catching a mantis

niloc16 · #1 10-31-2006, 01:14 AM

does anyone have a link, idea, or trap that works in catching a mantis shrimp. i'm fairly confident i have one in my 265g and i would like to catch him now before i fill the tank with fish and corals. any input would be great

thanks

Chowder · #2 10-31-2006, 01:31 AM

Look on reef central they have a large archieve of what other people have done. I have caught three so far. For the first two, I figured out what rocks they were in and found them after removing the rocks and smashing them. You can also put carbonated water into the hole when you figure out which one it is in, they should jump out . The other I caught after I saw it taking out one of my cleaner shrimp . Got the dead shrimp away from it and used it as bait . Was able to catch it in a net from there. Still have at least on left in the tank just can't locate it.

Good luck!!

smellsfishy · #3 10-31-2006, 04:37 AM

in my experience i tried everything. my first would move around it didn't seem like he had a permanent home. Not to scare ya, but, i had to eventually split a space in the middle of the tank i then put in a barrier made from egg crate covered with screen seperating the tank in half then listened and watched as soon as i figured out the side he was on i started pulling rock out. fortunatly i was able to find him as he baled out of my first pale load of rock as i relocated rock into the sump. The second time i wasn't so lucky, i would split the rock in half then split again, etc. etc. came down to 2 rocks, i cooked and recured them both. At that point i had had enough, i guess that one went to mantis college or something because he was WAy too smart. If you can see him you may be able to baite him like jkhchris did but make sure you are setup and ready before you do because he won't fall for the same trick twice.i hope you get lucky.

niloc16 · #4 10-31-2006, 05:22 AM

great sounds like i'm in for it. little bugger. my wife and i are doing a stake out tonight to try and hear where abouts he is coming from in the tank or sump

demon666 · #5 10-31-2006, 06:41 AM

if u catch it and want to get rid of it ill take it..... ill be gone foer a few weeks returning on the 15 of nov..... let me know

goby1 · #6 10-31-2006, 02:07 PM

I have one in my tank too. Plain brown little sucker with white eyes. Hides all the time so I never see the little bugger. I did try to trap him once with the inverted pop bottle trick but all I caught were my own inverts. Until recently it hasn't seemed to have any effect on the tank but the other day my cleaner shrimp up and vanished without a trace and I'm pretty sure I know where he went. Took more than 2 years to become a snack, Mr. Mantis must be growing.

smellsfishy · #7 10-31-2006, 04:14 PM

quick note if you seperate the tank like i did make sure there are no cracks and the divider goes above the water line. that way you know for sure he can't get away. Unless you have 2 like i did. just imagine it's the smartest thing in the house or at least his house. lol either way it's true.

niloc16 · #8 10-31-2006, 05:54 PM

we sat in the fish room for about and hour and a half last night with lights out and flashlights in hand waiting and he didnt show. i found a crab though that i'm going to have to trap. i forgot to ask, with the inverted trap idea, what do you put in for bait?

i have crabs · #9 10-31-2006, 06:34 PM

try rubbing raw shrimp on your fingers and then poke your fingers into every cave untii the mantis finds you

smellsfishy · #10 10-31-2006, 06:41 PM

how do you know you have one? i almost never saw mine only heard, they are super smart and can see and sense movement very well. If you are able to see there eyes coming out of a hole in the rock your lucky.
I've also been fooled before buy the red and white stripped snails (forgot the name)they spin around quickly back and forth and tap the glass. i wouldn't have believed it if i hadn't seen it myself.
I admire your diligence