Interloper

[Bluegill]

I think that the mantis shrimp is extremely fascinating, especially Tim. I am setting up my first reef tank, however, and would not like to have a mantis munching on everything. What is the best way to keep a mantins shrimp from hitch hiking in on live rock? I assume that they would be easy to spot on the live rock, and pick off, but I keep hearing about them "sneaking in" to people's tanks this way? So what's the story?

 

[DensityMan]

Most are not easy to spot at all... especially when they are scared/stressed (as they would be after shipping). Many 'hitchhiker' mantis shrimp hide-out in holes within the live rock or holes within coral. Tim, for instance, was found living directly beneath the 'stump' of a large leather attached to a piece of rock. I only noticed him at all because he was making desperate lunges for passing mysis shrimp while I was feeding the tanks.

My best suggestion would be to setup the the tank how you have planned. Add the live rock and let that set for a bit. Then put in a live-trap to catch all the hitchhiking crabs and mantis shrimp.

There are other more "drastic" methods that involve dipping all your live rock in freshwater before hand and letting it sit to see if a mantis jumps out. Or spraying seltzer water or soda water into holes within the live rock. At the end of that kind of process though, there really is little point in calling the rock "live rock."

Try to get lucky both ways - have a mantis hitchhike in and catch it before adding anything else.

 

[likeavillain]

shrimp

 

[Bluegill]

Thanks Densityman, I look forward to future installments of Tim's Adventures. I think that if I do run across a mantis, I'm most likely to give a home in his own tank.