Mantis or Pistol?

[jasper24]

Ok I have not been able to get a pic yet as I can hear it but not see it. I have been hearing the clicks for about 4 months now. No fish deaths or unusual snail deaths. I have seen beady eyes sticking out of a hole in my LR. I see where it is boring in to the rock and tossing out dust / debis from the hole. Do both OPistols and Mantis bore their holes in LR? Any way to determine without seeing it? Thanks.

[somethingphishy]

try checking the tank out at night with a red light maybe you will be able to figure it out. If it is not coming out during the day maybe you'll have better luck at night time.

I would have to think if it was a mantis you might be short some fish/inverts....if your hearing noises it would seem to be a pistol

[jasper24]

I will try the red flash light. Thanks. Yea I hear a random click like if you gently tapped a snail shell against the glass. I have looked to make sure that it is not LR or equipment hitting the glass.

[SDguy]

Well, pistol shrimp don't have "beady" eyes, so that's a big clue.

[jasper24]

OK I just caught a brief glimpse of this guy. It definately has eyes that potrude out like the are attached by a rod or antenna. Mantis?

[jasper24]

OK never mind. It is a mantis. I just got a full view. It is about 1.5 inches and looks to be black or dark and has some red or orange in it.

[somethingphishy]

here's some really bad advise but i'm in a weird mood after reading about someone building a tank constructed from plywood?!?!?!?............

stick your thumb in the hole if you yell loud it is a mantis if not it's a poistol.

[dippin61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8727661#post8727661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by somethingphishy
here's some really bad advise but i'm in a weird mood after reading about someone building a tank constructed from plywood?!?!?!?............

stick your thumb in the hole if you yell loud it is a mantis if not it's a poistol.

not the best thing to say on a board with this many people. cuz inevitably someone is going to do what you just wrote, then come back here and start a thread "A mantis just broke my finger!!! HELP!"

i know its a joke, just not very responsible to not claim it is.

[McCrary]

Sucks that its a mantis shrimp, those suckers are nasty. I would get him out before him becomes too big and can start spearing fish.

[Misled]

Don't get him out yet, when I get home I'll give you a way to catch him.

[dcombs44]

It is most likely a smasher. So chances are, it won't be spearing any fish. I had one in my 29 gallon as a hitchiker. Lost a bunch of hermits and snails and an arrow crab. Amazingly he never got my fire shrimp. I caught him when he was about 2 inches long. I put him in my sump, and never heard anything out of him. There were a couple snails and such for him to smash down there, so I'm sure he was happy.

[Misled]

OK I'm home now. Mantis shrimps can be extreamly colorful. If you want to catch him, wait until about midday for your lighting cycle. Mix up a couple gallons of non-flavored carbonated water with salt to the sg of your tank in a bucket. Take the rock you think he's hiding in and put it in the bucket for about 3 to 5 minutes. when you take the rock out he'll be in the bottom of the bucket. Something to do with the carbonation of the water. Have a small tank ready to put him in. Have had mine about 5 years now. Just in a 30 gal with other things I got that later on had to come out of my reef. I don't see him much but he'll always let you know he's there.
Jesse

[JokerGirl]

Yeah if you do manage to catch this little bugger, don't kill it. Amazingly there's a lot of people willing to buy them.

[hahnmeister]

I had a mini-pistol shrimp in my tank for the longest time too. It finally exposed itself one time when I was doing a LR transfer. Bright Blue all over with orange legs and less than 1/2" long. Cute little bugger, hes in my desktop nano now... I never see him though.

[somethingphishy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8727938#post8727938 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dippin61
not the best thing to say on a board with this many people. cuz inevitably someone is going to do what you just wrote, then come back here and start a thread "A mantis just broke my finger!!! HELP!"

i know its a joke, just not very responsible to not claim it is.
that's why my thread started by saying.... HERE IS SOME REALLY BAD ADVICE--- i believe that fits the qualifications for others not to follow what i suggested...and since i was resonding to the thread starter who just identified the creature as a mantis there would be no reason for him to try this.....