The mantis is kicking my ARSE...who will live longer me or him?

[tereefic]

I hate him....he mocks me!! Click, click, click, another dead soldier. I have lost fish, (several-only small ones), serpent stars, snails, crabs, urchins, ahhh!

He's been in for about 9 months I gave up catching him for a while I may try again if I have some new ideas/fortitude.

I caught 2 already by taking the rock out (one was out of the rock when it arrived) .

I have removed rock entirely..250 lbs +/- and blown air at 70 PSI into every hole I see, I have set xterminator traps, I have searched with a flashlight for hours at night, but he eludes me.....I don't even know where he lives. I walk near the tank and he must disapear. Then, as soon as I sit at the computer (6 feet away) click click click.

So any new ideas? What has been your favorite bait? Or just tell me if I'll out live the fascinating, evil, little bastard.

 

[Gonodactylus]

If it is a gonodactylid (most likely if it came in live rock), the live span is about 5-7 years. Considering that it is probably an adult, it will probably die in 3 or 4 years.

 

[tigerTA]

Tereefic, in the same boat here. been trying to get one out of my tank for months. DRIVING ME CRAZY. if you get any new ideas...let me know.

 

[Reggae Reefer]

Have you tried soaking the rocks in freshwater for a couple seconds? It is a lot of work but it worked for me. I had two in my LR, one went after an x-terminator trap after about 2 seconds, the second wouldn't go near it. A couple seconds in freshwater(RO) and he came shooting out of the rock. He recovered right away in saltwater and nothing else on the rock was harmed.

 

[tereefic]

no, I haven't tried a freshwater dip, but I have many corals in the tank now, and many lbs of rock...I would like to try a different avenue...like hiring a proffesional mantis shrimp catcher/slayer.

What foods have you people found sucessful in traps?

 

[Reggae Reefer]

The first time I tried to catch a Mantis I used shrimp... the trap barely hit the bottom before he was checkin it out. It was just normal raw whole shrimp from the grocery store.

 

[Fin Follower ED]

A big puffer should do the trick

 

[tereefic]

Lol, I think that he might have an eating spree with the other shrimp and fish....just a hunch