clam or mussel from your super market. Feed the same when it's in your 33 gallon.

And whatever you do dont handle it.

i got a 2" smithii in a 10 gal.

if you can get at the rock hes hiding in, use like a chopstick er somethin to poke him out. thats how i got my guy out.

G. chiragra. Yes a 33g would be plenty large, but it will get lost in there and you'll likely never see it. I suggest a 10g, but line the bottom with strips of acrylic... they are one of the hard hitters when they get bigger. tankmates can be just about anything you wouldn't mind losing; fast water column dwelling things stand a better chance. damsels for instance. Also, nothing that might eat the mantis (lions, triggers, puffers, octopus, other mantis shrimp, etc). for removal, i suggest the bottle trap.

http://www.mantisshrimps.co.uk/articles/removal.php

Perhaps a dumb question, but what is a "hard hitter"?
 

Does this animal have the force to take out the floor of the aquarium??

So the bottle trap is set now.....I baited it with raw shrimp (the irony) I happen to have in the freezer. Will that be something it'll go for, and how often should I change the bait if it goes untaken?

Mantis shrimp can break glass panels and throw rocks. The bottom of the tank is probably safe... any of the side panels may not be.

FYI, Mantis shrimp aren't really shrimp at all, so you don't have to worry about him feeling like a cannibal. Not that he would mind :lol:

I plumbed in a little acrylic 5 gallon into my system for my mantis shrimps new home. Catching him was more difficult for me. I ended up getting the rock he lived in out of my tank and actually had to drill a hole in the back of it with a chisle to get him out.

For some of the larger smasher mantis, estimated that the impact blow equals that of a bullet from a 22-caliber gun- comparable to a compressed air jack hammer! No wonder that there are reports about mantis having smashed thick aquarium windows. "The Modern Reef Aquarium Fossa, Nilsen"

you got it backwards. almost all of tank breaks by mantids are because the mantis is digging a hole and wants to smash through the mysterious clear obstruction. Tank breaks in general are rare, and side panel breaks are rare within those. Another "common" (still rare) thing is having a mantis chip the edge of glass panels; usually not structurally damaging.

they can throw rocks but nothing larger than themselves and not very hard. certainly not hard enough to do any damage to anything.

Only a handful can actually break glass. Mostly only the large species like large Odontodactylids like O. scyllarus (peacock). G. chiragra is a smaller species but also has the hardest hit for its body size of all Stomatopods (although not the actual hardest i think) and can break through 1/4" glass.

edit: I would change bait every day so the stuff doesn't rot and foul water quality. maybe every couple for shrimp, but definitely daily for something like a clam (decomposes faster)

Excellent info, I'm now less scared of stomatopods :biggrin:

I still wouldn't put one in a 10 gallon tank though.

by the colour id say a female chiragra
our larger looks very similar to the one pictured and we keep her in a 32g cube
as for tank mates she lives with a scooter bleny, a blue damsel, a chromis a LARGE emerald crab and a couple hermits as she went on a killing spree over the last 2 days
our smaller mantis is kept with a snowflake eel and a couple gobbies
they are the most clever inverts i have ever encountered and keepind them is a great pleasure
only once have i seen either of them fight with a crab and can hand feed the both of them
please keep her or find her a good home

Still having no luck catching this guy...;(
 

Appears far too smart for my bottle trap......tho it did catch my cleaner shrimp, lol.

Any other strategies I could use?

Have you located where it sleeps if so you can (I know this sucks) pull the rock and put it in your other tank. Or if you want to keep the rock in the display, pull rock and get your spear, war paint,red bull ect. and go mantis hunting. O ya if you do need to fashion a spear metal coat hangers work great. I also have a acrylic trap with a drop door your welcome to try it but you have to be there to drop the door so unless you want to wait it out. Maybe that's where the red bull comes in.

I had to remove the rock that mine lived, then broke apart its hole to get it out.

Darn things are smart