Darn that shrimp...

[rhenson]

Well, I'm having a hard time catching this mantis shrimp that I have ( http://www.skysystems.com/tank/HH.AVI ) - and I'm loosing a lot of the coral in my tank as a result - I was talking with a friend about trap ideas (I'm using bottles and cups with shrimp in them - should I try another bait?). My friend said that he didn't think that mantis shrip would eat up your corals - is that so? If not - any idea what other creaters I might have that are eating me up? The before picture below is just after I put the rock in - after the green growth cleared up it was red branch type coral - it is completely gone now! I'll keep trying to catch this guy - but once I do - will this stuff grow back?

before:
http://www.skysystems.com/tank/before.JPG

after:
http://www.skysystems.com/tank/after.jpg

Even with this guy, I love the package, and would buy again - this is part of it, but I can't wait to get him out of there!

 

[Jocko]

Are you sure its actually coral and not some kind of red macro algae? It's hard to say because all I see on that rock in the first pic is green macro algae. Many different types of macro on my part one rocks have survived, but some disappeared fairly quickly. I think some of them just need a TON of light or they whither away.

If the objects in questions were corals (or maybe even branching sponges?) there are a number of reasons they might be dying. They could be getting eaten but it could also be water quality, water flow, or lighting related. I think most creatures usually eat the polyps only, so if they were stoney corals you'd probably have a skeleton left behind. Soft corals would probably just break down though.

Hehe there's never an easy answer!

Do I see a bubble column from an air stone? I think thats generally not a good idea. If the air bubbles get in your sponges, they can kill them. I assume there must be other drawbacks too, cause I never see air stones in reef tanks, and most people don't have sponges. Anybody know why?

 

[gussy]

If its your corals...its not the Mantis that is killing them. The only thing that I can keep with Mantis are corals and anemones. I've never had a problem with my corals. If they are corals, and dying, the cause is something else.

 

[kp1917]

There is a tool that is used to grab things that have fallen down a pipe or otherwise impossible place to get a hand. It looks like a piece of flexable metal hose/conduit with four metal grabbers at one end that open and close from the press of a button at the other end. I just tried to find one online but couldn't.

I was able to get this thing right over (very slowly) the mantis and with the grabbers out extended you just jab at the mantis while letting go of the button and whamo. I only missed once and got both mantis out that way.

 

[rhenson]

Awesome - thanks - that will be my next attempt. Honestly it has been a fun process trying to get this guy - I've tried 3 different trap ideas and have a fourth to try today - but I'll stop by Home Depot and see if I can find this claw you are describing. Thanks again.

 

[patsan]

Awesome - thanks - that will be my next attempt. Honestly it has been a fun process trying to get this guy - I've tried 3 different trap ideas and have a fourth to try today - but I'll stop by Home Depot and see if I can find this claw you are describing. Thanks again.

Home Depot most probably won't have what you want....try an auto part store.

 

[kp1917]

I think Patsan is right, I believe I did get it from either an auto parts store or my neighborhoom True Value. I'm on the road all day today, so I'll give a look and write back tonight. - (Alaska Standard Time that is.)

 

[fvandijk]

I had 2 mantis shrimp with my "package". I got one out by locating the rock and squirting the hole that I thought the little bugger was in with some fresh water-- he came right out. I didn't notice the second one until a few months later when most things were already in place with some of the rocks epoxied into place. He's been in there about 14 months now and does not seem to bother anything very much (except maybe the blue legs of which I probably had too many of anyway- and perhaps the peppermints- those were gone within about a month). My fish (all 2 inches or less in size) are all fine and so is my coral. I see him poking his head out of one his holes every so often, but most of the time I hardly know he's in there.

 

[rhenson]

My snail population has been taken out by this guy - he is pretty large I think - 3+ inches long - you can hear him cracking shells from the other room. I don't know how long it would take a baby to get this big, but they need to be removed. My wife caught him, and here is how. Over the past month or so we've been trying various trap ideas using little coctail shrimp and have gottem him to where he is pretty aggressive about it. We've tried claws, nets, bottels, the trap, but nothing worked. My wife finally took a water bottle and cut the base off. She screwed the lid on and poked a hole in it and ran a string through it. She took the bottle and barried it into the sand on its side - like a tunnel. He started checking out the trap - running up to it and giving it a pop - after he calmed down she tied a piece of shrimp to the string and pulled it down to the entrance area - he started comming - she slowley pulled the string (from the cap side) and he eventually worked his way into the bottle. She then flipped it over and pushed it down into the sand - at this point she was so excited - we'd never gotten this far! But she couldn't figure out how to get him out. In the end she just scooped him out real quick and tossed him into a bucket - this worked well as the back was of sand confussed him. After a night of celebration, I must now replenish my cleanup crew!