TBS Hitchhikers
- Thread starter nl146
- Start date
d2mini
Premium Member
Try to find the gorilla crabs (black tipped claws) if you can and toss them.
You can pretty much bet on getting some clicking coming from the rocks which is either going to be mantis or pistol shrimps. Usually the pistols are ok. I removed several mantis and pistols and still have some clicking but actually the tank has been getting quieter. Not sure what that means. With the first batch of rock, it's easier to keep an eye on the rock and if you see a mantis poke his head out, you can take the rock out of the water and flush the hole with hot tap water and he'll come flying out. Then sell him to a local reef member for a frag or species only tank.
One of them came out of the rock and onto the sand the day after the first batch arrived when i was rearranging the rock. Scooped him up in a net.
The second batch comes with so much stuff, just get everything in the tank and worry about catching critters later. You can try to lure them out with bait and traps and stuff. I haven't worried about it though. I haven't actually seen anything now, which makes me think it's just pistols. I guess we'll see.
But ya, overall.... totally worth the few pest for everything else you get more than makes up for it. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.
You can pretty much bet on getting some clicking coming from the rocks which is either going to be mantis or pistol shrimps. Usually the pistols are ok. I removed several mantis and pistols and still have some clicking but actually the tank has been getting quieter. Not sure what that means. With the first batch of rock, it's easier to keep an eye on the rock and if you see a mantis poke his head out, you can take the rock out of the water and flush the hole with hot tap water and he'll come flying out. Then sell him to a local reef member for a frag or species only tank.
One of them came out of the rock and onto the sand the day after the first batch arrived when i was rearranging the rock. Scooped him up in a net.The second batch comes with so much stuff, just get everything in the tank and worry about catching critters later. You can try to lure them out with bait and traps and stuff. I haven't worried about it though. I haven't actually seen anything now, which makes me think it's just pistols. I guess we'll see.
But ya, overall.... totally worth the few pest for everything else you get more than makes up for it. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.
Mustang Boy
New member
yea the bad gorilla crabs youll find just toss them in your sump if you have one and if you get a mantis you can toss him in the sump and if you want to you can scape it so it looks nice and then you could have a nice sump to look at that houses your mantis.
Mustang Boy
New member
well Bo you cant count your mantis as a bad hitch hiker you are setting up a tank just for him since you have found it lol
Mustang Boy
New member
and instead of using chaeto in the sump there are a bunch of more attractive macros out there that you could put in there to make the mantis area look really nice and still suck up nitrates and phosphates
ok but ill count the crab i found because it looks like a gorilla crab
Mustang Boy
New member
but he is free food for that mantis you acquired lol
Mustang Boy
New member
hahaha yep pretty much. if you keep any mantis you might get you feed him the bad crabs lol. or if you dont get a mantis you can put the bad crabs in the sump and then you have some free cleaners for the sump that will keep the sump clean
noahm
Active member
I have one pretty monster gorilla in the sump that I get to see whenever I clean up down there. I think he killed the rest I threw in there, but man I am glad he's not in the DT. There would be nothing safe. I still have probably 5 or six in the dt though. They get trapped when they start picking on corals.
Mustang Boy
New member
how do you personally trap them because i tried the bottle trap and it didnt work at all.
noahm
Active member
Look through this thread. Lots of trapping experiences from TBS rock owners. Add your own as well or bump the thread at least for the new people.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1630201
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1630201
Chiefsurfer
New member
gotta read that thread. I guess I got the pests little hide-out rock in my order. I got 2 pistols(one I saw, and another I can only assume is a pistol), but I got 40 lbs of rock, and so far have gotten 2 stone crabs(one about the size of a quarter, the other the size of a pencil eraser), and maybe 30 gorillas. The one sneakiest gorilla I cannot get is the one I am most worried about. He is about the size of a 50-cent piece. HUGE mother, and if I come within 10 ft of the tank he darts into wherever he came out of. He is fast too. Every so many days I set up a trap, and catch a bunch of my hermits, 2-3 snails, and usually 2 gorillas. It just never ends. Even with all the pest hitch-hikers, I would not trade this rock in for the world. SOOOOOO much awesome life.
Mish1
New member
I have had my TBS live rock for almost a year and unfortunately it was crawling with Mantis. So far I have caught 5 Manits and I know I have at least two left in my tank, probably more. It seems like every couple of weeks I find a new one.
I can honestly say I hate Mantis shrimp. They are killing off all of my snails and hermit crabs and killed the 3 Peppermint shrimp that came with my rock. They have smashed and killed all of the barnacles on the rock as well as numerous crabs and I have started to see the bigger Mantis making aggressive moves toward some of my smaller fish.
I have a commercial trap which doesn't seem to work with them because they are just too smart. The only way I seem to catch them is with a net when they move along glass away from the rock. The problem now is the big one is smart and doesn't move away from the rock.
TBS has the most life I have seen on live rock unfortunately some of that life is troublesome.
I can honestly say I hate Mantis shrimp. They are killing off all of my snails and hermit crabs and killed the 3 Peppermint shrimp that came with my rock. They have smashed and killed all of the barnacles on the rock as well as numerous crabs and I have started to see the bigger Mantis making aggressive moves toward some of my smaller fish.
I have a commercial trap which doesn't seem to work with them because they are just too smart. The only way I seem to catch them is with a net when they move along glass away from the rock. The problem now is the big one is smart and doesn't move away from the rock.
TBS has the most life I have seen on live rock unfortunately some of that life is troublesome.
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noahm
Active member
Try to find a rock that has limited holes for entrance and exit. A smaller one. You can even drill the 'cave'. Start baiting it and setting it a little apart from other rocks. Watch and when the mantis goes in, let him be the first couple of times. Then net the whole thing out after he is comfortable getting fed there. It works pretty well on established, wiley mantises. You can just leave the rock in unbaited for a couple of weeks to get him used to it first. I have one left and he is smart, but I haven't been trying to trap him, just been feeding him off a skewer occasionally. He really only takes out my nerite snails I got later, and doesn't bother much else. Basically I am lazy at this point, but will regroup sometime for another battle.
Mustang Boy
New member
oh i dont think we are complaining i think all of us love our rock we got from richard i know i will be ordering from him again and i hope for as many hitch hikers as possible both good and bad because finding hitch hikers is one of the most exciting things to do with reef keeping for me
