Fireworm!

[Siamese Fighter05]

I've just found a mantis shrimp in my tank!
He's got a burrow inderneath one of the rocks in my nano and i need him out

How can i get rid of this guy as i don't want my fish and inverts to get killed. (Pretty sure this is the guy responsible for killing my cleaner shrimp yesterday!

Dan

 

[Aquascaper]

Get a net and attach a small fish or something to a rod or bit of fishing line. You'll have to try and entice him out and net him........it's not going to be easy

 

[Navarre]

he is almost certainly in the rock or has a bolt hole in he rock. You can try traps and stuff but thei are real clever and if it doesnt work the first time then forget it as it wont be fooled for a 2nd.

I would find the rock its hiding in and remove it from the tank. Place in a bowl/tank of salt water and slowly raise the temperature. No need for moving the water all you need is to slowly raise the temperature.

By doing this you will lower teh oxygen in the water and make life very ucomfortable for the little critter. With any luck you will make it leave the rock in search of better water. once its out of hte rock you simply remove the rock and return it to the tank.

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Thanks the lights have just switched over to actnics so i don't really want to mess without enough vision.
Tommorow morning i'll try it out and hopefully i can catch the little B***er!

As much as i hate insects it would be pretty cool to have a small mantis tank
How could i provide filtration to the tank without LR just for a 1" mantis?
I'll see if i get any offers from the LFS for him first though!

 

[wendywc]

I saw them on the show, Most Extreme Animals, on Animal Planet. They are very cool, but supposedly tank busters. Unless you have a very thick acrylic tank instead of glass.

Here's a couple of pages about them. Looks like, they are worth some money.
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...pcatid=1702&N=0
or
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...pcatid=2281&N=0

 

[Chac]

Watch your fingers Dan

I know loads of reefers who would love to have a mantis in there tank but it aint my idea of fun th

Good luck

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I saw them on the show, Most Extreme Animals, on Animal Planet. They are very cool, but supposedly tank busters. Unless you have a very thick acrylic tank instead of glass.

Here's a couple of pages about them. Looks like, they are worth some money.
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...pcatid=1702&N=0
or
http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...pcatid=2281&N=0

Thanks for that wendywc
I think i'll try and sell it to the LFS instead, i'm already pretty skint and i don't want to spend my last bit 'O Money' on something im freaked out by

Watch your fingers Dan

I know loads of reefers who would love to have a mantis in there tank but it aint my idea of fun th

Good luck

I know what you mean. After taking a second look at the opposition i don't want nothing to do with him
I'm sure i watched a documentary on these also. Apparently they can move their clubs so fast when they make contact with their prey a small ray of light is made! Seen a picture of a guy's thumb after he got hit (Ouch!)
I want this guy outa here and outa here A.S.A.P!

 

[Aquascaper]

Is it a normal Mantis shrimp or a Peacock Mantis?

If it's a Peacock Mantis they sell for quite a bit, if a normal one you'd be better off flushing it down the porcelain highway

 

[steelhealr]

Agree with above..WATCH YOUR FINGERS. Their chelae can split your finger right down to bone ..LITERALLY. Infections acquired thru a marine source are usually nasty and aggressive. SH

 

[JJ1234567]

I agree, mantis would be sweet for a species only tank...but after getting some quotes on acrylic tanks thick enough to hold this little devil in...I decided to pass. 190$ for a 15gallon that IMO was a little on the thin side and 300$ for a 20gallon 1/2inch acrylic. Maybe someday...SIGH...

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Is it a normal Mantis shrimp or a Peacock Mantis?

If it's a Peacock Mantis they sell for quite a bit, if a normal one you'd be better off flushing it down the porcelain highway

It's just a dull brown colouration, horrible looking thing. Seems to always be in the rock not the burrom he's built Just hope he doesn't go near my firefish who sometimes likes to go and perch in it's own little cave....

Lfs don't want him either so there's only one place this guy is going....

Agree with above..WATCH YOUR FINGERS. Their chelae can split your finger right down to bone ..LITERALLY. Infections acquired thru a marine source are usually nasty and aggressive. SH

thanks for the info, feel a whole lot better now....

I agree, mantis would be sweet for a species only tank...but after getting some quotes on acrylic tanks thick enough to hold this little devil in...I decided to pass. 190$ for a 15gallon that IMO was a little on the thin side and 300$ for a 20gallon 1/2inch acrylic. Maybe someday...SIGH...

I've seen a guys who has a 18" cube with one. I don't think he went acrylic just standard glass. Sounds a bit risky to me.... Wouldn't want that thing crawling around on the carpet. If you pay $300 for a 20gallon you're crazy!

Well everyone!
Round 1! (Ding Ding Ding)
Spotted the mantis again today in his favourite rock. I filled up a small 1 gallon tank with SW and stuck a heater in there. I picked up the rock and dropped it in the little tank, i couldn't see him anywhere but i'd guess he was in one the tunnels. Left the heater on full and went downstairs for a bit.

When i came upstairs the water was really warm but he still hadn't come out. I flushed in a bit of FW.....still nothing. Left for another 30mins and give up.....He must've gotten out of the rock when i lifted it up.
One thing i did notice was that there was a medium sized empty cerith shell wedged in between one of the tunnels in his rock. I've heard that the smaller mantis like to use these in their caves. Next time i'll try removing it and see what happens.
Hopefully i will see him again tommorow and can catch him out.

I might buy one of the pest traps from the LFS but i'm worried that i'll catch all my snails and crabs in there also and the mantis will go around and kill everyone! Grrrrr

Round 1 to the mantis.....

 

[Aquascaper]

Yep, if it's a brown one no-one will want it....not even his mummy

If you know that it's definitely in a certain piece of rock try placing the rock above the water (in a separate tub of course), it should eventually climb out when it gets too dry. This does mean that you will start to get die off on that rock but it may be worth it to get the mantis out

 

[mafoo]

Hi Sf05

Just curious.... How long did you have your LR in your tank before you saw the evil mantis shrimp?

Matt

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey Everyone

I'm now about 90% sure that this is NOT a mantis shrimp and is infact just a bristle worm )

Can someone please just double check what i've noticed and if it is normal bristle worm behavior.

His head has 4 whiskers and the 2 antennas
All plates then have 2 legs from what i've seen.
He stays in one rock most the time
All plates are brown apart from the middle one wish is white
Do they burrow?

Is this thing safe to corals, inverts (Including Shrimp!) and my fish? There are two empty snail shells in his cave and a mystery shrimp death


mafoo - probably been about 6weeks (I think) before i've seen this thing but i'm always seeing new bugs/slugs everyday

Thanks
Dan

 

[Opcn]

A mantis shrimp is a crusacean, a bristle worm is an anelid, its a worm with fuzzy edges. if it is a mantis don't kill it, there are plentyof people out there who want mantises. And you don't necesarily need a thick acrylic tank. If its a spearer you can keep it in a thin walled glass tank, and if its only a small smasher a standard 5-10 gallon tank will do. hell a 5 gallon bucket will work just fine. Good luck whatever you descide to do.

Here is a video http/www.oceanfootage.com/oceans/vd/SC01...61dfd4bd14f94e1 of a bristle worm