Click Wars, Return of the Stick Eyes

[fermaster]

A long, long time ago (or 6 months ago) in a federation reef tank right by my kitchen there was a “click.” This “click” didn’t cause alarm because sometimes things click. Little did I know the emperor had sent his padawon sith learner to train in my tank. Mystery wrasse mysteriously vanished. Peppermint shrimp were treated like a peppermint patty. The clicking persisted. Now our hero turned to the jedi master, Internet Yoda. “Sith mantis in your tank, you have. Find it and destroy it before the federation reef crumbles, you must.” Quickly I drew my light sabre (flash light) and began to thrust it upon the layer of Darth Mantis. “I will draw him out like puss from a sore.” Invert a bottle top and place a piece of shrimp inside to capture and interrogate this fiend. A month goes by of setting this “genius” trap by his layer changing the food every two days. Darth Mantis must have been warned by the Emperor. I could hear him using Morris code, “click.click..click.click.click…click.” I again consulted the counsel. “Being made to look like a fool by a 1 micro-gram brained organism, you are. Herh herh herh.” “The inverted bottle, hmm? Never done it and are giving it as advice to others, that only works if you have. Yes, hmmm.” I wanted to punch Internet Yoda in the face. So then I tried removing all the live rock and dunking it in fresh water…no Darth Mantis. All of the federation rock was returned to its system only to click once more. Again, I removed the rock…wait! There! Darth Mantis sprung from its layer into another federation rock system. “I have you now.” I sung the song of praise as I spashed and choked the federation rock…but Darth Mantis loves fresh water for some reason. Federation rock had to be placed back into the system….”click…click click click click.” There I stood with a powerful and masculine crying look on my face. I wiped the powerful tears from my manly cheeks. I knew what I must do. Sometimes to catch a reef invertebrate fiend you must use a reef invertebrate fiend. I sought out Jabba Bird Wrasse Hut. I asked him if he could help but I didn’t have C3PO with me and I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I have contracted Jabba for daily mysis shrimp feedings…he said that or break dance to “Jam On It.” Darth Mantis will meet his end and no I won’t ship him and I’m not going to keep him.

[eb8919]

Whats George Lucas charge to write your reef adventures.:rollface: Very entertaining...good luck with the diabolical Darth Mantis!! May the force be with you.:strooper:

[jungliztkruger]

nice

[fermaster]

LOL. I like the little storm trooper emoticon. I wish I would have thought of it. The story was inspired out of shear frustration. I've setup 3 different reef tanks. I've been moving around a lot over the past 10 years and I enjoy reef keeping. Every time I've worried about and tried to prevent all the little hitchhickers that we try to avoid. I never got one...nothing. This time I get majanos, bryopsis, aptasia and Darth Mantis. Over a 6 month period I think I've gotten rid of the bryopsis...PITA. I've tried every "Juice" known to man to get rid of the aptasia. They disappear for a week and then are right back. "Boiling water gets it every time." "I use lemon juice...its the best." "I fart on mine and they never came back." I've tried everyone of these solutions plus all the store brands but they still come back...not in a new spot...in the exact same spot. "You must be doing it wrong cause it works for me." I've tried sneaking up on them with the needle and slowly dripping it on them. I've tried injecting them. I've tried throwing the bottle at my tank...nothing. Obviously I can't use perpermint shrimp. I somehow was able to manually remove the majonos and they haven't come back...yet. I just scrapped them off the rock out of the tank. Jabba sleeps right on top of Darth Mantis's layer so I don't know if he's going to do it or not.