There is a Green Ghost in my tanks

M

MHG

Active member
I figured this is a more advances subject... I have seen it twice. There is a Green Ghost in my tank... OK probably not a ghost but some sort of a green hitchiker that is fast like a wrasse.... It is so fast I just catch a glimps of it. It is the size and shape of a light green piece if sea weed about an inch long by 1/4 inch wide and shoots from one rock to the next.... Kind ov moves like a practical joke on a string.... Maybee my clown fish are playing a joke...


Time to break out the tripod...
 
MHG said:
I figured this is a more advances subject... I have seen it twice. There is a Green Ghost in my tank... OK probably not a ghost but some sort of a green hitchiker that is fast like a wrasse.... It is so fast I just catch a glimps of it. It is the size and shape of a light green piece if sea weed about an inch long by 1/4 inch wide and shoots from one rock to the next.... Kind ov moves like a practical joke on a string.... Maybee my clown fish are playing a joke...


Time to break out the tripod...
Click to expand...

It could definitely be a mantis shrimp. If you hear quite a bit of clicking, that is a pretty good indicator it is a pistol or mantis shrimp. Considering pistol shrimp do not move about quickly, I would think that would narrow it down to mantis shrimp. Those things can move fast! If you got your rock from TBS or Florida, there is a good chance it can be a Neogonodactylus wennerae. They are often come in lime green coloration as well.

If you have a good idea on where he is hiding, you can lure him out with a piece of shrimp firmly attached to a wooden skewer and hold it in front of the hole you think he is in. Who knows, if it really is a mantis shrimp, it may start coming out more often once he realizes you mean no harm and bring food :)
 
Thanks for all the replies... 90% of my rock is BRS eco rock (dry). The only live rock is what I got attached to colonies I have puechased. Not I do know of at least one crab hitchhicker from one rock. so I guess this is possible.


The first time I saw it, I thought it was a piece of algae. I thought it was strange the way it hugged the rock as it scooted by. But I figured what else could it be. A week later in the exact same spot.. It was so fat I never focused my eyes on it...


I will keep looking...
 
Well this photo is from someone elses thread but the color and shape match so I guess it is probably a mantis. I see no signes of him other than those two flash sighting. No holes in the sand, but it coule be well under my rock work. I will try to tempt him with a piece of shrimp...If that works I will try to get a photograph. I guess at only 1 inch long I should have little concern...
 

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havent seen it again or heard anything. Are there traps for these things? One of my chromis dissapeared. Can a 1" mantis catch a 1.5" chromis?
 
MHG said:
havent seen it again or heard anything. Are there traps for these things? One of my chromis dissapeared. Can a 1" mantis catch a 1.5" chromis?
Click to expand...

I've seen commercial traps like these:

Ultralife Reef Products X-Terminator Shrimp Trap

I haven't used those (maybe because the box looks like it should be hanging next to the Trojans at the drug store).

I've been trying to use a DIY trap, but no luck. Going to try another size of DIY bottle trap.
 
They say if you were to class a mantis shrimp to any known creature, it would be the T-REX. Its that bad. It will try to rival any thing you throw at it. Had one of those once and in under a wk it left a wake of destruction with things going missing in the night ........... a few snails, a few chromis, 2 peppermint and 2 skunk cleaner shrimp.
That thing is really the terror of the sea...................lol
 
Confirmed

Confirmed

Confirmed. Today in mid morning I saw the mantis. He is about 3/4's of an inch... I grabbed the camera but looking through the glass at an angle makes the image blurry. when I moved around to the side to get a straight shot he took off...


He is green with yellow eyes...

I dont think he could have gotten my green chromis that is missing since that chromis was twice his size...


I guess i should trap this little bugger before he gets bigger...
 

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