Mantis shrimp BIG surprise!

Njhc · 06/06/2011, 08:48 PM

I've been noticing alot of strange this dissipating in my tanks such as small fish crustations things loosing arms and thats just the start of it. I always said there was a mantis lurking in my tank.... Well yesterday I noticed my lawbreaker fish had just magically disappeared and was pretty numbed out after which I did a water change today in my nano and found this!!!

It's seems to be a mantis shrimp molt but both the claws were attached, this is a fairly big boy at least a inch long big claw which I would think would do some damage ! Anyway can you guys tell me if I'm right as I have no frugal clue where this skeleton came from and I'm hoping "if it is a mantis it's dead"

Do mantis shrimp molt both clad? Or did he choke on the little jaw breaker

Thanks guys and reefers

TheZ · 06/06/2011, 09:09 PM

Um. That is not a mantis shrimp. Looks to be some kind of crab.

Njhc · 06/06/2011, 09:10 PM

I haven't put anything new onthis tank in over a tear?

SushiGirl · 06/06/2011, 09:27 PM

Looks like some kind of hermit crab molt.

jyxie · 06/06/2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

Looks like some kind of hermit crab molt.

Koshmar · 06/07/2011, 09:33 AM

Pretty awesome looking. If I were you, I still want it to be alive. But it's not a mantis.

mantis1437 · 06/07/2011, 10:28 AM

That is not a mantis shrimp. But it still looks nargly!

sjmantis · 06/07/2011, 10:45 AM

Whatever it is has some big claws

Sushi man · 06/07/2011, 10:46 AM

It look like stone crab to me !!

Prodigal1011 · 06/07/2011, 11:50 AM

Looks like a Hermit crab out of its shell. I found something similar caught in my overflow grates, then found the empty shell of my hermit. Notice one large claw, one small.

Koshmar · 06/07/2011, 11:54 AM

Plus, hermits do look really weird and disfigured when out of their shell but that looks pretty large for a regular hermit. At least the ones I use to use as food....

arioch · 06/07/2011, 01:29 PM

Those are quite brilliant colors, but it does look like a hermit molt. Do you hear snapping noises from your tank every now and then?

Njhc · 06/07/2011, 07:41 PM

I actually do

Reef1589 · 06/07/2011, 08:36 PM

thats a big one.. haha nice colors though..sucks he's eating your fish

tymon · 06/07/2011, 08:50 PM

time to take a flashlight out and go nightime searching.

Koshmar · 06/07/2011, 09:23 PM

If it's a mantis, night searches will do little good. Most hitch-hiking species are diurnal.

King Nikon · 06/07/2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koshmar

If it's a mantis, night searches will do little good. Most hitch-hiking species are diurnal.

Diurnal is active during the day.
Nocturnal is active during the night.

KoralKeith · 06/08/2011, 01:53 AM

Crazy colors

Koshmar · 06/08/2011, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Nikon

Diurnal is active during the day.
Nocturnal is active during the night.

Which is why I said looking during the night wont do much good...lol

Dana42078 · 06/08/2011, 02:01 PM

Thats no way shape or for a mantis molt. Id say hermit molt and i kinda have a smaller version of one in my mantis tank right now. ill see if i can get a pic. Agree with everyone else.....go nighttime searching and see whats moving at night.

Koshmar · 06/08/2011, 03:43 PM

Well if you do search at night, supposively red bulbs allow you to see without alerting most creatures. I don't know how true that is. I generally left my moonlight on and watched the tank come to life at night. Mostly amphipods and bristle worms. Popping/clicking sounds can come from anything. That crab thing might have been what ate your fish. Good luck with the search.

S13<3 · 06/08/2011, 04:40 PM

thats is a big mean hermit crab/molt, if u hold a hermit in your hand upside down he will climb out of the shell completely to right himself, u will then see the sets of legs/claws that grip the shell

rambochu · 06/08/2011, 10:01 PM

That's not what's eating your fish, unless what's going missing are slow, bottom-dwelling fish. It might be why you have crustaceans losing limbs. I'm surprised you haven't seen it during feeding times.

My best guess - it might be a left-handed hermit. I'm not sure, since the colors don't match up, but the size and the shape are a close match.

I have several and I've never seen them harass anything that wasn't wounded or sick (or each other, if one of them has a pellet or something). I'm surprised you haven't seen it yet during feeding time - these guys are very quick to sense food.

FlammySnake · 06/08/2011, 11:22 PM

Definately a hermit molt, and at that a hermit i happen to own a number of! Certainly not capable of incapacitating any fish, but i always keep my eye on them. Those are hermits i don't fully trust. Have seen them available much more often lately.

AquamanSE · 06/09/2011, 03:13 PM

Whats it taste like?

hehe.........hermit +1 Eating/attacking your fish -1

06/06/2011, 08:48 PM	#1
Njhc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 154	Mantis shrimp BIG surprise! I've been noticing alot of strange this dissipating in my tanks such as small fish crustations things loosing arms and thats just the start of it. I always said there was a mantis lurking in my tank.... Well yesterday I noticed my lawbreaker fish had just magically disappeared and was pretty numbed out after which I did a water change today in my nano and found this!!! It's seems to be a mantis shrimp molt but both the claws were attached, this is a fairly big boy at least a inch long big claw which I would think would do some damage ! Anyway can you guys tell me if I'm right as I have no frugal clue where this skeleton came from and I'm hoping "if it is a mantis it's dead" Do mantis shrimp molt both clad? Or did he choke on the little jaw breaker Thanks guys and reefers __________________ 100% REAL Current Tank Info: 90g SPS, 46g LPS, 29g nano

