How long until you finally saw your mantis?

[ReefRob]

I've had my TBS rock in my tank for two weeks now and have heard clicking in the tank from what I imagine must be two different locations. I've stared in the day, stared in the night, stared in the light, stared in the dark, but I've never seen fin nor tail of a mantis shrimp. With the first shipment I had near 100% viewing capacity of the whole rock surface. Now that I've put the second shipment in I have no chance unless he wants to be seen.

We got a pistol shrimp in the second shipment and with his prodigious digging I couldn't have missed that so the clicker must be a mantis(s).

From what I've been reading here, you folks all seem to have no problem finding your mantises. Has anyone gone a significant amount of time before seeing them?

(The Pollyanna in me pretends the clicking is just the powerheads being turned off and on by the wavemaker)

 

[Dexter1334]

I saw my first mantis when I was unloading the first delivery, but didn't know what it was. Looked like a one inch centipede and it disappeared into the rock very fast.

Several days after setting up the first delivery I observed the mantis poking his nose out of a hole. He has never come completely out that I am aware of. He doesn't seem to be causing any trouble but may be pillaging my barnacles at night.

THe second delivery was a different story. One big mantis came out of the rock while it was sitting on a lid for the 20 minute exam recommended by TBS. He was about 3" long and VERY FAST.

The third day after adding the 2nd delivery I saw two more BIG mantis exploring one rock. I took out that rock and after squirting some cold fresh water into his hole with a turkey baster I got the 2nd one out. I couldn't find the third after half an hour and was afraid of killing good stuff so put the rock back in the tank.

Two days later mantis number three is strolling around the tank like he owns it. I made a bottle trap and wedged it in the rock with some shrimp for bait where he had passed several times before. It was a narrow channel between the rock and the glass where he was sort of guided in. One half hour later mantis number three is in the bottle .
There are still some very small mantis in the tank and some pistol shrimp also. THe pistol shrimp are very small compared to the mantis and I only found them by accident when I removed a rock. I have never seen them in the tank. THe mantis can be found when they poke their noses out of whatever hole they have chosen. They can also sometimes be drawn out with food such as shrimp.
The three big mantis are in a ten gallon tank and are very entertaining. I made a couple of caves out of 1/2 " PVC and they settled right in. I added a few small rocks, some gravel and plastic plants. They are like barracuda when compared to the other denizens of the tanks. They are very fast and deadly when fed some brine shrimp and can shoot from one end of the tank to the other, or to the surface in the blink of an eye.

 

[Slatts]

I'm with you Rob, I haven't seen a thing only sporadic clicking which my pollyanna is telling me its the tank settling or my skimmer breaking in. I've also had my rock 2 weeks today. Although I just saw my first porcelain crab 3 days ago and again I only look at the tank while I'm awake.

 

[JNievesmd]

...and again I only look at the tank while I'm awake.

That's your problem right there! You need to look at it while you're sleeping!

Took me 2 months to see my first mantis. Looked like a roach.

 

[ttmitsu]

i got my rock yesterday and there is a single click every once and a while,, then last night i heard three clicks in a row is this a mantis or a pistol shrimp or both?

 

[ReefRob]

Ttmitsu - I've read that you can't really distinguish between pistol and mantis shrimps by the number of clicks etc. Pistol shrimps dig burrows and mine looked like a tazmanian devil -- at least from the dust storm he was producing -- so I'm guessing unless I see a burrow, I've got mantis.

 

[ttmitsu]

does anyone have pictures of the two, i wouldnt know the difference i dont think by seeing them

 

[ReefRob]

Go to the Reef Central home page then the Photo Gallery. You can do a search for both. The pistol Shrimp has one very large claw and is unmistakable if you get a good look at one.

 

[Dexter1334]

I have several small mantis shrimp of varying sizes still in the tank. One is so small he lives in a barnacle shell and has room to spare .

I have noticed that my small ones mine out a hole and stay in that spot, so if you are hearing one and not seeing it, it may be denned in a spot not visible to you. I have a few other small ones I see regularly poking their heads out, but they never come out completely.

I had three large ones and they were visible roaming around the first few days before I caught them. The small ones are much harder to catch but I haven't noticed the little ones doing any damage.

 

[Bruddah Chrispy]

I've heard clicking in my tank since shortly after the second shipment. Finally saw the source a month or two ago. A hermit crab had climbed onto the back of one of the snails. The snail was flicking it's shell back and forth trying to dislodge him. As the shell hit the acrylic tank it made a click.

 

[ReefRob]

Snail rides ...

Snail rides ...

I've come to the conclusion that hermit crabs are pretty much the buttheads of my tank. I've see them take snail rides too for no apparent reason. I was amazed at the speed and range of angular motion the snails possess when they mean to. No clicking so far though from those.