Help! Mantis shrimp discovered!!

[aquatechy]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Take the rock out, make it accessible first for a quick removal if needed making sure the shrimp is still in it. You can remove the anemone once you get the rock out and clown fish will get it over it.

What would be the best way to remove the Anemone from the rock? I thought its near impossible to get them off unless they're on glass...

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

You can do one of three things in my opinion:

2) Remove the rock from the aquarium with him in it. This might mean breaking apart the rock to save your anemone.

3) Create a spear inside a pen tube and something sharpened with an elastic. Kind of like a spear gun, and take the little guy out. (this would be my first option... because it would be awesome to see).

Haha the spear gun would be pretty awesome. I've been reading online, it seems like these little critters are quite smart - if you try to kill them and fail, they will relocate within your tank. They're also good at getting out of traps. Given this, removing the rock is looking like a good plan. I've never taken an anemone off rock along, so I will likely have to break it apart...

[Aquattro]

How big is the thing? If it's the typical tiny little green or brown one, and there's nothing tiny like those little half inch fish, you could probably leave him. If it's a 6" beast, that could potentially kill things you'd prefer it didn't.

I've kept the little guys before, they eventually seem to vanish.

[Ryanerickson]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

How big is the thing? If it's the typical tiny little green or brown one, and there's nothing tiny like those little half inch fish, you could probably leave him. If it's a 6" beast, that could potentially kill things you'd prefer it didn't.

I've kept the little guys before, they eventually seem to vanish.

+1 on this I have kept little green mantis in my display it did not harm anything what colour is it? How big?

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by aquatechy

What would be the best way to remove the Anemone from the rock? I thought its near impossible to get them off unless they're on glass

You can try placing a powerhead near the anemone so that the discharge is aimed at it's base, they will often move away from the strong current.

[asylumdown]

If you catch him there's almost certainly someone on the board who will take him if he's one of the cool looking ones.

[aquatechy]

Originally Posted by Ryanerickson

+1 on this I have kept little green mantis in my display it did not harm anything what colour is it? How big?

It is a dark greenish-yellow, kinda like a watchman goby

Originally Posted by asylumdown

If you catch him there's almost certainly someone on the board who will take him if he's one of the cool looking ones.

If there's someone in the Greater Vancouver area who's interested, PM me.

[tlhood]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

You can try placing a powerhead near the anemone so that the discharge is aimed at it's base, they will often move away from the strong current.

When I moved mine (I didn't have time to wait for it to move on its own), it was attached to one rock that was small enough for me to pull out of the tank. Just had to make sure that none of its foot was attached to neighbouring rocks so I didn't tear it. I put it in a container of tank water and massaged its foot with my finger until it let go. Took about 20 minutes.

[jason604]

Originally Posted by tlhood

When I moved mine (I didn't have time to wait for it to move on its own), it was attached to one rock that was small enough for me to pull out of the tank. Just had to make sure that none of its foot was attached to neighbouring rocks so I didn't tear it. I put it in a container of tank water and massaged its foot with my finger until it let go. Took about 20 minutes.

Great "fingering" technique. Did it look happy when it "let go"?

[tlhood]

Originally Posted by jason604

Great "fingering" technique. Did it look happy when it "let go"?

Lol.

Other than getting a bit slimey, it seemed perfectly fine. (In seriousness, I did have to refresh the water).

It probably wasn't too happy that I dropped the rock and ran screaming when an amphipod ran out of the rock onto my hand.

[aquatechy]

Originally Posted by jason604

Great "fingering" technique. Did it look happy when it "let go"?

HAHAHAHA.