Dave vs. Mantis

[DaveG99]

Well its finally over. After getting a hitchhiking mantis on my live rock I finally won the battle. I tried putting the rock in fresh water, I tried squirting fresh water in the hole, I tried letting the rock sit with no water for about 10 minutes, I tried getting him out with food. And nothing worked. Untill I took the rock and put it in the driveway. I put on my safety glasses and grabbed a large hammer and a large screw driver. I placed the screw driver on the top of his borrow and started to smash it hard. The rock split in two and the mantis started flipping around on the driveway. I put the now two pieces of rock back into my tank and I scooped the mantis up and tossed him into my refugium. FINALLY! Now I need to decide what to do with him. Maybe I'll see if any LFS's will take him.

 

[msman825]

Wow! Thats funny. He started the battle, but sounds like you won the war.

 

[hpmcbroom]

Wow I never thought I'd read about a removal quite like that . I 'm glad the mantis is O.K. I was afraid this was going to be another mantis execution . I've been waiting for my mantis to arrive at my LFS for 2 weeks now it's on back order . I set up a tank just for mine to grow into . I applaude your throwing him in your fuge for now . It least now he's gotta chance to make it until you decide what to do with him . :beer:

 

[mandrin13]

pm sent

 

[casshoward]

There is still hope!

There is still hope!

Dave,

Your thread is somewhat encouraging. I too am trying to rid my tank of at least 2 mantis hitch-hickers! I broke down my aquascape, removed their piece of LR, blasted the holes with hot water, submerged the rock in freshwater, left the rock out of water.....NO MANTIS. I then placed the rock back into my tank (assuming they left the rock before I removed it) and created two home made traps....NO MANTIS. I then ordered the "X-treme" mantis shrimp trap, baited it with shrimp, and have left it in my tank for a week now....NO MANTIS.

I guess I need to proceed to HAMMER TIME!!!!! (How can I be sure the mantis are in the rock that I last saw them in.....over a week ago?) I am sure they are still alive and kickin' because a few hitch-hicker snails have met with an unfortunate end (i.e. cracked, empty shells found on sand bed near the LR in question).

Cass

 

[DaveG99]

I will take a picture of him tonight after work and post up on here for everyone to see. And yes Cass the hammer method is the easiest if you dont mind making one of your live rock pieces two pieces.

 

[lisajulia]

I have to ask...have you named him Goliath? =)
Glad you got him....When I finally found the piece of LR he was in, I took a chop stick and poked him out.

 

[FlyGTI]

You know, chopsticks are probably one of the most useful tools us small-scale hobbyists have!

In honor of this most useful tool, I submit to you an ode to the chopstick maker, in the style of the Bud Light Real Men of Genius commercials.

Way to go, Mr. Chopstick Maker...without you, a virtual genocide of snails would have died from flipping over and not being able to right themselves. Corals would have died by the thousands because they'd fallen into a small hole where human hands couldn't fit...

And finally, Mr. Chopstick Maker, there'd be no way to roust out stubborn stomatopods.

We salute you, Mr. Chopstick Maker.

 

[lisajulia]

I could NOT agree more...I also use them to remove those freaky looking moltings from my shrimp that float around like ghosts!

 

[Uriel]

I also use those long BBQ/ shish kabob skewers. Easy to stab uneaten bits of food, break them at the end to scoop out those hard bits of whatever...the Chop-Stick's cousin...


-Ron