Mantis traps?

[Nuhtty]

Easiest way to remove a mantis from a tank without removing the rock? This guy is quite reclusive and deep inside a large rock, Im afraid.

Or should I just remove each piece of rock and soack it in FW?

95% of it is baserock not yet seeded...I think he is living in one of those pieces.

Thanks much.

(new to mantis exploits)

 

[melk-man]

I just put this one in my tank today after loosing 70$ worth of very cute watchman gobies.. one by one. I noticed the last couple had what looked like bites on the body but the other fish were not bothering them. THEN in saw the dreaded mantis today scurrying about..****!

 

[lossman]

you can also try the water bottle trap. Take a small water bottle, cut off the top 1/4 of the bottle...just to where it has curved down to the straight area. Take this top part, turn it upside down and wedge it into the bottom half of the bottle. Drill some tiny holes in the bottom half to allow water to flow through. Add some weight to the bottle (we use clear glass marbles), add some bait and lean it against the rock where the mantis lives. We have not had much luck with these but are ever hopeful. Have two of them in the tank now hoping to catch the other mantis that lives in the 40lb rock. We have found that silversides are the bait of choise for our gorillas and mantis' (as well as the hermits and peppermints).

Best of luck to you.

 

[melk-man]

you can also try the water bottle trap. Take a small water bottle, cut off the top 1/4 of the bottle...just to where it has curved down to the straight area. Take this top part, turn it upside down and wedge it into the bottom half of the bottle. Drill some tiny holes in the bottom half to allow water to flow through. Add some weight to the bottle (we use clear glass marbles), add some bait and lean it against the rock where the mantis lives. We have not had much luck with these but are ever hopeful. Have two of them in the tank now hoping to catch the other mantis that lives in the 40lb rock. We have found that silversides are the bait of choise for our gorillas and mantis' (as well as the hermits and peppermints).

Best of luck to you.

Thanks.. have 2 of the cut water bottle traps, and the one "$20" LFS special. The 20+ hermit crabs i have could not get into the bottle traps when level, but i raised the front and leaned against a rock and caught almost every one overnight!! Sadly, the mantis is proving a tougher adversary and with the hermits in a bucket to not "trip" the mantis trap i hope to wait him out.. I have krill in there now but will try the silver sides. Lately he had "watchman desure" so im hoping he will settle for something "less pricey"..

 

[lossman]

Thanks.. have 2 of the cut water bottle traps, and the one "$20" LFS special. The 20+ hermit crabs i have could not get into the bottle traps when level, but i raised the front and leaned against a rock and caught almost every one overnight!! Sadly, the mantis is proving a tougher adversary and with the hermits in a bucket to not "trip" the mantis trap i hope to wait him out.. I have krill in there now but will try the silver sides. Lately he had "watchman desure" so im hoping he will settle for something "less pricey"..

Silversides seem to be great bait. We caught our biggest problem child Gorilla today when we baited our X-Terminator trap with pieces of Silverside. Also caught a smaller Gorilla and a Mantis, all today.

It was unreal.

:eek2:

 

[melk-man]

Silversides seem to be great bait. We caught our biggest problem child Gorilla today when we baited our X-Terminator trap with pieces of Silverside. Also caught a smaller Gorilla and a Mantis, all today.

It was unreal.

:eek2:

That is good news, i as well have the "terminator" trap. If krill wont work ill try silversides. I am not positive where he resides but i have seen him on 2 occasions in a general area. I need to have the trap kind of out of the way though right? he wont come right out in the open i assume..

 

[lossman]

That is good news, i as well have the "terminator" trap. If krill wont work ill try silversides. I am not positive where he resides but i have seen him on 2 occasions in a general area. I need to have the trap kind of out of the way though right? he wont come right out in the open i assume..

We just put the trap so the opening was in an overhang type area, where he did not have to come out into the open to get into it. So far we have caught one mantis and two gorilla's with this trap. We are working on our third gorilla. All this in less than 24 hours!!! WOW!! The hermits and snails have tripped the trap several times today. Luckily both Brett and I were off work today so could mess around with the trap all day.

 

[melk-man]

We just put the trap so the opening was in an overhang type area, where he did not have to come out into the open to get into it. So far we have caught one mantis and two gorilla's with this trap. We are working on our third gorilla. All this in less than 24 hours!!! WOW!! The hermits and snails have tripped the trap several times today. Luckily both Brett and I were off work today so could mess around with the trap all day.

you must be blessed. .. Still hoping for success. Think im gonna try the silversides.

 

[lossman]

you must be blessed. .. Still hoping for success. Think im gonna try the silversides.

LOL, just remember our tank has been set up with TBS rock since January. It's taken this long just to find the right combination to trap our mantis.

Best of luck to you!!!!