Mantis trapping Q&A

[jeffreylesser]

I had success this weekend getting two Mantis out of my tank. Now I have'nt done much to the tank since getting the rock, because I thought I might have to break the tank down, and this last weekend I did.

With the help of another RC member we took all of the rock out of my tank, I knew the two rocks they were in and we used carbonated water to get the out. Alternating carbonated water and saltwater. One came out of the hole, and another we pulled out, but the process made it twitch (stunned) for some time, so it was easy to get out.

As far as the bait rock idea, I do have a small rock I got from richard with lots of holes in it that I leave in the sand in my tank, and if a Mantis goes in there I pull the rock. I don't put bait in it, but they will move to it, especially if it has lots of barnacles on it.

 

[Neureef]

A few weeks ago I added the last of my rock in my 75g mixed reef and while away on business my girflriend called to say she found a small alien looking creature with bug eyes looking back through a hole in one of the new rocks. When I returned home it stayed hidden for a day or so and then I saw a fairly large mantis shrimp. I tried a different version of the bottle trap for a few days but got nothing but a lot of interest from my peppermint shrimp. I rearranged the rock work yesterday to add a few frags and finally removed the rock shortly after seeing the mantis and set in a container with some mixed up saltwater. The mantis shrimp had blocked two of the holes to the center of the rock with small peices of rock and debris and after pushing the second in with a wire hanger the shrimp quickly squirmed out on of the other holes and into the bucket. Glad to be rid of what I hope is the only one. Well see

 

[noahm]

bump for the new rock owners.

 

[Raggamuffin]

I had an extremely smart and stubborn one, I knew which hole he lived in so I took the rock out and used a pipette of soda water. shot that in and he shot out like a rocket not happy but alive and kicking after I got him into a cup of tank water.

 

[moseynme]

Hi all! I've had a TBS package for almost 3 years now...will be in May anyway...and I've had 2 gorilla crabs that have been outsmarting me all this time. Until tonight that is...

I pulled out my old standby, the one that I used to catch the mantis that I got with my package. I ended up with 5 of 'em. One found its way into the sump, but I caught the rest of them this way....

Simple and cheap! I placed a piece of silverside inside a net and clip it to the net with the clip on the outside of the net. Place the net next to (or near) the hole that I know the crab is in and then turn off the day lights. Sit back and wait. They climb right in the net and ya can scoop 'em right out! Had to wait a few hours but it's worked several times now for me. Hoping this might help others too!

Now that I'm bad critter free and can get a CARE package from Richard! Yeah!!!

 

[noahm]

good idea. The biggest problem I have is keeping the other critters (serpent stars, hermits, etc.) out of the traps.

 

[moseynme]

Too true! But the other critters seem to be much easier to re-capture after ya nab the baddies! One of my little sexy anemones did camp out on the outside of the net tho and had quite the snack lol

 

[Madratter]

I have had much better luck netting stuff than I have had trapping it. And occasionally, I'll just use my "mark one" fingers. Caught a crab that way last night. Not a good idea if going for mantis shrimp though.

 

[ser_renely]

I am going to try the tube trap and see if I can get my murdering pistol shrimp out....these guys are almost as smart as a mantis.

 

[NeonFish]

Has anybody tried coral affix glue on a q-tip, then sticking that into the mantis shrimp hole. After it attacks, the claws will be glued shut in a few minutes.

 

[ser_renely]

sorta cruel,

 

[divemonster]

Has anybody tried coral affix glue on a q-tip, then sticking that into the mantis shrimp hole. After it attacks, the claws will be glued shut in a few minutes.

I did try that on a skewer, but it did not work. My intention was to get the mantis stuck on the skewer for removal. I've been popped by a mantis and it hurt so a q-tip was NOT long enough for me.

 

[riverviewmike]

After losing a damsel, several snails and hermit crabs....I caught my mantis!! After serveral weeks of trying to lure him out of his hole so I could net him, I took the rock out and placed it in a bucket with some of the water from my tank. I took an skewer and poked it around several of the holes in the rock and then after about 5 minutes lifted the rock out of the bucket. I couldn't believe my eyes!!! The Mantis shrimp was swimming around the bottom of the bucket. I took a net and then put him in my quarantine tank. I am going to see of the LFS wants him. I hope that is my last one.

 

[RockinSmall]

i am positive i have one in my rockwork, but have never seen him. i hear him all night long. how can i lure him out and find his home?

 

[riverviewmike]

It took a while for me to find the mantis in my tank. I would hear clicking or popping every night. Finally one day my daughter found him out of his hole and he was fairly small. It took about a month later before we saw him again and he had grown a lot. I tried raw shrimp and silversides to lure him out of his hole, but he was too fast to net.

 

[rumble]

I can see mine, he mostly sits in his rock (big 15lb one at the bottom of the scape of course) and just sticks his head out looking around. I have yet to catch him leaving. Strangely enough, my peppermint shrimp chose a spot not even 8 inches away as it's primary hangout, and has not fallen victim to the mantis yet. I have a gorilla crab with a 1" diameter shell on the other side of the tank that I kind of wish would wander over to the mantis' side of the tank...

 

[noahm]

i am positive i have one in my rockwork, but have never seen him. i hear him all night long. how can i lure him out and find his home?

It may be a pistol shrimp, which is pretty harmless unless someone tries to enter his lair, but if it is a mantis, you can try putting a bit of shrimp on a skewer and holding it for a minute or so in the entrance any likely holes and see if it comes to try and get it. If you get the right hole, they will usually come to either attack or steal the food in a pretty short time.

I have one about 2 1/2" that is the last one, but I rarely ever see it. Mostly just picks off snails every so often.

 

[Gtownguy487]

I bought 300 Ib's of rock from TB and ive caught abou 13 mantis shrimp!! and i still heard clicking 8 months later...... GRRRRRR

 

[rlpardue]

All the links in this thread are old or unhelpful lol. Anyone have a good link to a DIY mantis/pistol/gorilla crap trab?