can't find him!

[fresh]

ok... this is the story....

4 months ago, I bought 100 lbs of lr. Since then the rock has been sitting in my 77gal waiting to setup with sand and introduce the fish. Since day 1 and until now, I have been hearing clicks but can't find the sucker (tried a couple of times). I have been trying the soda bottle trap ever since I got the rock but to no avail. Tonight, I narrowed down where he lives depending on the clicking noise and had 3 rocks as suspect homes.

I took them out and did a fresh water dip for about 5 minutes on two of them but nothing came out. for the third one I did hot fresh water spraying because it has button polypse and didn't want to kill them. Again, nothing came out other than a crab.

I put the three rocks in 5 gallon buckets and filled them with tank water again to try to keep them alive.

a) how long can they last in the buckets without filtration or water movement?
b) how the hell can I find him?
c) I want to start my tank, if he is small, can I have fish with him and not have them die?

somebody please help

thanks in advance

fresh.

 

[Sloth]

a).
The rock should be fine sitting in the buckets. The FW dip would have hurt it more than anything.

b.)
1.) Get some fishing line or thread
2.) attach a small piece of raw shrimp. I used a snap swivel. You can get them at a fishing store.
3.) Dangle the piece of shrimp and slowly drag it over every nook and cranny in the rock.
4.) Wait and listen. If you drag it over the mantis's burrow, it will snap at the piece of shrimp and you will hear it hit the metal snap swivel. Then you will know where its hole is. What you do from there is up to you. I got mine out by removing the rock.
5.) Be aware that small pistol shrimps will snap at the piece of shrimp as well. Usually a pistol shrimp will snap a few times quickly. And you will definitely hear/feel if a mantis hits the metal snap swivel.

c.)
Most mantis that eat fish live in burrows in the substrate, and they are rarely brought in as hitchikers. Most mantis that live in rocks eat crustaceans and snails. If you put it in your tank, your cleanup crew is in danger. I kept my mantis for a few weeks, and they can eat ALOT.

If you find what rock he's in, you might consider just tossing that rock.

Good luck!

 

[fresh]

are you saying that if I want to keep fish and corals with no inverts, I should not have any problems? Is this even possible? Anybody... I will do that if that is what it takes to start my system, but I don't want to have him kill my tangs that I have been raising for 2 years.

thanks

 

[fresh]

bump... anybody?

 

[mx250]

Well, my mantis' (smashers from Florida) seem to have little interest in anything without a shell (though they usually eat when fed). Your mileage may vary.