catching my mantis

[prodman]

I discovered that I had a mantis shrimp yesterday. I have had my tank set up with live rock and fish for about two months. Any way Isaw it for the first time and decided to try to catch it. I am currently trying the invered plastic bottle trick with no luck. When I put the trap in bait (silverside) and all. The mantis was going crazy coming out into the open etc. But this morning no mantis. Any advice or encourgement how long should this take?

 

[brekurboy1]

patience and vigilance is the key. Few of us have the time to actually catch a mantis, besides the fact that they mega sensitive eyes and fast reflexes. I would try and lull it into a false sense of security then catch it that way. i.e. become its friend and then betray it dirty.

If you catch it you wanna give it away? You know what it looks like?

 

[prodman]

I probably want to give it away. And the mantis is about 1.5in and dark green almost brown

 

[Quiverfull]

I have had my tank (37g cube) for about 3 years. I am almost positive that I have a Mantis (although I have never seen it) because I hear the clicking at night and any snails or crabs do not seem to last very long. I have lost fish before in that they just disappear. I believe this is enough evidence that I have a mantis. The problem is that my live rock display is made up of 4 pieces--3 small ones for balance and one large piece of really cool Honduran rock. I am almost positive that the shrimp is in my large piece. I have take my coral and fish out and place them in one of my other systems so that all I have is the rock isolated in the tank. What is the best way to capture it now?

I have read about the trap you can buy and the nylon stocking trick but what is the consensus way of catching them?

 

[prodman]

I got my trap info by doing a search for mantis shrimp on rc. My tank has had the clicking noise since Igot it but just saw the shrimp for the first time yesterday

 

[Quiverfull]

I did a little more research on the website. It appears another good way is to take the rock out and to pour fresh water in the hole that you think the shrimp is in. It will come out supposedly. You need to do this over a 5g bucket with tank water in it if you wish to save the shrimp. I might try this on the weekend. Post when you finally get yours.

 

[prodman]

I tried the fresh water trick wih no luck. I poured the water on the hole and then the whole rock. No shrimp! I was told after he fact that I should have sumerged the entire rock for up to 10 min. I have not tried this yet.

 

[mx250]

Just remember that clicking noises don't just mean mantis - my pistol shrimps make more noise than my mantids (is that the plural of mantis?). My limited experience has been that mantis are curious creatures, and don't go too long without being seen (if you look closely), where as pistol shrimp may never venture from their holes. Also note that animals die for numerous reasons - a mantis is not always the cause.

 

[prodman]

I caught a green mantis 1.25in. I used 8in pvc pipe with netting ruberbanded to one end ,a hole drilled all the way through to insert a toothpick to skewer a silverside inside the pipe and fishing line through a hole near the opening . The shrimp checked the pipe out for about 10min before going in all the way. I pulled the line and I caught him. This was advice I got on RC . Now im so impressed with this shrimp its getting his own 10g