Think I may have a Mantis

[Neonguy95]

I moved the aquaium to another room, had to remove all the rock to do so. (Tank as been up for 7 months.) Just then the other night we begin hearing a tapping noise. (Tap.........TAP.........TAP)
Come in look with a flash light nothing. I can't see any tunnels in the sand bed under the tank. Cept for a big worm looking thing that I need to figure out what it is, different story. It only happens when the lights are out, some missing snails and hermits. All fish alive. I am pretty positive it is a Mantis. My main concern is that the tank is glass. What are the chances of this shrimp breaking the glass before I can figure out how to catch him? I plan on keeping him/her if I can catch it. Just worried about 40+ gallons of water crashing into the living room.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Hwarang]

Most stomatopods that you get are of a smaller species, and many of them are juveniles at that. The chance of your glass being broken is *extremely* low, but I suppose it's still possible.

Hook up an easy DIY trap (search on seahorse.org) and see if you can catch the sucker.

 

[tirtguyll]

can i have it if you catch it? ive been looking for a while

 

[JumboShrimp]

Its a mantis of some sort.... The worm is probably a bristle worm and is harmless... The mantis wont break your glass there still a 2% chance he can...I wish I had a mantis

 

[Neonguy95]

My main concern was that he might break the glass. Now to catch him so I can watch him....

Let the fun begin, maybe Tim can come over and coax him out.

 

[DensityMan]

Tim's suffering from remodelling shock stilll... I think he may be intentionally trying to break the glass (he just can't).

On the tap-tap-tapping, it's very possible that it could be a snails shell as it climbs the glass or is buffered by current from a powerhead. It could be a pistol shrimp of some kind. Being that it is only at night I would tend to think it is less likely to be a mantis than something else. Of the several mantids I've observed in other tanks and the one G. smithii I have the most experience with, they've all been day-walkers; up during the day hunting and then tucked into the burrow during the night.

Only on a couple strange nights has Tim stayed up any where close to lights-out time.

Hope that helps. Good luck catching what ever it is...

 

[Neonguy95]

Ummm. Thank you for the insight. I still have yet to see anything. I know something is hitting the glass. I can hear from the other side of the house laying in bed with the tv on. As far as what it is, no idea....still working on that.