Mantis traps

Check the mantis forum. Several people may have some good ideas you can try. You will probably have to try several methods...Mantis are smart and sneaky critters.
 
Good luck! I've tried the inverted 20oz. soda bottle (nothing), a tall shot glass (1 gorilla crab), pulling the rock out of the water and dosing seltzer water in the holes (numerous gorillas, 4 mantis, 1 bristleworm). But the best doo-hickey I've used (caught 1 4" mantis so far) is the bendable grabber tool that Sears sells. It's metal, with a plunger button at the handle end that, when pushed, opens up 4 metal claws at the other end of the tool. It's for picking up dropped bolts, etc. when you're working in tight spaces. I just pushed it into the mantis' hole, he wailed on it a couple times, and i grabbed him and tugged him right out of his burrow. No removing of the rock needed. Which is great, because all of my remaining mantis shrimp went to Harvard and have moved into the biggest, deepest rocks in my tank!
 
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