Is it a Mantis?

[Octoberfest]

Quick history...

125 Gallon tank, only set-up a between three and four weeks. I got all the live rock and water from an established tank (over two years old) as well as all the live stock. The live stock included a blue sea star, coral banded shrimp, two perc. clowns and a yellow tail damsel. There was a yellow tang, manderin goby and a domino in the tank but all have been traded out since then.


The problem...

The other day I got five turbo snails from the LFS and put them in the tank. All of them were moving quite well right until about bed time. All the lights were still on and I noticed that one of the snails was tucked up tight on the very bottom of a large piece of live rock. I didn't think anything of it at the time though. Next morning I get up turn on the lights and the snails shell is right next to where it was but laying on it's side now with the opening pointing straight up. I took the shell out and noticed that there is nothing in the shell, I looked in as far as possible. I put the shell back in the tank out in the open on the sand bed just in case I was mistaken and it was still in there. Well I'm assuming it's not seeing as though it hasn't budged all day.

So what do you think? How do I find out what it is? What do I do?

 

[New2This]

hhhhmmmm I think its a little to soon to be blowing the mantis horn. If you find bits and peices of your coral banded shrimp, then you might start to worrie. Mine could care less about a snail though. There have been 3 with him for months, he does whoever love a crab or shrimp.

 

[pisces77]

do you have hermits in there. That'd be my first guess.

 

[Octoberfest]

no hermits, at least none that I've seen or put in there.

 

[chrisguy]

Possibly hitchhiker "rock" or "Gorilla" crabs. They hide very well, are silent and can take down just about any snail very quickly.

 

[Octoberfest]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6317715#post6317715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisguy
Possibly hitchhiker "rock" or "Gorilla" crabs. They hide very well, are silent and can take down just about any snail very quickly.

so how the hell do I find them? I know how to set-up claymores and trip flares but in all my military training I never learned how to detect a predetor in a fish tank..lol

 

[chrisguy]

IMO, just keep an eye out. You will see them if they are there.

Another option is to put a tall shot glass in the tank with a small piece of shrimp in it. Place the shot glass near the suspected location, up against the rock. The crab can climb in, but not out.

 

[New2This]

I have a hitchhiker crab who I named "Hairy" because hes really really hairy. I have yet to see him bother anything and hes been in there for atleast a year. When he does step out of line however its show down in the mantis tank. I think he knows this. I will often find him watching "Bug" tear apart a fiddler crab, sometimes he cries.

They do hide well. Good luck