Mantis to 'clean' LR?

[Manta]

Hi all,
I have been considering an octo to clean up the LR in a 200 gal tank. I have several decent sized crabs and a pistol/mantis(?) in the tank at moment with no other tank inhabitants. I've had bitter experience in the past with pests and don't want this in my new tank.

After reading octo threads on here I'm not convinced of the octo, main reason being I cannot escape proof the tank. (I got this idea from one of the leading British experts).

Would a mantis do the job? It would have the utmost care and at least really good water quality whilst in my tank.

TIA :rollface:

[30mini]

What do you mean here?? I'm not entirely understanding what your trying to do? Do you want to take algea off the rocks? If so, then you really need to get snails and hermits. If you get them, and have a mantis, be prepared for some to come up missing! But, if you could, please expain more here so we can understand what you are asking

[Captain Amazing]

Sounds as though he has hitch hiker crabs that he does not want, and was thinking of getting an octopus to eat them all. The problem with the octopus is that it would be difficult to make his tank escape proof. So he wants to enlist a capable mantis shrimp to eat all of the unwanted critters in his tank. Sounds like a decent plan. The only problem would be that you'll have a mantis in your tank when all is said and done.

Thats all unless I'm mistaken.

[Uriel]

"I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly..."

Hehehe, I once (Ok, I've done it three or four times to folks) suggested a P cilata to get those pesky damsels, once cycling was finished for whoever couldn't wait and cycle sans the fish...


Hehehe again.

-Ron

[Manta]

Yep thats the general gist Captain, I want a biological control to take out the crabs/shrimps( and other nasties) in the rock. I will be putting some really expensive fish in there and don't want them becoming sushi.

[Thurge]

Biggest problems with using a mantis to clean up hitchhikers would be getting it back out, and finding one large enough to eliminate every thing else.
FWIW I would just freshwater dip each rock for a few minutes before they ever go in the tank.

[psychodave]

I was just going to say that, Thurge

[Manta]

Too late for that I'm afraid, all rock epoxied down. Obtaining a large Mantis may not be that difficult, OS's turn up here from time to time but yes catching one would be a different story.

[dead beat reef]

How about a fish that its diet is crabs and shrimp? Low $
trigger or an eel? The bottle trap works. It may take a
long time. Some of the pests are very small and need to
grow for a year to be of size to be noticed. Kabobs the
little sharp sticks for BBQ. Bait up and when the pest
comes out to eat stab em. all the best dbr.