I have a medium sized (about 1.75 inches long) mantis shrimp in my 90 gallon reef tank. He came in as a hitchhiker on the live rock when I set up the tank about 2 years ago. I think that he is a smasher type - I don't really know since I have never seen one of these guys before; I'm guessing. I do hear clicking in the tank and he does come out occasionally even when the lights are on. He is rather dull looking to be honest - kind of a purple/brown. Since he has really started to put a dent in my clean-up crew - particularly the small hermits - I have considered evicting him from his home.
Any tips on how to extricate him? I have read that folks will find the rock it lives in, pull the rock out of the tank, and flush it out, but I think that it lives under my live rock (in the sand?). I really don't want to break down the entire tank to get this guy out. Any suggestions? I doubt that I will be able to net it out or to pull him out by hand as he is very fast when he notices motion in the area. I think I need a trap of some sort.
The person posting the winning suggestion gets a free mantis (if you want it)! If anybody wants it (and I actually do catch it) they can have it for shipping costs.
Thanks for your help,
Jeff
Any tips on how to extricate him? I have read that folks will find the rock it lives in, pull the rock out of the tank, and flush it out, but I think that it lives under my live rock (in the sand?). I really don't want to break down the entire tank to get this guy out. Any suggestions? I doubt that I will be able to net it out or to pull him out by hand as he is very fast when he notices motion in the area. I think I need a trap of some sort.
The person posting the winning suggestion gets a free mantis (if you want it)! If anybody wants it (and I actually do catch it) they can have it for shipping costs.
Thanks for your help,
Jeff