Capturing a Mantis

[Titans]

Hello,
I started my tank over a month ago and recently discovered a hitchhiking mantis in my LR. It's less than half an inch long and during feeding time it will pop in and out of its hole so quickly that I was barely able to identify it. My worries is that one day the little Mantis will grow and terrorize the other inhabitants. I have a 34 gallon tank with fish, inverts and coral. I would like to catch it and hand it over to my LFS if possible...

What is the best way to catch a mantis?

 

[Titans]

Nevermind...found my answer. I'll try the 20 oz bottle trick and if that doesn't work i'll pull the LR out and fw dip it.

 

[abrahamcho]

can i have it instead if the LFS?

 

[Titans]

Sure...I hope I can catch it...so far no luck with the trap. It doesn't look like a lot of the nicer colored ones I have seen. This one is a light brown. Similar to this picture

 

[abrahamcho]

Oh, I aint complaining.... Thanks good luck catching it. Do you know how big it is?

 

[Titans]

It's a little fellow about half an inch long but I could be wrong...I've yet to see him come fully out of his hole. Any suggestions on getting him out? I want to do a fresh water dip if my trap doesn't work but a beloved large brittle star shares the rock and i'm not sure if the brittle will tolerate a FW dip.

 

[abrahamcho]

That is a proble. try sparkling water. IT doesnt harm anything it just makes them come out. It works really well. No one sunmitted a bad thing about it.