06/06/2011, 09:09 PM	#2
TheZ Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 129	Um. That is not a mantis shrimp. Looks to be some kind of crab. __________________ Seth "Morituri Nolomus Mori" (We who are about to die...don't want to)

06/06/2011, 09:10 PM	#3
Njhc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 154	I haven't put anything new onthis tank in over a tear? __________________ 100% REAL Current Tank Info: 90g SPS, 46g LPS, 29g nano

06/06/2011, 09:27 PM	#4
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,067	Looks like some kind of hermit crab molt. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

06/07/2011, 09:33 AM	#6
Koshmar The Hardy Mongolian Pony Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,372	Pretty awesome looking. If I were you, I still want it to be alive. But it's not a mantis. __________________ All Day I Dream About Stomatopods

06/07/2011, 10:28 AM	#7
mantis1437 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: san diego,Ca Posts: 70	That is not a mantis shrimp. But it still looks nargly!

06/07/2011, 10:45 AM	#8
sjmantis On the cliff by the sea.. Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 539	Whatever it is has some big claws __________________ 40BR ATI 4x39, 60# Marco rocks, BM Nac7

06/07/2011, 10:46 AM	#9
Sushi man Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 79	It look like stone crab to me !!

06/07/2011, 11:50 AM	#10
Prodigal1011 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Fort Myers, Florida Posts: 26	Looks like a Hermit crab out of its shell. I found something similar caught in my overflow grates, then found the empty shell of my hermit. Notice one large claw, one small.

06/07/2011, 11:54 AM	#11
Koshmar The Hardy Mongolian Pony Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,372	Plus, hermits do look really weird and disfigured when out of their shell but that looks pretty large for a regular hermit. At least the ones I use to use as food.... __________________ All Day I Dream About Stomatopods

06/07/2011, 01:29 PM	#12
arioch Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: S. Elgin, IL Posts: 785	Those are quite brilliant colors, but it does look like a hermit molt. Do you hear snapping noises from your tank every now and then? __________________ Current Tank(s): 1) Custom 35gal shallow tank, mixed reef w/ acros, LEDs 2) Custom 20gal AIO, anemone and softies, LEDs 3) JBJ Nanocube 8RL office tank, softies, LEDs

06/07/2011, 07:41 PM	#13
Njhc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 154	I actually do __________________ 100% REAL Current Tank Info: 90g SPS, 46g LPS, 29g nano

06/07/2011, 08:36 PM	#14
Reef1589 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Byron Posts: 1,173	thats a big one.. haha nice colors though..sucks he's eating your fish __________________ -Robbie the S. Gigantea collector, Currently have 6. -People ive Dealt With- Booyah, Beefy, LeD Bill, Newschool04, Ptr13, LoLGranny Current Tank - 65g Shallow Reef Tank 48''L X 24''W X 13''H - 250W

06/07/2011, 08:50 PM	#15
tymon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 277	time to take a flashlight out and go nightime searching.

06/07/2011, 09:23 PM	#16
Koshmar The Hardy Mongolian Pony Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,372	If it's a mantis, night searches will do little good. Most hitch-hiking species are diurnal. __________________ All Day I Dream About Stomatopods

06/08/2011, 01:53 AM	#18
KoralKeith Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 110	Crazy colors __________________ I need a bag of zoanthids

06/08/2011, 02:01 PM	#20
Dana42078 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Racine Wisconsin Posts: 603	Thats no way shape or for a mantis molt. Id say hermit molt and i kinda have a smaller version of one in my mantis tank right now. ill see if i can get a pic. Agree with everyone else.....go nighttime searching and see whats moving at night.

06/08/2011, 03:43 PM	#21
Koshmar The Hardy Mongolian Pony Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,372	Well if you do search at night, supposively red bulbs allow you to see without alerting most creatures. I don't know how true that is. I generally left my moonlight on and watched the tank come to life at night. Mostly amphipods and bristle worms. Popping/clicking sounds can come from anything. That crab thing might have been what ate your fish. Good luck with the search. __________________ All Day I Dream About Stomatopods

06/08/2011, 04:40 PM	#22
S13<3 KeepItSuperSimple Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: S Fl. Posts: 553	thats is a big mean hermit crab/molt, if u hold a hermit in your hand upside down he will climb out of the shell completely to right himself, u will then see the sets of legs/claws that grip the shell __________________ -20Long, aquaclear hob filter, koralia 750

06/08/2011, 10:01 PM	#23
rambochu Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 61	That's not what's eating your fish, unless what's going missing are slow, bottom-dwelling fish. It might be why you have crustaceans losing limbs. I'm surprised you haven't seen it during feeding times. My best guess - it might be a left-handed hermit. I'm not sure, since the colors don't match up, but the size and the shape are a close match. I have several and I've never seen them harass anything that wasn't wounded or sick (or each other, if one of them has a pellet or something). I'm surprised you haven't seen it yet during feeding time - these guys are very quick to sense food. __________________ 20 L: Reef tank 14G Biocube: Tank of things no one likes. Ask me about my hermit crabs!

06/08/2011, 11:22 PM	#24
FlammySnake Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 73	Definately a hermit molt, and at that a hermit i happen to own a number of! Certainly not capable of incapacitating any fish, but i always keep my eye on them. Those are hermits i don't fully trust. Have seen them available much more often lately.

06/09/2011, 03:13 PM	#25
AquamanSE Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 60	Whats it taste like? hehe.........hermit +1 Eating/attacking your fish -1

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