Got the little bugger!!
 

Well, after a month of trying I finally caught the 1 1/2" mantis that has been terrorizing my tank!
I used a 1 liter Evian water bottle with the top part cut off and put in backwards held with hot glue.
A bit of silversides and krill in the trap and he went in. It took a month of on again,off again trying tho.

He is now residing in a 2 1/2 gallon hex tank till I can set up a more permanent home.

Whew! Glad to have that done! :D

Got the little bugger!!
 

Wow, how'd you end up with a mantis in your tank? In on some LR maybe? If so, where'd you get the LR from? (Just curious...)

Got the little bugger!!
 

Bruce, I hear you can feed them clown tangs!! They just love 'em!

Tony, the chance of getting a mantis in live rock is very good. I got two of mine from rock. Where the rock came from doesn't matter. I unpacked 5 boxes of rock at the LFS and found 4 mantis. Those were just the ones in the bottom of the box!! Always check carefully in any rock you buy.

Got the little bugger!!
 

Hi Reef_raf, thanks for the info .... but I was just kind of curious where THIS batch came from. Just curious, for no sake other than idle curiosity. Yeah, have heard lots of stories about mantis's over the years. I guess I've been lucky. I had lots of other hitchikers though... :D

[ 22 April 2002, 07:20: Message edited by: delphinus ]

Got the little bugger!!
 

Tony, I believe the rock Bruce got this guy in came from Marshal Islands via Seacare.org. Bruce can confirm/deny that. I also bought some of that rock and I have to say, it was the nicest colored rock I've bought. My first mantis came from Walt Smith rock and my second came from someone else's rock. I actually bought my third mantis. Great little guys!

Got the little bugger!!
 

Bruce I have a 5g tank if you want to put him in there. It's by the side of my house if you want to grab it next time you're driving by. And it's free!

Got the little bugger!!
 

I've seen 'em for sale sometimes ... they sure do look pretty cool.... :D

Got the little bugger!!
 

The rock bruce found it in was Bali rock (I'm pretty sure) and I have found one in a peice of Bali rock as well.. It is beautiful rock, but seems to be mantis insfested!

Got the little bugger!!
 

Dooh! Just bought a 5 1/2 gallon today for the little sucker! Thanks for the offer tho Brad :D

Tony, I am 99% sure that I got this one in on a piece of Bali live rock (like Adam said) from a large chain-type aquatics store on the lower mainland. ;) I got the LR quite a while ago, maybe 6 months or more, and that clicking sound I always heard made me wonder if I had a mantis. I was hoping it was a pistol shrimp, but then I saw it draging the carcass of it's latest kill into the rocks where it lived and I knew! :mad:

This guy has killed at least three fish that I am pretty sure of, along with uncounted snails and an emerald crab or two.

Anyways, the mantis is in his new home, peeking out from the $40 of live rock :eek: that I got in there.

I'm gonna fatten him up and see how it grows, or if it changes colors at all.

Cool! A little nano-mantis reef! :cool: