Mantis food I catch

[FireEater]

I periodically go down and catch some small rock crabs for my mantis to eat. This time I caught a baby blue crab. I broke off his claws so he would not hurt the mantis. I also threw in about 3 dime size rock crabs for him to munch on later.

Here he is peering out his home.

A blue crab. It didn't take long before he was found and beat to death, then eaten.

I also threw in some ghost/grass shrimp which the mantis just grabbed and ate.

Mark

 

[Gonodactylus]

Looks like a female Gonodactylaceus ternatensis.

Roy

 

[Madmonkey]

Hello FireEater:
I was the guy who e-mailed you a month back about getting a mantis. I live in Friendswood. Well, I finally got one, you can see it in my gallery.
I was just wondering where exactly do you gather the rock crab and other animals you feed your mantis. I have only been to Texas City once, I think I was in a place called Wolf Park (went fishing with my friend).

thanks a lot

Matt
my email address is: mfan@houston.rr.com

 

[FireEater]

That's one great looking mantis you have.

Wolf Park? Do you mean Seawolf Park in Galveston over the causeway?

I catch my crabs on the Dike. (wait that doesn't sound good. )

When you exit Texas City off the freeway, just follow the highway into town, then continue all the way to the end. This will take you through the City. When you get to the small wall at the end you will see the Dike road to the right. Go down the Dike road over the levee and you will see all the granite rocks lined up on the right. They go the length of the Dike.

I walk on them until I find some flat ones that I can lay on and reach into the water fairly easily. I then reach down and feel around until I find some rocks to pick up. Usually no bigger than a football. Have a bucket of water ready about half full. When you bring the rock out of the water and turn it over, you will see all kinds of rock crabs and porcelain crabs. You need to know the difference if you want to add some procelain crabs to you reef. You cannot get them confused or you will end up with rock crabs in your reef. (bad, very bad)

To catch the shrimp, just use a large dip net from Academy. You also need a battery operated airpump for bubbles to keep anything you catch alive. Academy has some cheap d-cell ones that work great.

Actually if you want to call me at 409-945-2380 and come down to go with us to catch some stuff sometime, feel free. My wife, 5 year old and I go on weekends sometimes.

Mark

 

[Drew_P]

sweet mantis!!

 

[Madmonkey]

Thanks a lot Mark for the information. Will you and your family be going to the dike this weekend or the next? If you are please email me, I would love to meet you out on the dike and do some mantis-food catching.

feel free to phone me at my cell: 832-275-7286

Matt