Catching a Mantis

[brdracing]

I have mantis shrimp that come in on a rock that I got and I need him out of the thank. Yesterday he killed and ate my Pearl Jawfish.
What is the best way to get him out?

PLEASE HELP BEFORE ANOTHER FISH IS GONE!

Thanks
Brooks
brooks_brd@yahoo.com

[Creade]

Is he hiding in a particular rock? If so, take the rock out and put it in some sort of QT tank or bucket. A squirt of freshwater from a turkey baster will likely cause him to jump out of the rock, allowing you to add the rock back to your tank, and requiring you to find a home for the mantis.

If your not sure where he's living, you'll likely want to look into making some sort of trap. There are alot of PVC type trap plans around the forums as well as other places on the net.

On a side note, Mantis Shrimp can be pretty cool pets if a proper tank setup is made for them.

And most importantly when doing all of this, BE CAREFUL. Mantis can damage a human just like they can other tank inhabitants. Gloves of some sort are normally recommended.

[brdracing]

Yep I don't want to kill him just get him out. if I can get him out I will give him to some one that wants him. Just don't want him killing any more fish or tank mates
Brooks

[ejwasson]

I had 3+ mantis shrimps and tried everything anyone ever mentioned to get them out. Ultimately, I was ready to do a water change and saw one zip into a rock. I dropped the rock into my prepared SW and he jumped out. Returned the rock to the tank and repeated.

Eric

[snorvich]

I have successfully used fish traps baited with table shrimp. Takes a bit of patience, but they cannot resist the smell.

[brdracing]

Thanks for the info I will keep trying. I am so mad the he killed my fish.
How long before he kills again?
brooks

[jb61264]

+1 on patience...Manitis are incredibly smart creatures...which is why I took the time to set up a separate 10 gallon tank for my N. wennerae that came as a hitchhiker in some live rock.

Take some time to watch its habits, where it hangs out, etc. If you can snap a picture of it, do so and post it to the Mantis Shrimp Forum (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=37) here on RC and they will help identify what type you have.

Most likely it took the jawfish because it is a bottom dweller just as it is...if you have other fish that dwell on the bottom of the tank, there is a chance that they could be taken as well...it all depends on how large the mantis is and how large the other fish are too. When I first noticed my mantis, it was only about 1" and never bothered any of my other fish (I only had a maroon clown and coral beauty at the time)...I learned later on though that it wouldn't hesitate to take something as it got to be around 2 1/2" long and I still had my maroon clown and coral beauty (which it didn't touch) so I decided to add a firefish. After I evening, I noticed the firefish would reside in the back along the bottom of the tank at night...the next day, it had what looked like two gashes on its backside...three days later, it was gone...two days later, I was building my 10 gallon customized mantis tank...I had watched mine for months and knew exactly what rock he frequented and when the right time presented itself, pulled that rock out and moved it over to the new tank. Traps can work well too if you acclimate your mantis to a paritcular type of food.

Sorry about the jawfish..that sucks...mantis are one of the most fascinating creatures in the ocean...if you can swing it I would highly recommend putting it in a fuge or separate tank.

Good luck

[brdracing]

He is about 3 inches and mean. But I have a Fuge so I can put him in there till I find him a home. I am going to load the tank up with a few traps tonight and see if can catch him.
Brooks

[snorvich]

You want the kind of trap that has a controllable door (with a line) so that you can prevent the wrong animals from getting in. When I was catching them, it was thrilling, like a game. These babies are smart. I personally find them fascinating and they deserve a tank of their own. Oh, by the way, I advise only one trap.

[brdracing]

Why only one trap? I was think one for each side of the tank

[Jay180reef]

I had two fierce mantis hitch in with some LR, each taking months to catch. Your best bet is to isolate the rocks where he lives and remove them. I knew if he was still in the DT because of the clicking sounds.
I tried many different traps, always failing to catch them...one evening I saw one of them enter a tall glass trap with shrimp in the bottom. Then just swim up and out with the bait. Inverted bottle traps failed because they seem to only trap my meat eating snails.

Good luck