mantis question

[Mtbikb]

Hi all,
I have a small mantis that came in a zooanthid rock I had purchased about 6 months ago. He lives in a hole in the rock and will not come out for anything. He is all black (sometimes looks very dark green) with a few very small white specks. and my guess is he is no larger than 1 inch long. He has never been able to kill any of my hermits or snails yet but I have seen him try.
My question is I am going to be adding my first fish to my display
( pair of small clowns) from my qt, Do you guys think the mantis will go after the clowns? or do you think since he is so small he would be o.k.?
I could put the rock in my sump but then I think the zooanthids would die.
I think the mantis is cool, But it is time to start to stock my display tank.
Any suggestions??

 

[Lehman]

If you dont want the mantis in there pull the rock of zoas and do a quick dip in high salinity water or spray some club soda in th hole he is in to get him out. A quick dip or spray wont hurt your zoas. Its hard to tell if he will go after the clowns or not but if there isnt anything in there small enough for him to eat he would probably try to go after anything he could take down.

 

[Thurge]

^Thats what I would do. Something else to keep in mind is that if you keep it well fed it will probably leave your fish alone. Its hard to know what species it is just from a description, but from thei size and the fact you say it doesn't come out too often it could be a species that spends most of its time in its burrow and again would probably leave your fish alone.

 

[Mtbikb]

It is not that I don't want him in my tank I just don't want him to kill the fish. And I really don't want to kill him.
I have done 3 fresh water dips on the rock to try and remove him and a high salinity dip and he would not come out. I may try the soda water. If I can get him out of the rock I will place him in the sump.

But if he may be safe I would love to keep him in the display. I have the rock positioned so that if you shine a flashlight into his hole you can see him.

Also I have been looking at the id page and he looks like a Gonodactylellus viridis, Green mantis. or a Haptosquilla Hamifera
without the stripe. 90% on the green mantis if that helps.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Almost certainly a Haptosquilla, either H. glyptocercus or H. hamifer. It will pose little danger to a fish larger than it is. It possibly could strike a passing fish, but probably would do nothing more than teach the fish to stay clear of that area.

Roy

 

[Mtbikb]

Thanks for all your help. I am going to leave him in the tank, keep a close eye and cross my fingers.
Thanks again,
B

 

[DanInSD]

Sounds like the Haptosquilla glyptocerus that I had -- greenish black with a smattering of white spots. It also had characteristic banding (orange as I recall) on the antennae. Harmless to anything other than a passing pod or mysis.

Dan