Nervous about Mantis/Crabs

[caesar Gdi]

I am ready to place an order at TBS but I am nervous about getting a mantis shrimp or a crab. I need a plan to catch these guys before ordering.

I have a couple of old tanks and was thinking about using PVC to build a shelf to elevate the rock about 3 or 4 inches from the bottom. that way the mantis and crabs can fall off but not get back onto the rock. Will this work? do you guys have a better idea?

 

[scowiii]

Turkey baster and a couple bottles of soda water and gloves. You should be able to flush alot of them but you wont get all of them.

 

[tangafish]

I had the same concerns before I ordered my package but once you get the first order you will see, it is more than worth it. I have had several different kinds of rock before and even some I ordered over the internet but until I got my TBS I didn't know what beauty and life the ocean had to offer and right in your own home for your pleasure. I researched it too before I took the leap and I have no regrets.

The main thing is prevention. before you add your rock to the tank, use the seltzer water, have you some long tongs and when you hit the rock and all the holes with the seltzer they will come crawling out of the rock. For the few you miss you are just need to allow some time to catch any unwanted but it is a decision you will not regret. There is no guarantee when you go to the LFS you wont get an unexpected guest.

Richard takes a lot of pride in what he sends you and you can see that as soon as you open the box, it is wrapped up safe and secure like you cant imagine, everything is still underwater which is rare to find when you buy rock. this ensures all the life he sent to you will not only survive but thrive. if you have looked at all the pics you will see you don't just get rock, Richard sends awesome surprises too as an added bonus. If you have any questions or concerns any of us SATISFIED TBS owners are more than happy to answer, as is Richard. I have always gotten a quick response from Richard whatever the question, even on weekends, the poor man never takes a day off..

 

[voodude]

I'll third that to scowii and tangafish ... :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Just got done loading up the new rock I got today for a 30G I'm starting ... Seltzer is the key (and a pair of forceps to grab critters that don't come all the way out). Got about a dozen and a half ... my 90G that has been up since April still has a few gorilla's (and one KingKong) but I'm on his tail ... I bait him and one night I'll be quick enough makes life interesting). I also have a mantis, but he is now my friend and I feed him (with LONG tweezers) Cool little beast! Had the willie's at first too, but now I don't even know about that stuff as there is so much good stuff to look at and discover every day:fun5: You can not beat the product anywhere that I know of. Some lr is kinda nice looking, for rocks, but this is a slice of the ocean right from the get-go.. Tangafish felt the same way before it arrived also ... As you can see, we are extremely happy campers. GOFERIT !! You won't be disapponted!:dance:

 

[scowiii]

Just gotta ask yourself this. Do you want dead rock and wait months for stuff to appear? Or do you want Live Rock with life and only have to wait days before stuff starts coming out from everywhere?

Remember its the ocean. Your going to get good and bad. Just read up on it and have the patience to battle the stuff you dont want.

A big thing that people dislike richards live sand is the Cirlinoid population. but there are many thread on how to catch them. And just wAit a couple months before you add fish and they will die out.

 

[techreef]

scowiii, re: the cirolanids, not adding any fish to the tank for a couple months only works on some cirolanids. others will scavenge food from non-living sources like uneaten fish food, etc. I'm not downing TBS; just sayin'. I have TBS too, and while i got just about every type of bad hitchhiker in my package, everything stated above is true about the pluses of TBS LR. i think TBS is also easier to manage if you're buying it for a smaller tank, like under 70G. Some of the rocks Richard sent for my 90G package are huge; one weighs 50lbs by itself. These bigger rocks are a bit tougher for one person to hold over a bucket and douse w/ seltzer water in an effort to dislodge nasties.

 

[scowiii]

Thats what the spouse is for. LOL.

 

[caesar Gdi]

Thanks alot guys... I have to wait another week before I place my order but I think I will go with TBS. wish me luck

 

[tangafish]

can't wait to see what Richard has in store for you caesar gdi. The waiting is the hardest part. Just try to everything ready to go that way when you get it home you are not scrambling to find what you need. I was much more organized on my second batch:rollface:.. Get your camera ready because we all want to see treasures he will send you. are you getting a package or just rock? My tank is so tall I actually thought about using some sturdy milk crates to elevate the rock, would make it easier to reach anything you want to get rid of except for what might go underneath. just a thought though.

 

[caesar Gdi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10502234#post10502234 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tangafish
can't wait to see what Richard has in store for you caesar gdi. The waiting is the hardest part. Just try to everything ready to go that way when you get it home you are not scrambling to find what you need. I was much more organized on my second batch:rollface:.. Get your camera ready because we all want to see treasures he will send you. are you getting a package or just rock? My tank is so tall I actually thought about using some sturdy milk crates to elevate the rock, would make it easier to reach anything you want to get rid of except for what might go underneath. just a thought though.

I am just getting rock. I was going to get the whole package but I already had sand and an lfs here had an incredible deal on clean up crews.

 

[moseynme]

You will be more than happy with your choice to go with TBS, caesar! I received part 2 of the package in June and I'm still staying up until 1:00-2:00 am with the flashlight!

I did receive a mantis with the 1st part...the googly-eyed little fella is still in the tank tho, as he hasn't caused a bit of trouble and he (she?) is really very entertaining!

And the extras that come on the rock are just amazing!!

 

[Untamed12]

I battled the ciranolids with fish in the tank and won. In the end, it wasn't a big deal. They are easily trapped.

I quite enjoy the mantis shrimp and have not found them to be any problem whatsoever. In fact, I hardly even see them anymore (I believe that I have 6 in the tank)

I have trapped exactly 2 crabs that got so large that I just got nervous. They now live in the sump. The number of crabs that remain in the main tank is beyond count.

Everything I did was designed to get the rock as efficiently from ocean to my prepared tank as quickly as possible to get as much life and biodiversity as I could. Squirting the rock with FW or seltzer just doesn't fit with that philosophy.